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LIBRARY
OF
ABORIGINAL AMERICAN
LITERATURE.
No. VIII.
EDITED BY
D.G. BRINTON
[Illustration: XIPPE TOTEC, GOD OF SILVERSMITHS, IN FULL COSTUME. HYMN
XV.]
BRINTON'S LIBRARY OF
ABORIGINAL AMERICAN LITERATURE.
NUMBER VIII.
RIG VEDA AMERICANUS.
SACRED SONGS OF THE ANCIENT MEXICANS,
WITH A GLOSS IN NAHUATL.
EDITED, WITH A PARAPHRASE, NOTES AND
VOCABULARY,
BY
DANIEL G. BRINTON
1890
PREFACE.
In accordance with the general object of this series of volumes--which
is to furnish materials for study rather than to offer completed
studies--I have prepared for this number the text of the most ancient
authentic record of American religious lore. From its antiquity and
character, I have ventured to call this little collection the RIG VEDA
AMERICANUS, after the similar cyclus of sacred hymns, which are the most
venerable product of the Aryan mind.
As for my attempted translation of these mystic chants I offer it with
the utmost reserve. It would be the height of temerity in me to pretend
to have overcome difficulties which one so familiar with the ancient
Nahuatl as Father Sahagun intimated were beyond his powers. All that I
hope to have achieved is, by the aid of the Gloss--and not always in
conformity to its suggestions--to give a general idea of the sense and
purport of the originals.
The desirability of preserving and publishing these texts seems to me to
be manifest. They reveal to us the undoubtedly authentic spirit of the
ancient religion; they show us the language in its most archaic form;
they preserve references to various mythical cycli of importance to the
historian; and they illustrate the alterations in the spoken tongue
adopted in the esoteric dialect of the priesthood. Such considerations
will, I trust, attract the attention of scholars to these fragments of a
lost literature.
In the appended Vocabulary I have inserted only those words and
expressions for which I can suggest correct--or, at least,
probable--renderings. Others will have to be left to future
investigators.
CONTENTS.
Preface
Introduction
I. Hymn of Huitzilopochtli
II. War Song of the Huitznahuac
III. Hymn of Tlaloc
IV. Hymn to the All-Mother
V. Hymn to the Virgin Mother
VI. Hymn to the God of Fire
VII. Hymn of Mixcoatl
VIII. Hymn to the God of Flowers
IX. Hymn to the Goddess of Artists
X. Hymn to the God of Fishing
XI. Hymn of the Otomi Leader
XII. Hymn to the Goddess of Childbirth
XIII. Hymn to the Mother of Mortals
XIV. Hymn Sung at a Fast every Eight Years
XV. Hymn to a Night God
XVI. Hymn to the Goddess of Food
XVII. Hymn to the Gods of Wine
XVIII. Hymn to the Master of Waters
XIX. Hymn to the God of Flowers
XX. Hymn to the God of Merchants
Glossary
Index
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Xippe Totec, God of Silversmiths, in Full Costume, Frontispiece
Priest of Xippe Totec, Drinking and Playing on a Drum, Hymn XV
Chicomecoatl, Goddess of Food and Drink, Hymn XVI
Totochtin, the Rabbits, Gods of the Drunkards, Hymn XVII
Atlaua, Singing and Dancing, Hymn XVIII
INTRODUCTION.
As in a previous number of the Library of Aboriginal American Literature
I have discussed in detail the character of the ancient Mexican poetry,
I shall confine myself at present to the history of the present
collection. We owe its preservation to the untiring industry of Father
Bernardino de Sahagun, one of the earliest missionaries to Mexico, and
the author of by far the most important work on the religion, manners
and customs of the ancient Mexicans.
By long residence and close application Sahagun acquired a complete
mastery of the Nahuatl tongue. He composed his celebrated _Historia de
las Cosas de la Nueva España_ primarily in the native language, and from
this original wrote out a Spanish translation, in some parts
considerably abbreviated. This incomplete reproduction is that which was
published in Spanish by Lord Kingsborough and Bustamente, and in a
French rendering with useful notes by Dr. Jourdanet and M. Rémi Simeon.
So far as I know, the only complete copy of the Nahuatl original now in
existence is that preserved in the Bibliotheca Laurentio-Mediceana in
Florence, where I examined it in April, 1889. It is a most elaborate and
beautiful MS., in three large volumes, containing thirteen hundred and
seventy-eight illustrations, carefully drawn by hand, mostly colored,
illustrative of the native mythology, history, arts and usages, besides
many elaborate head and tail pieces to the chapters.
There is another Nahuatl MS. of Sahagun's history in the private
library of the King of Spain at Madrid, which I examined in May, 1888,
and of which I published a collation in the _Mémoires de la Sociétè
Internationale des Américanistes_, for that year. It is incomplete,
embracing only the first six books of the _Historia_, and should be
considered merely as a _borrador_ or preliminary sketch for the
Florentine copy. It contains, however, a certain amount of material not
included in the latter, and has been peculiarly useful to me in the
preparation of the present volume, as not only affording another reading
of the text, valuable for comparison, but as furnishing a gloss or
Nahuatl paraphrase of most of the hymns, which does not appear in the
Florentine MS. As evidently the older of the two, I have adopted the
readings of the Madrid MS. as my text, and given the variants of the
Florentine MS. at the end of each hymn.
Neither MS. attempts any translation of the hymns. That at Madrid has no
Spanish comment whatever, while that at Florence places opposite the
hymns the following remarks, which are also found in the printed copies,
near the close of the Appendix of the Second Book of the _Historia_:--
"It is an old trick of our enemy the Devil to try to conceal himself in
order the better to compass his ends, in accordance with the words of
the Gospel, 'He whose deeds are evil, shuns the light.' Also on earth
this enemy of ours has provided himself with a dense wood and a ground,
rough and filled with abysses, there to prepare his wiles and to escape
pursuit, as do wild beasts and venomous serpents. This wood and these
abysses are the songs which he has inspired for his service to be sung
in his honor within the temples and outside of them; for they are so
artfully composed that they say what they will, but disclose only what
the Devil commands, not being rightly understood except by those to whom
they are addressed. It is, in fact, well recognized that the cave, wood
or abysses in which this cursed enemy hides himself, are these songs or
chants which he himself composed, and which are sung to him without
being understood except by those who are acquainted with this sort of
language. The consequence is that they sing what they please, war or
peace, praise to the Devil or contempt for Christ, and they cannot in
the least be understood by other men."
Lord Kingsborough says in a note in his voluminous work on the
_Antiquities of Mexico_ that this portion of Sahagun's text was
destroyed by order of the Inquisition, and that there was a memorandum
to that effect in the Spanish original in the noble writer's possession.
