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 Ancient Nahuatl Poetry
ANOTHER PLAIN SONG OF THE MEXICANS
Translated by Daniel G. Brinton; language: english and nahuatl
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V. OTRO MEXICA TLAMELAUHCACUICAYOTL. |
V. ANOTHER PLAIN SONG OF THE MEXICANS. |
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1. Zanio in xochitl tonequimilol, zanio in cuicatl ic huehuetzi in
tellel in Dios ye mochan.
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1. I alone will clothe thee with flowers, mine alone is the song
which casts down our grief before God in thy house.
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2. In mach noca ompolihuiz in cohuayotl mach noca in icniuhyotl in
ononoya in ye ichan; ye nio Yoyontzin on cuicatillano ye
ipalnemohuani.
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2. True it is that my possessions shall perish, my friendships, their
home and their house; thus I, O Yoyontzin, pour forth songs to the
Giver of Life.
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3. Ma xiuhquechol xochi, zan in tzinitzcan malintoca zan miqui huaqui
xochitl zan ic tonmoquimiloa can titlatoani ya ti Nezahualcoyotl.
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3. Let the green quechol birds, let the tzinitzcan twine flowers for
us, only dying and withered flowers, that we may clothe thee with
flowers, thou ruler, thou Nezahualcoyotl.
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4. Ma yan moyoliuh quimati in antepilhuan in anquauhtin amo celo ca
mochipan titocnihuan, zancuel achic nican timochitonyazque o ye
ichano.
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4. Ye youths and ye braves, skilled in wisdom, may you alone be our
friends, while for a moment here we shall enjoy this house.
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5. Ca ye ompolihuiz in moteyo Nopiltzin, ti Tezozomoctli бca cб ye in
mocuica? aye a nihualchocao ca nihualicnotlamatica notia ye ichan.
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5. For thy fame shall perish, Nopiltzin, and thou, Tezozomoc, where
are thy songs? No more do I cry aloud, but rest tranquil that ye have
gone to your homes.
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6. An ca nihuallaocoya onicnotlamati ayo quico, ayoc quemanian,
namech aitlaquiuh in tlalticpac y icanontia ye ichan.
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6. Ye whom I bewailed, I know nevermore, never again; I am sad here
on earth that ye have gone to your homes.
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NOTES FOR SONG V.
From the wording, this appears to be one of the lost songs of
Nezahualcoyotl, either composed by him or sung before him. (See the
Introduction, p. 35.) It is a funeral dirge, dwelling on the fact of
universal and inevitable death, and the transitoriness of life. There
is in it no hint of Christian consolation, no comfortable hope of
happiness beyond the grave. Hence it dates, in all likelihood, from a
period anterior to the arrival of the missionaries.
1. tonequimilol; I take this to be a derivative from quimiloa, to
wrap up, especially, to shroud the dead, to wrap the corpse in its
winding sheets, as was the custom of the ancient Mexicans. The word,
however, seems an archaic form, as it does not lend itself readily to
analysis.
The expression in Dios, I explain as in the note to II, 1, and do
not consider that it detracts from the authentic antiquity of the
poem.
2. yoyontzin; on the significance of this appellation of
Nezahualcoyotl, see Introduction, p. 35.
3. ti Nezahualcoyotl; "thou Nezahualcoyotl." The princely poet may
have addressed himself in this expression, or we may suppose the song
was chanted before him.
5. Nopiltzin; the reference is to Quetzalcoatl, the famous "fair
God" of the Nahuas, and in myth, the last ruler of the Toltecs. See
D.G. Brinton, American Hero Myths (Philadelphia, 1882). The term
means "my beloved Lord." On Tezozomoc, see Introduction, p. 35.
6. The text of the latter part or refrain of verses 5 and 6 is
corrupt, and my translation is doubtful.
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RUS ver.