Music & Lyrics: Marie-Lynn Hammond

quanniqtaq – snow that has recently fallen
kavisilaq – snow that’s been roughened by frost or rain
quisuquq – snow that has melted and then been frozen again

pataqun – snow that sparkles by moonlight
apingaut – the very first fall of autumn snow
piqsiqtuk – snow that will fly in the air when the polar winds blow

this is the world we live in
to survive we have to know
not just the ways of the animals
but also the ways of the snow
will the sleds get stuck when the snow’s too soft
can we walk, or is it too deep
will it drift around our snow house door
through the long night while we sleep

quanniqtaq – snow that has recently fallen
kavisilaq – snow that’s been roughened by frost or rain
quisuquq – snow that has melted and then been frozen again

your city has streets and each has a name
you’d never think they were all the same
so it is with us, our city is snow
and it’s never the same two days in a row
so we name each change, each difference we see
you have one word “snow,” we have twenty-three…

oh, snow like powder, snow like crystal
hard snow, soft snow
heavy and light snow
snow in a ripple and snow in a drift
wet snow, frozen snow
falling-at-night snow

pataqun – snow that sparkles by moonlight
apingaut – the very first fall of autumn snow
piqsiqtuk – snow that will fly in the air when the polar winds blow