This could scarcely have referred to a translation of the hymns, for
none such exists in any MS. I have consulted, or heard of; and Sahagun
intimates in the passage quoted above that he had made none, on account
of the obscurity of the diction. Neither does any appear in the
Florentine MS., where the text of the hymns is given in full, although
the explanatory Gloss is omitted. This last-mentioned fact has prevented
me from correcting the text of the Gloss, which in some passages is
manifestly erroneous; but I have confined myself to reproducing it
strictly according to the original MS., leaving its correction to those
who will make use of it.
The Florentine MS. has five colored illustrations of the divinities, or
their symbols, which are spoken of in the chants. These are probably
copied from the native hieroglyphic books in which, as we learn from
Sahagun, such ancient songs were preserved and transmitted. These
illustrations I had copied with scrupulous fidelity and reproduced by
one of the photographic processes, for the present work.
Such is the history of this curious document, and with this brief
introduction I submit it to those who will have the patience and skill
to unravel its manifold difficulties.
RIG VEDA AMERICANA
I. _Vitzilopochtli icuic._
1. Vitzilopuchi, yaquetlaya, yyaconay, ynohuihuihuia: anenicuic,
toçiquemitla, yya, ayya, yya y ya uia, queyanoca, oya tonaqui, yyaya,
yya, yya.
2. Tetzauiztli ya mixtecatl, ce ymocxi pichauaztecatla pomaya,
ouayyeo, ayyayya.
3. Ay tlaxotla tenamitl yuitli macoc mupupuxotiuh, yautlatoa ya,
ayyayyo, noteuh aya tepanquizqui mitoaya.
4. Oya yeua uel mamauia, in tlaxotecatl teuhtla milacatzoaya,
itlaxotecatl teuhtla milacatzoaya.
5. Amanteca toyauan xinechoncentlalizquiuia ycalipan yauhtiua,
xinechoncentlalizqui.
6. Pipiteca toyauan xinechoncentlalizquiuia: ycalipan, yautiua,
xinechoncentlalizqui.
_Var._ 6. This verse is omitted in the Medicean MS.
_Gloss._
1. In ivitzilopochtli ayac nouiui, _id est_, ayac nechneneuilia, ayac
iuhqui, in iuhqui. Anenicuic, _id est_, amo ca nen nonicuic, in
quetzali, in chalchihuitl in ixquich ynotlatqui, toçiquemitl. Queyanoca
oya tonaqui, _id est_, onocatonat, onocatlatuit.
2. _Q.n._, tetzauiztli, _id est_, oquintetzauito, in mixteca inic
oquiyaochiuhqui: oquimanilito in imicxi in pichauazteca, ioan in
mixteca.
3. Ay tlaxotla tenamitl, _q.n._, quitepeua inin tena in aquique
yauchiuallo. Iuitli macoc, _q.n._, oncan quitema in tiçatl in ihuitl.
Mopopuxotiuh yauhtlatuaya, _q.n._, inic mopopuxoticalaqui yauc, ioan,
_q.n._, yeuatl quitemaca y yauyutl quitemaceualtia, tepanquizqui,
mitoayaqui yehuatl quichioa yauyutl.
4. Oya yeua huel mamauia, _q.n._, çan oc momamauhtiaya in aya
momochiua yauyutl. Teuhtla milacatzoaya _q.n._, in noteuh in opeuh
yauyutl, aocac momauhtica iniquac ynoteuhtli moquetza ynoteuhtica
tlayoa(lli).
5. Amanteca toyauan, _q.n._, yn iyaoan yn aquique in cani
omocentlalique ca in calipan in yautioa ca tlatlaz ynin cal.
6. Pipiteca, toyaoan, xinechoncentlalizque, _q.n._, in pipiteca y
yaoan mochiuhque. Yn calla in mochiua yauyutl in i calipan.
_Translation._
_The Hymn of Huitzilopochtli._
1. Huitzilopochtli is first in rank, no one, no one is like unto him:
not vainly do I sing (his praises) coming forth in the garb of our
ancestors; I shine; I glitter.
2. He is a terror to the Mixteca; he alone destroyed the
Picha-Huasteca, he conquered them.
3. The Dart-Hurler is an example to the city, as he sets to work. He
who commands in battle is called the representative of my God.
4. When he shouts aloud he inspires great terror, the divine hurler,
the god turning himself in the combat, the divine hurler, the god
turning himself in the combat.
5. Amanteca, gather yourselves together with me in the house of war
against your enemies, gather yourselves together with me.
6. Pipiteca, gather yourselves together with me in the house of war
against your enemies, gather yourselves together with me.
_Notes._
Huitzilopochtli was the well-known war-god of the Azteca, whose
functions are described by Sahagun (_Historia_, Lib. I., cap. 1) and
many other writers. The hymn here given is probably the _tlaxotecuyotl_,
which was chanted at the celebration of his feast in the fifteenth month
of the Mexican calendar (see Sahagun, _Historia_, Lib. II., cap. 34).
The word means "his glory be established." It was commenced at sunset
and repeated till sunrise.
1. "In the garb of our ancestors" (_to-citli-quemitl_). The high
priest appeared in the insignia of Quetzalcoatl, which, says Sahagun,
"were very gorgeous." (_Hist._, Lib. II., Appendix.)
2. Mixteca, plural of Mixtecatl, an inhabitant of Mixtecapan, near the
Pacific. The Huasteca, a nation of Maya lineage, lived on the Gulf
coast.
3. The god was called the Hurler, as he was believed to hurl the
lightning serpent (the _xiuhcoatl_).
5. Sahagun recites the legends about the Amanteca (_Historia_, Lib.
IX., cap. 18). Here the name refers to the inhabitants of the quarter
called Amantlan.
6. _Pipiteca_, a _nomen gentile_, referring doubtless to a certain
class of the hearers.
This hymn may be compared to another, descriptive of the same divinity,
preserved in Sahagun's MS. in Madrid. It is as follows, with my
translation by its side.
Vitzilopuchtli Huitzilopochtli,
Can maceualli Only a subject,
Can tlacatl catca. Only a mortal was.
Naualli A magician,
Tetzauitl A terror,
Atlacacemelle A stirrer of strife,
Teixcuepani A deceiver,
Quiyocoyani in yaoyotl A maker of war,
Yautecani An arranger of battles,
Yautlatoani; A lord of battles;
Ca itechpa mitoaya And of him it was said
Tepan quitlaza That he hurled
In xiuhcoatl His flaming serpent,
Immamalhuaztli His fire stick;
Quitoznequi yaoyotl Which means war,
Teoatl tlachinolli. Blood and burning;
Auh iniquac ilhuiq'xtililoya And when his festival was celebrated,
Malmicouaya Captives were slain,
Tlaaltilmicoaya Washed slaves were slain,
Tealtilaya impochteca. The merchants washed them.
