Ancient Nahuatl Poetry

SONG XIV.
Translated by Daniel G. Brinton; language: english and nahuatl
Guestbook Add to "Favourites" RUS ver.

B ack to Index of Poems
B ack to Books
B ack to main page


XIV.

XIV.

1. Zan tzinitzcan impetlatl ipan, ohuaya; on tzinitzcan iceliztoca oncan izan in ninentlamatia, in zan icnoxochicuicatica inocon ya temohua ya ohuaya, ohuaya. 1. Only the tzinitzcan is in power, the tzinitzcan arouses me in my affliction, letting fall its songs like sad flowers.
2. In canin nemiya icanon in nemitoconchia ye nican huehuetitlan a ayiahue, ye onnentlamacho, ye mocatlaocoyalo ay xopancaliteca, ohuaya, ohuaya. 2. Wherever it wanders, wherever it lives, one awaits it here with the drum, in affliction, in distress, here in the house of spring.
3. Ac ipiltzin? Achanca ipiltzin yehuayan Dios Jesu Christo can quicuilo antlacuiloa quicuilo ancuicatl a ohuaya, ohuaya. 3. Who is the royal son? Is not the royal son, the son of God, Jesus Christ, as was written in your writings, as was written in your songs?
4. O achan canel ompa huiz canin ilhuicac y xochintlacuilol xochincalitec a ohuaya ohuaya. 4. Is not the flowery writing within the house of flowers that he shall come there from heaven?
5. In ma ontlachialoya in ma ontlătlamahuicolo in tlapapalcalimanican y ipalnemoa y tlayocol yehuan Dios, ohuaya. 5. Look around and wonder at this scene of many colored houses which God has created and endowed with life.
6. Techtolinian techtlătlanectia y icuicaxochiamilpan, intechontlătlachialtian ipalnemohua itlayocol yehuan Dios a ohuaya. 6. They make us who are miserable to see the light among the flowers and songs of the fertile fields, they cause us to see those things which God has created and endowed with life.
7. Ya ixopantla ixopantlatinenemi ye nican ixtlahuatl yteey, za xiuhquechol quiahuitl zan topan xaxamacay in atlixco ya ohuaya, ohuaya. 7. They dwell in the place of spring, in the place of spring, here within the broad fields, and only for our sakes does the turquoise-water fall in broken drops on the surface of the lake.
8. Zan ye nauhcampay ontlapepetlantoc, oncan onceliztoc in cozahuizxochitl, oncan nemi in Mexica in tepilhuan a ohuaya ohuaya. 8. Where it gleams forth in fourfold rays, where the fragrant yellow flowers bud, there live the Mexicans, the youths.


NOTES FOR SONG XIV.

This poem, chanted in 1551 before the Governor of Azcapotzalco, by Francisco Placido, a native of Huexotzinco, is a Christian song in the style and metre of the ancient poetry. See the Introduction, p. 51.

1. impetlatl; the ordinary meaning of petlatl is a mat or rug; it is here to be taken in its figurative sense of power or authority, chiefs and other prominent persons being provided with mats at the councils, etc.

<< Previous page Up Next page >>


Rambler's Top100

UnCopyrighted©Sam, 2003-2009



Hosted by uCoz