Auh inic mochichiuaya: And thus he was arrayed:
Xiuhtotonacoche catca With head-dress of green feathers,
Xiuhcoanauale Holding his serpent torch,
Xiuhtlalpile Girded with a belt,
Matacaxe Bracelets upon his arms,
Tzitzile Wearing turquoises,
Oyuvale. As a master of messengers.
When in Florence, in 1889, I had an accurate copy made of the Nahuatl
text and all the figures of the first book of Sahagun's History. The
colored figure of Huitzilopochtli is in accordance with the above
description.
II. _Uitznaoac yautl icuic._
1. Ahuia tlacochcalco notequioa ayayui nocaquia tlacatl, ya
nechyapinauia, ayaca nomati, nitetzauiztli, auia, ayaca nomati niya,
yautla, aquitoloc tlacochcalco notequioa, iuexcatlatoa ay nopilchan.
2. Ihiya quetl tocuilechcatl quauiquemitl nepapan oc uitzetla.
3. Huia oholopa telipuchtla, yuiyoc yn nomalli, ye nimauia, ye
nimauia, yuiyoc yn nomalli.
4. Huia uitznauac telepochtla yuiyoc, yn nomalli, ye nimauia, ye
nimauia yuiyoc, ynomalli.
5. Huia ytzicotla telipochtla, yuiyoc, yn nomalli, ye nimauia, ye
nimauia, yuiyoc yn nomalli.
6. Uitznauac teuaqui, machiyotla tetemoya, ahuia oyatonac, yahuia
oyatonac, machiyotla tetemoya.
7. Tocuilitla teuaqui, machiyotla tetemoya, ahuia oyatonac, yahuia
oyatonac uia, machiyotla tetemoya.
_Var._ 6. Vitzanaoac teuhoaqui machiotla. _MS. Med._
_The War Song of the Huitznahuac._
1. What ho! my work is in the hall of arms, I listen to no mortal, nor
can any put me to shame, I know none such, I am the Terror, I know none
other, I am where war is, my work is said to be in the hall of arms, let
no one curse my children.
2. Our adornment comes from out the south, it is varied in color as
the clothing of the eagle.
3. Ho! ho! abundance of youths doubly clothed, arrayed in feathers,
are my captives, I deliver them up, I deliver them up, my captives
arrayed in feathers.
4. Ho! youths for the Huitznahuac, arrayed in feathers, these are my
captives, I deliver them up, I deliver them up, arrayed in feathers, my
captives.
5. Youths from the south, arrayed in feathers, my captives, I deliver
them up, I deliver them up, arrayed in feathers, my captives.
6. The god enters, the Huitznahuac, he descends as an example, he
shines forth, he shines forth, descending as an example.
7. Adorned like us he enters as a god, he descends as an example, he
shines forth, he shines forth, descending as an example.
_Notes._
There is no Gloss to this hymn, but its signification seems clear.
_Huitznahuac_ was a name applied to several edifices in the great temple
at Tenochtitlan, as we are informed at length by Sahagun. The word is a
locative from _huitznahua_. This term means "magicians from the south"
or "diviners with thorns," and was applied in the Quetzalcoatl mythical
cyclus to the legendary enemies of Huitzilopochtli, whom he is said to
have destroyed as soon as he was born. (See my discussion of this myth
in _Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society_ for 1887.)
Apparently to perpetuate the memory of this exploit, the custom was, at
the festival of Huitzilopochtli, for the slaves who were to be
sacrificed to form two bands, one representing the Huitznahua and the
other the partisans of the god, and to slaughter each other until the
arrival of the god Paynal put an end to the combat (Sahagun,
_Historia_, Lib. II., cap. 34). The song here given belongs to this
portion of the ancient rite.
1. The _tlacochcalli_, "house of arrows" (_tlacochtli_, arrow,
_calli_, house), was a large hall in the temple of Huitzilopochtli where
arrows, spears and other arms were kept (Sahagun, Lib. VIII., cap. 32).
2. The "adornment from the south" refers to the meaning of the name
_Huitznahua_. (See Glossary.)
3. Sahagun (_ubi sup._) informs us that the slaves condemned to die
fought against free warriors, and when any of the latter were captured
they were promptly put to death by their captors.
III. _Tlalloc icuic._
1. Ahuia Mexico teutlaneuiloc amapanitla anauhcampa, ye moquetzquetl,
aoyequene y chocaya.
2. Ahuia anneuaya niyocoloc, annoteua eztlamiyaual, aylhuiçolla nic
yauicaya teutiualcoya.
3. Ahuia annotequiua naualpilli aquitlanella motonacayouh tic yachiuh
quitla catlachtoquetl, çan mitziyapinauia.
4. Ahuia cana catella nechyapinauia anechyaca uelmatia, anotata yn
oquacuillo ocelocoatl aya.
5. Ahuia tlallocana, xiuacalco aya quizqui aquamotla, acatonalaya.
6. Ahuia xiyanouia, nahuia xiyamotecaya ay poyauhtla, ayauh
chicauaztica, ayauicalo tlallocanaya.
7. Aua nacha tozcuecuexi niyayalizqui aya y chocaya.
8. Ahuia queyamica xinechiuaya, temoquetl aitlatol, aniquiya
ilhuiquetl, tetzauhpilla niyayalizqui aya y chocaya.
9. Ahuia nauhxiuhticaya itopanecauiloc ayoc ynomatia, ay motlapoalli,
aya ximocaya ye quetzalcalla nepanauia ay yaxcana teizcaltequetl.
10. Ahuia xiyanouia, ahuia xiyamotequaya ay poyauhtla, ayauh
chicauaztlica ayauicallo tlalloca.
_Var._ 1. Amopanitl.
_Gloss._
1. Auia Mexico teutlanauiloc, _q.n._, yn Mexico onetlanauiloc in
tlaloc. Amapanitl annauhcampa ye moquetzquetl, _q.n._, amapanitl
nauhcampa omoquequetz. Aoyeque naichocaya, _id est_, itlaocuyaya.
2. Auia anneuaya niyocoloc, _q.n._, ynehuatl ni tlalloc oniyocoloc.
Annoteua eztlamiyaual, _q.n._, noteu eztlamiyaualtitiuh. Aylhuiçolla,
_q.n._, yn umpa ilhuiçololo. Inic yauicaya teuitualcoya, _q.n._ in
teuitualoc.
3. Auia annotequiua naualpilli, _q.n._ in tinoteuh naualpilli, _i.e._,
tlalloc. Aquitlanella motonacayouh, _q.n._, ca nelli teuatl
ticmochiuilia in motonacayouh. Catlachtoquetl, _q.n._, teuatl
ticmochiuilia auh in aquin timitzpinauia.
4. Ahuia cana catella nechyapinauia, _q.n._, catel nechpinauia ca
monechuelmati. Annotata ynoquacuillo ocelocoatl aya, _q.n._, yn notaua
ioan yna quacuiloa yn oceloquacuili.
5. Ahuia tlallocana xiuacalco, _q.n._, in tlalocan xiuhcalco, _id
est_, acxoyacalco. Ayaquizqui, _q.n._, umpa ualquizque. Aquamotla
acatonalaya, _q.n._, y notauan yn oquacuiloan acatonal.
6. Ahuia xicanouia nauia xiyamotecaya, _q.n._, xiuian ximotecati. Ay
poyauhtlan, _q.n._, in umpa poyauhtlan tepeticpac. Ayauh chicauaztica
ayauicalo tlalocana, _q.n._, ayauh chicauaztica in auicalo tlalocan.
7. Aua nach tozcuecuexi niyayalizqui, _q.n._, y nach tozcuecuex y ye
niauh niman ye choca.
8. Ahuia queyamica xinechiuaya, _q.n._, quenamican y ya niauh aço
anechtemozque. Aniquiya ilhuiquetl tetzapilla niyayalizqui ayaichocaya,
_q.n._, onquilhui yn tetzapilli ye niyauh niman ye choca.
9. Ahuia nauhxiuhticaya nitopanecauiloc, _q.n._, nauhxiuhtica in
topanecauiloz, _id est_, in tepan mochiuaz. Ayoc inomatia ay
motlapoalli, _q.n._, aocmo nomatia iniquin motlapoalpan. Ca oximoac ye
quetzalcalla nepanauia, _q.n._, ye qualcan ye netlamachtiloyan ynemca.
Ay yaxcana teizcaltiquetl, _q.n._, iniaxca inic oteizcalli.
10. Ahuia xiyanouia, _q.n._, xiuia. Auia xiya motecaya ay poyauhtla,
_q.n._, ximotecati in umpa poyauhtla. Ayauh chicauaztica auicallo
tlalocan, _q.n._, ayauh chicauaztica in auicallo in umpa tlallocan.
_The Hymn of Tlaloc._
1. In Mexico the god appears; thy banner is unfolded in all
directions, and no one weeps.
2. I, the god, have returned again, I have turned again to the place
of abundance of blood-sacrifices; there when the day grows old, I am
beheld as a god.
3. Thy work is that of a noble magician; truly thou hast made thyself
to be of our flesh; thou hast made thyself, and who dare affront thee?
4. Truly he who affronts me does not find himself well with me; my
fathers took by the head the tigers and the serpents.
5. In Tlalocan, in the verdant house, they play at ball, they cast the
reeds.
6. Go forth, go forth to where the clouds are spread abundantly, where
the thick mist makes the cloudy house of Tlaloc.
7. There with strong voice I rise up and cry aloud.
8. Go ye forth to seek me, seek for the words which I have said, as I
rise, a terrible one, and cry aloud.
9. After four years they shall go forth, not to be known, not to be
numbered, they shall descend to the beautiful house, to unite together
and know the doctrine.
10. Go forth, go forth to where the clouds are spread abundantly,
where the thick mist makes the cloudy house of Tlaloc.
_Notes._
The god Tlaloc shared with Huitzilopochtli the highest place in the
Mexican Pantheon. He was the deity who presided over the waters, the
rains, the thunder and the lightning. The annual festival in his honor
took place about the time of corn-planting, and was intended to secure
his favor for this all-important crop. Its details are described at
great length by Diego Duran, _Historia de Nueva España_, cap. 86, and
Sahagun, _Historia_, Lib. II., cap. 25, and elsewhere. His name is
derived from _tlalli_, earth. _Tlalocan_, referred to in v. 5, "the
place of Tlaloc," was the name of a mountain east of Tenochtitlan, where
the festival of the god was celebrated; but it had also a mythical
meaning, equivalent to "the earthly Paradise," the abode of happy souls.
It will be observed that v. 10 is a repetition of v. 6. The word
_ayauicalo_ refers to the _ayauhcalli_, "house of mist," the home of the
rain god, which Sahagun informs us was represented at the annual
festival by four small buildings near the water's edge, carefully
disposed to face the four cardinal points of the compass (Sahagun, _ubi
supra_).
In v. 8 the expression _tetzauhpilli_ (_tetzauhqui_, to frighten) may
be explained by the figure of Tlaloc, whose statue, says Duran, was that
of _un espantable monstruo, la cara muy fea_ (_ibid._).
The compound in v. 10, _nauhxiuhtica_, "after four years," appears to
refer to the souls of the departed brave ones, who, according to Aztec
mythology, passed to the heaven for four years and after that returned
to the terrestrial Paradise,--the palace of Tlaloc. (See my paper, _The
Journey of the Soul_, in _Proceedings of the Numismatic and Antiquarian
Society of Philadelphia, 1883_.)
IV. _Teteuynan ycuic._
1. Ahuiya coçauic xochitla oya cueponca yeua tonana teumechaue
moquiçican tamoanchan, auayye, auayya, yyao, yya, yyeo, aye ayo, ayy
ayyaa.
2. Coçauic xochitla oya moxocha yeua tonana, teumechaue, moquiçica
tamoanchan, ouayye, auayya, yyao, yya, yyeo, ayo aye, ayya, ayyaa.
3. Ahuia iztac xochitla, oya cueponca yeua tonana teumechaue moquiçica
tamoanchan, ouayye, auayya, yyao yya, yyeo, ayeaye, ayya ayyaa.
4. Ahuiya iztac xochitla oya moxocha yeua tonana teumechaue moquiçica
tamoanchan, ouayye, auayya, yyao, yya, yyeo, aye aye, ayya ayyaa.
5. Ahuia ohoya teutl ca teucontli paca tona aya, itzpapalotli, auayye,
yyao, yya, yyeo, ayyaa.
6. Ao, auatic ya itaca chicunauixtlauatla maçatl yyollo, ica
mozcaltizqui tonan tlaltecutli, ayao, ayyao, ayyaa.
7. Aho, ye yancuic tiçatla ye yancuic yuitla oya potoniloc yn
auicacopa acatl xamontoca.
8. Aho maçatl mochiuhca teutlalipan mitziya noittaco, yeua xiuhnello,
yeua mimichan.
_Var._ 7. Xamantoca. 8. Yehoa.
_Gloss._
1. _Q.n._, in tonan ocueponya umpa oalquiz yn tamoanchan.
2. _Q.n._, in amona ca izcui yn xochiuh ca umpa oquiz yn tmoanchan.
3. _Q.n._ In tonan ocuepo in umpa oquiz tamoanchan.
4. _Q.n._, in amona iztac in oxochiuh yn umpa oniquiz tamoanchan.
5. _Q.n._, in tonan ca teucumitl icpac in quiz yn itzpapalotl.
6. _Q.n._, in tonan ixtlauan in mozcaltito auh inic mozcalti macatl y
yollo y yeua tonan tlaltecutli.
7. _Q.n._, auh inic potoniloc, tonan, yancuic tiçatl ioan yancuic yn
iuitl, auh nauhcampa quite ynacatl.
8. _Q.n._, in macatl yeuan can iliaya yn ixtlauacan yuhqui inic quic
noitayan y yeuatl inimich ioan in xiuhnel.
_Hymn to the Mother of the Gods._
1. Hail to our mother, who caused the yellow flowers to blossom, who
scattered the seeds of the maguey, as she came forth from Paradise.
2. Hail to our mother, who poured forth flowers in abundance, who
scattered the seeds of the maguey, as she came forth from Paradise.
3. Hail to our mother, who caused the yellow flowers to blossom, she
who scattered the seeds of the maguey, as she came forth from Paradise.
4. Hail to our mother, who poured forth white flowers in abundance,
who scattered the seeds of the maguey, as she came forth from Paradise.
5. Hail to the goddess who shines in the thorn bush like a bright
butterfly.
6. Ho! she is our mother, goddess of the earth, she supplies food in
the desert to the wild beasts, and causes them to live.
7. Thus, thus, you see her to be an ever-fresh model of liberality
toward all flesh.
8. And as you see the goddess of the earth do to the wild beasts, so
also does she toward the green herbs and the fishes.
_Notes._
The goddess to whom this hymn is devoted was called _Teteoinan_, the
Mother of the Gods, _Toçi_, our Mother (maternal ancestor), and also by
another name which signified "the Heart of the Earth," the latter being
bestowed upon her, says Duran, because she was believed to be the cause
of earthquakes. Her general functions were those of a genius of
fertility, extending both to the vegetable and the animal world. Thus,
she was the patroness of the native midwives and of women in childbirth
(Sahagun). Her chief temple at Tepeyacac was one of the most renowned in
ancient Mexico, and it was a felicitous idea of the early missionaries
to have "Our Lady of Guadalupe" make her appearance on the immediate
site of this ancient fane already celebrated as the place of worship of
the older female deity. The _Codex Ramirez_ makes her a daughter of the
first King of Culhuacan.
1. _Tamoanchan._ This word Sahagun translates "we seek our homes,"
while the _Codex Telleriano-Remensis_ gives the more intelligible
rendering "there is their home whither they descend," and adds that it
is synonymous with _Xochitlycacan_, "the place where the flowers are
lifted." It was the mystical Paradise of the Aztecs, the Home of the
Gods, and the happy realm of departed souls. The Codex just quoted adds
that the gods were born there, which explains the introduction of the
word into this hymn.
5. For _teucontli_ (see Glossary) I should suggest _teocomitl_, a
species of ornament, (cf. Sahagun, _Historia_, Lib. II., cap. 37.)
V. _Chimalpanecatl icuic ioan tlaltecaua (nanotl)._
1. Ichimalipan chipuchica ueya, mixiuiloc yautlatoaya, ichimalipan
chipuchica ueya, mixiuiloc yautlatoa.
2. Coatepec tequiua, tepetitla moxayaual teueuel aya quinelli
moquichtiuiui tlalli cuecuechiuia aqui moxayaual teueuella.
_Var._ Title. Tlaltecaoannanotl. 2. Cohoatepechquiua.
_Gloss._
1. _Q.n._, yautlatolli ipa omixiuh ynanotl chimalipan in omixiuh, _id
est_, ipa oquitlacatilli ynanotl in uitzilopochtli y yauyutl.
2. _Q.n._, coatepec otepeuh tepetitla yc moxaual ioan y teueuel, _id
est_, ichimal ic otepeuh aocac omoquichquetz iniquac peualoque coatepec
a iniquac otlalli cuecuechiuh, _id est_, iquac opopoliuhque.
_Hymn to Chimalipan in Parturition._
1. Chimalipan was a virgin when she brought forth the adviser of
battles; Chimalipan was a virgin when she brought forth the adviser of
battles.
2. On the Coatepec was her labor; on the mountain he ripened into age;
as he became a man truly the earth was shaken, even as he became a man.
_Notes._
The goddess Chimalipan is not mentioned by the authorities at my
command; but from the tenor of the hymn it is evident that the name is
a synonym for the virgin mother of Huitzilopochtli, who is distinctly
referred to by his title _Yautlatoani_ (see _ante_, p. 18). In the myth,
she dwelt upon the Coatepetl, the Serpent Mountain, on the site of
Tulan. For a full discussion of this myth I refer to my inquiry, "_Were
the Toltecs an Historic Nationality?_" in _Proceedings of the Amer.
Phil. Soc._ for Sept. 1887, and _American Hero-Myths_, chap. 11.
(Phila., 1881).
The Gloss distinctly states that the mother of Huitzilopochtli is
referred to in the hymn. We must regard Chimalipan therefore as
identical with _Chimalman_, who, according to another myth dwelt in Tula
as a virgin, and was divinely impregnated by the descending spirit of
the All-father in the shape of a bunch of feathers.
In other myths she is mentioned as also the mother of the Huitznahua,
the enemies and the brothers of Huitzilopochtli, referred to in the
second of this collection of chants.
VI. _Ixcoçauhqui icuic._
1. Huiya tzonimolco notauane ye namech maya pinauhtiz, tetemoca ye
namech maya pinauhtiz.
2. Xonca mecatla notecua icçotl mimilcatoc chicueyocan naualcalli
nauali temoquetlaya.
3. Huiya tzonimolco cuicotipeuhque, aya tzonimolco cuicotipeuhque, aya
iztleica naual moquizcauia, iztlauan naual moquizca.
4. Huia tzonimolco maceualli maya temacouia, oya tonaqui, oya tonaqui
maceualli, maya temacouiya.
5. Huiya tzonimolco xoxolcuicatl cacauantoc ya ayouica mocuiltonoaci
tontecuitl moteicnelil mauiztli.
6. Huiya ciuatontla xatenonotza, ayyauhcalcatl quiyauatla,
xatenonotza.
_Var._ 2. Xoncan mecatlan notechoan. 3. Iztleica (for iztlauan). 6. Ia
ayiauhcalcatl.
_Gloss._
1. _Q.n._, yn itzonmolcatl notauane ye nemechpinauhtiz nachcan nochan
tetemoan, ye nemechpinauhtiz.
2. _Q.n._, yn mecatla amo tecuhuan in oncan icçotl mimilcatoc
ueyaquixtoc icçotl uncan in temoc in chicueyocan.
3. _Q.n._, yn tzonmolco otipeuhque macuico yn tzonmolco macuico
otipeuhque tleica in amo anualquiça tleica yn ayaualquiça.
4. _Q.n._, yn tzonmolco otonac auh in omaceualhoan xinechinacaqui
notechpouizque yn enetoltiloyan.
5. _Q.n._, yn cuicatl tzomolco ca ye cauani in aic necuiltonollo
netotilo in tetecuti yeua moteicnelil ca mauiztic.
6. _Q.n._, yn ciuatontli xitenonotza in quiauat ayauhcalcatl, _id
est_, in ticiuatontli xitenonotza.
_Hymn to Ixcoçauhqui._
1. In the Hall of Flames let me not put to shame my ancestors;
descending there, let me not put you to shame.
2. I fasten a rope to the sacred tree, I twist it in eight folds, that
by it I, a magician, may descend to the magical house.
3. Begin your song in the Hall of Flames; begin your song in the Hall
of Flames; why does the magician not come forth? Why does he not rise
up?
4. Let his subjects assist in the Hall of Flames; he appears, he
appears, let his subjects assist.
5. Let the servants never cease the song in the Hall of Flames; let
them rejoice greatly, let them dance wonderfully.
6. Call ye for the woman with abundant hair, whose care is the mist
and the rain, call ye for her.
_Notes._
_Ixcoçauhqui_, "the Yellow Faced," was the Mexican God of Fire.
Torquemada gives as his synonyms _Xiuhtecutli_, "Lord of Fire," and
_Huehueteotl_, "the Ancient God" (_Monarquia Indiana_, Lib. VI., cap.
28). Elsewhere he identifies him with the Sun-god (_Ibid._, Lib. XIV.,
cap. 4). Sahagun describes his annual festival (_Hist._, Lib. II., cap.
38), and gives another of his names, _Cueçaltzin_, a reverential form of
_cuezalotl_, flame (_Hist._, Lib. I., cap. 13).
The _tzonmolco_ so often referred to in this hymn was the sixty-fourth
edifice in the great temple of Tenochtitlan, and was devoted to the
worship of Ixcoçauhqui (Sahagun). The word literally means "the place of
spreading hairs," the rays or ornaments spreading from the head of the
statue of the god representing flames (Sahagun).
The reference in v. 6 seems to be to one of the women who were
sacrificed at the festival, as related by Sahagun (Lib. II., App.).
VII. _Mimixcoa icuic._
1. Chicomoztoc quinexaqui, çani aueponi, çani, çani, teyomi.
2. Tziuactitlan quinexaqui, çani a aueponi, çani, çani, teyomi.
3. Oya nitemoc, oya nitemoc, aya ica nitemoc notziuaquimiuh, aya ica
nitemoc notziuaquimiuh.
4. Oya nitemoc, oya nitemoc, ayayca nitemoc nomatlauacal.
5. Ni quimacui, ni quimacui, yuaya niquimacui, niquimacui, yuanya ayo
macuiui.
6. Tlachtli icpacaya, uel incuicaya, quetzalcuxcuxaya, quinanquilia
çinteutla, aay.
_Var._ 1. Quinehoaqui. 2. Quineuaqui. 6. Ipac.
_Gloss._
1. _Q.n._, chicomoztoc oniualleuac çani aueponi, ichichimecatlatol,
çani aueponi, çani, çani teyomi.
2. _Q.n._, tziuactli in itlan oniualleuac çani aueponi, çani, çani
teyomi.
3. Oya nitemoc, _q.n._, onitemoc onitlacatl ipan ynotziuacmiuh;
onitemoc ipan ynotziuacmiuh ça niman ipan nitlacat ynotlauitol ynomiuh.
4. _Q.n._, onitemoc onitlacat inipan nomatlauacal ça niman ipan
nitlacat.
5. Y yacatlatol. Yc a a inya in chichimeca in chichimecatlatol.
6. _Q.n._, yn tlataçica tictecazque totlach uncan ticuicazque
noyehuatl in quetzalcocox.
_Hymn of Mixcoatl._
1. I come forth from Chicomoztoc, only to you, my friends, to you,
honored ones.
2. I come forth from Tziuactitlan, only to you my friends, only to you
honored ones.
3. I sought, I sought, in all directions I sought with my pack; in all
directions I sought with my pack.
4. I sought, I sought, in all directions I sought with my traveling
net.
5. I took them in hand, I took them in hand; yes, I took them in hand;
yes, I took them in hand.
6. In the ball ground I sang well and strong, like to the quetzal
bird; I answered back to the god.
_Notes._
"The Chichimecs," says Sahagun (_Hist._, Lib. VI., cap. 7), "worshipped
only one god, called _Mixcoatl_." The _Anales de Cuauhtitlan_ speaks of
Mixcoatl as one of the leaders of the ancient Nahuas from their
primitive home Chicomoztoc, the land of the Seven Caves. This is what is
referred to in the above hymn. In later times Mixcoatl became god of
hunting and of the tornado, and his worship extended to the Otomis.
_Tzihuactitlan_, "the land of the tzihuac bushes," I have not found
mentioned by any of the Spanish authorities, but it is named in
connection with Chicomoztoc in an ancient war-song given in my _Ancient
Nahuatl Poetry_, pp. 88 and 140.
The hymn appears to be in memory of the leadership of Mixcoatl in
conducting the ancestors of the Nahua on their long wanderings after
leaving their pristine seats. It should be read in connection with the
earlier pages of the _Annals of Cuauhtitlan_.
The reduplicated form of the name, _Mimixcoatl_, is not found elsewhere,
and appears to be a poetic license.
VIII. _Xochipilli icuic._
1. Ye cuicaya tocniuaya ouaya yeo, ye cuicaya ye quetzalcoxcuxa
yoaltica tlao çinteutla, oay.
2. Çan quicaquiz nocuic ocoyoalle teumechaue, oquicaquiz nocuica in
cipactonalla atilili, ouayya.
3. Ayao, ayao, ayao, ayao, nitlanauati ay tlalocan tlamacazque, ayao,
ayao, ayao.
4. Ayao, ayao, ayao, tlalocan tlamacazque nitlanauati, aya, ayao,
ayyao.
5. Ao çani uallaçic, otli nepaniuia, cani çinteutla campa ye noyaz,
campa otli nicyatoca ça oay.
6. Ayao, aya, ayao, tlalocan tlamacazque, quiauiteteu, ayyao, aya,
ayao.
_Gloss._
1. _Q.n._, ca otonac, ca otlatuic ca ye cuico ca ye cuica centeotl in
quetzalcocox.
2. _Q.n._, macaco in tocuic ynican maquicaquican yn nican tlaca.
3. _Q.n._, in tlaloque tlamacazque niquinnauatia ye niauh in nochan.
4. _Q.n._, yn tlaloque tlamacazque niquinnauatia ye niauh in nochan.
5. _Q.n._, ca onitlanauati ni tlaloca catli ye nictocaz utli.
6. _Q.n._, yn antlaloque yn antlamacazque catli nictocaz yn anteteuh.
_Hymn to Xochipilli._
1. O friends, the quetzal bird sings, it sings its song at midnight to
Cinteotl.
2. The god will surely hear my song by night, he will hear my song as
the day begins to break.
3. I send forth the priests to the house of Tlaloc.
4. The priests to the house of Tlaloc do I send forth.
5. I shall go forth, I shall join myself unto them, I shall go where
is Cinteotl, I shall follow the path to him.
6. The priests go forth to the house of Tlaloc, to the home of the
gods of the plain.
_Notes._
_Xochipilli_, "lord of flowers," otherwise named _Macuilxochitl_, "five
flowers" (the name of a small odorous plant), was the deity who gave and
protected all flowering plants. As one of the gods of fertility and
production, he was associated with Tlaloc, god of rains, and Cinteotl,
god of maize. His festival is described in Sahagun (_Historia_, Lib. I.,
cap. 14).
2. _Cipactonalla_, from _cipactli_, and _tonalli_, may refer to
_Cipactonal_, the reputed discoverer of the Aztec calendar. See
_Sahagun_, _Historia_, Lib. IV., cap. I.
IX. _Xochiquetzal icuic._
1. Atlayauican ni xochiquetzalli tlacya niuitza ya motencaliuan
tamoanchan oay.
2. Ye quitichocaya tlamacazecatla piltzintecutlo quiyatemoaya ye
xochinquetzalla xoyauia ay topa niaz, oay.
_Var._ 2. Icotochiquetzalla.
_Gloss._
1. _Q.n._, ompa niuitz ynixochiquetzal tamoanchan.
2. _Q.n._, choca piltzintecutli quitemoa in xochiquetzal xoyauia no
umpa niaz.
_Hymn to Xochiquetzal._
1. I, Xochiquetzal, go forth willingly to the dancing place by the
water, going forth to the houses in Tamoanchan.
2. Ye noble youths, ye priests who wept, seeking Xochiquetzal, go
forth there where I am going.
_Notes._
_Xochiquetzal_, "plumage of flowers," was the deity of the artists, the
painters, weavers, engravers on metal, silver and goldsmiths, and of all
who dealt in fine colors. Her figure was that of a young woman with gay
garments and jewelry (Duran, _Historia_, cap. 94). In the _Codex
Telleriano-Remensis_ she is assigned as synonyms _Ichpochtli_, the
Virgin, and _Itzpapalotl_, literally "the obsidian butterfly," but which
was probably applied to a peculiar ornament of her idol.
On _Tamoanchan_ see notes to Hymn IV.
The term _atlayauican_, which I have translated "the dancing place by
the water," appears to refer to the "jar dance," _baile de las jicaras_,
which took place at the festival of the goddess, in the month of
October. Duran informs us this was executed at a spot by the shore of
the lake. Ceremonial bathing was carried on at the same festival, and
these baths were considered to cleanse from sin, as well as from
physical pollution.
X. _Amimitl icuic._
1. Cotiuana, cotiuana, cali totoch maca huiya yyalimanico,
oquixanimanico, tlacochcalico, oua, yya yya, matonicaya, matonicalico,
oua yya yo, çana, çana, ayoueca niuia, çana canoya, ueca niuia, yya,
yya, yyeuaya, çana, çana, yeucua niuia.
2. Ye necuiliyaya, niuaya, niuaya, niuaya, ay ca nauh niuahuaya,
niuaya, niuaya, ay ca nauh.
3. Tlaixtotoca ye ca nauhtzini, tlaixtotoca ye ca nauhtzini, ayoaya,
yoaya, ye ca nauhtzini.
4. Aueya itzipana nomauilia, aueya itzipana nomauilia, aueya itzipana
nomauilia.
_Var._ 1. Manca. Matinicaya.
_Gloss._
In amimitl icuic yuh mitoa in ueli chichimeca cuic amo uel caquizti in
quein quitoa in tonauatlatol ypa.
_Hymn to Amimitl._
1. Join together your hands in the house, take hands in the sequent
course, let them spread forth, spread forth in the hall of arrows. Join
hands, join hands in the house, for this, for this have I come, have I
come.
2. Yes, I have come, bringing four with me, yes I have come, four
being with me.
3. Four noble ones, carefully selected, four noble ones, carefully
selected, yes, four noble ones.
4. They personally appear before his face, they personally appear
before his face, they personally appear before his face.
_Notes._
The brief Gloss to this Hymn states that it is of ancient Chichimec
origin and that it cannot well be rendered in Nahuatl. Its language is
exceedingly obscure, but it is evidently a dancing song.
_Amimitl_, "the water-arrow," or "fish-spear," was, according to
Torquemada, especially worshipped at Cuitlahuac. He was god of fishing,
and visited the subjects of his displeasure with diseases of a dropsical
or watery character (_Monarquia Indiana_, Lib. VI., cap. 29). On slender
and questionable grounds Clavigero identifies him with Opochtli, the god
of net makers and fishers with nets (_Storia Antica del Messico_, Tom.
II., p. 20).
The four noble ones referred to in vv. 3 and 4 probably refer to those
characters in the Mexican sacred dances called "the four auroras," four
actors clothed respectively in white, green, yellow and red robes. See
Diego Duran, _Historia_, cap. 87.
XI. _Otontecutli icuic._
1. Onoalico, onoalico, pomaya, yyaya, ayyo, ayyo, aya, aya, ayyo.
2. Chimalocutitlana motlaqueuia auetzini nonoualico, quauinochitla,
cacauatla motlaqueuia auetzini.
3. Ni tepanecatli aya cuecuexi, ni quetzallicoatli aya cuecuexi.
4. Cane ca ya itziueponi, cane ca ya itziueponi.
5. Otomico, noyoco, nauaco, mexicame ya yauilili, noyoco, nauaco,
mexicame ya.
6. A chimalli aya, xa, xauino quiyauilili, noyoco, nauaco, mexicame
ya.
_Var._ 2. Nonoualco.
_Hymn of Olontecutli._
1. At Nonoalco he rules, at Nonoalco, Oho! Oho!
2. In the pine woods he prepares your destruction at Nonoalco, in the
tuna woods, in the cacao woods he prepares your destruction.
3. I, dweller in the palace, shook them; I, Quetzalcoatl, shook them.
4. There was a splendor of spears, a splendor of spears.
5. With my captain, with my courage, with my skill, the Mexicans were
put to flight; even the Mexicans, with my courage, with my skill.
6. Go forth, ye shield bearers, put the Mexicans to flight with my
courage, with my skill.
_Notes._
The absence of a Gloss to this hymn adds to the difficulty of a
translation. _Otontecutli_ was the chief deity of the Otomis, and the
chant appears to be one of their war songs in their conflict with the
Azteca. The name is a compound of _otomitl_, an Otomi, and _tecutli_,
ruler or lord. He is slightly referred to by Sahagun as "the first ruler
to govern the ancestors of the Otomis." (_Historia_, Lib. X, cap. 29,
sec. 5.)
XII. _Ayopechtli icuic._
1. Cane cana ichan, ayopechcatl cozcapantica mixiuhtoc.
2. Cane cana ichan ayopechcatl cozcapantica mixiuhtoc, cane ichan
chacayoticaya.
3. Xiualmeuayauia, xiua xiualmeuayaauiaya yancuipilla, xiualmeuaya.
4. Auiya xiualmeuaya, ueya, xiua, xiualmeuaya, cozcapilla xiualmeuaya.
_Gloss._
1. _Q.n._, in oncan ichan ayopechtli oncan mixiuiqui tlacatilia in
cuzcatl quetzalli.
2. Cane cana ichan, _q.n._, in oncan ichan ayopechcatl oncan
quitlacatilia in cozcatl quetzalli oncan yoliua, tlacatiua.
3. _Q.n._, ximeua, ximeua, in tipiltzintli xiualmeua in quinotitlacat
tipiltzintli.
4. _Q.n._, xiualmeua, xiualmeua, in tipiltzintli in ti cuzcatl, in ti
quetzalli.
_Hymn to Ayopechcatl._
1. Truly in whatever house there is a lying-in, Ayopechcatl takes
charge of the child.
2. Truly in whatever house there is a lying-in, Ayopechcatl takes
charge of the child, there where it is weeping in the house.
3. Come along and cry out, cry out, cry out, you new comer, come along
and cry out.
4. Come along and cry out, cry out, cry out, you little jewel, cry
out.
_Notes._
The name of Ayopechcatl does not appear among the divinities named by
Sahagun, Duran or the other authorities at my command. Her name
indicates her function as the goddess of the child-bed and the neonatus,
and the above hymn establishes her claim to a place in the Aztec
pantheon.
XIII. _Ciuacoatl icuic._
1. Quaui, quaui, quilaztla, coaeztica xayaualoc uiuiya quauiuitl
uitzalochpa chalima aueuetl ye colhoa.
2. Huiya tonaca, acxolma centla teumilco chicauaztica, motlaquechizca.
3. Uitztla, uitztla, nomactemi, uitztla, uitztla nomactemi, açan
teumilco chicauaztica motlaquechizca.
4. Malinalla nomactemi, açan teumilco chicauaztica motlaquechizca.
5. A omei quauhtli, ye tonanaya chalmecatecutli ay tziuac y mauiztla
nechyatetemilli, yeua nopiltzinaya mixcoatla.
6. Ya tonani, yauçiuatzin, aya tonan yauçiuatzi aya y maca coliuacan y
yuitla y potocaya.
7. Ahuiya ye tonaquetli, yautlatocaya, ahuiya ye tonaquetli
yautlatocaya moneuila no tlaca cenpoliuiz aya y maca coliuaca y yuitla y
potocaya.
8. Ahuia quauiuitl amo xayaualli onauiya yecoyametl amo xayaualli.
_Var._ 1. Cohoaeztica. 2. Acxoima. 7. Maneuila, cenpoalihuiz, inmaca.
_Gloss._
1. _Q.n._, in quauhcihuatl, ic oxaualoc in coaetztli, ioan in quauhtli
yhuitli in moteneua iquauhtzon, ipan iualuicoc yn umpa colhuacan.
2. _Q.n._, inic motocaya çentli, in mochiuaya teumilpa, ichicauaztica
inic tlatatacaya, inic tocaya.
3. Uitztla, _q.n._, nomactemi nochicauaztica inic nitocaya, inic
nitlatatacaya.
4. Malinalla, uictli, _q.n._, uictica in tlachpanaya, _id est_,
iceliniquia, yn uncan teumilpan auh ychicauaztica inic nitlatatacaya,
inic tocaya.
5. _Q.n._, matlactli omei quauhtli yn notonal innamona auh ynan
nopilhoan in chalmeca xicuiti in tziuactli xinechtemilica.
6. _Q.n._, in iyauciuatzin yn amona umpa nochan in coluaca auh in
quauiuitl nictemaca ynic oquauhtiuac.
7. _Q.n._, ca otonac ca otlatuic momochiua yauyutl ma tlamalo
tlalpiliuiz nic temaca in quauiuitl.
8. _Q.n._, aahuia yn otlamaloc in quauiuitl yc moxaua.
_Hymn to Cihuacoatl._
1. Quilaztli, plumed with eagle feathers, with the crest of eagles,
painted with serpents' blood, comes with her hoe, beating her drum, from
Colhuacan.
2. She alone, who is our flesh, goddess of the fields and shrubs, is
strong to support us.
3. With the hoe, with the hoe, with hands full, with the hoe, with
hands full, the goddess of the fields is strong to support us.
4. With a broom in her hands the goddess of the fields strongly
supports us.
5. Our mother is as twelve eagles, goddess of drum-beating, filling
the fields of tzioac and maguey like our lord Mixcoatl.
6. She is our mother, a goddess of war, our mother, a goddess of war,
an example and a companion from the home of our ancestors (Colhuacan).
7. She comes forth, she appears when war is waged, she protects us in
war that we shall not be destroyed, an example and companion from the
home of our ancestors.
8. She comes adorned in the ancient manner with the eagle crest, in
the ancient manner with the eagle crest.
_Notes._
Cihuacoatl was the mythical mother of the human race. Her name,
generally translated "serpent woman," should be rendered "woman of
twins" or "bearing twins," as the myth related that such was her
fertility that she always bore two children at one lying-in.
(Torquemada, _Monarquia Indiana_, Lib. VI., cap. 31.) She was also known
by the title _Tonan_ or _Tonantzin_, "our mother," as in v. 5 and 6.
Still another of her appellations was _Quilaztli_, which is given her in
v. 1. (Comp. Sahagun, _Historia_, Lib. VI., cap. 27.) She was
essentially a goddess of fertility and reproduction. The name
_cihuacoatl_ was also applied to one of the higher magistrates and war
chiefs in the Aztec army (Sahagun). Reference is made to this in v. 6.
As a goddess of venerable antiquity, she is spoken of as coming from
Colhuacan, "the place of the old men," or of the ancestors of the tribe.
This name is derived from _coloa_, to bend down, as an aged person,
_colli_, an old man. (See my _Ancient Nahuatl Poetry_, pp. 172-3).
XIV. _Izcatqui yn cuicatl chicuexiuhtica meuaya iniquac atamalqualoya._
1. Xochitl noyollo cuepontimania ye tlacoyoalle, oaya, oouayaye.
2. Yecoc ye tonan, yecoc ye teutl tlacolteutla, oaya, ooayaya.
3. Otlacatqui çenteutl tamiyoanichan ni xochitlicacani. Çey xochitli
yantala, yantata, ayyao, ayyaue, tilili yao, ayaue, oayyaue.
4. Otlacatqui çenteutl, atl, yayaui cani tlaca pillachiualoya
chalchimichuacan, yyao, yantala, yatanta, a yyao, ayyaue tilili yao,
ayyaue, oayyaue.