Ancient Nahuatl Poetry

Excerpt: ...timalon que ye mamaniz mochan (etc. as v. 7). 8. After he was drunk, the ruler wept; we glorified ourselves to be in thy dwelling. 9. In tetl, in quahuitl o on timicuilotehuac nachcan Tollan y inon can in otontlatoco Naxitl Topiltzin y aye polihuiz ye motoca ye ic ye chocaz in momacehual ay yo. 9. Misfortune and misery were written against us there in Tollan, that our leader Nacxitl Topiltzin was to be destroyed and thy subjects made to weep. 10. Zan can xiuhcalliya cohuacallaya in oticmatehuac nachcan Tollan y inon can yn otontlatoco Naxitl Topiltzin (etc. as in v. 9). 10. We have left the turquoise houses, the serpent houses there in Tollan, where ruled our leader Nacxitl Topiltzin. Notes for Song XVIII XIX. XIX. Tico toco toco ti quiti quiti quiti quito; can ic mocneptiuh. Tico, toco, toco, tiquiti, quiti, quiti, quito; where it is to turn back again. 1. Tlapapal xochiceutli niyolaya nepapan tonacan xochitl moyahuaya oncueponti moquetzaco ya naya aya ye teo ya ixpan tonaa Santa Maria ayyo. 1. Resting amid parti-colored flowers I rejoiced; the many shining flowers came forth, blossomed, burst forth in honor of our mother Holy Mary. 2. An ya ya cuicaya zan quetzala xihuitl tomolihui yan aya ye nitlachihual icelteotl y ye Dios aya ni itlayocolaoya yecoc ya. 2. They sang as the beauteous season grew, that I am but a creature of the one only God, a work of his hands that he has made. 3. Zan ca tlaauilolpan nemia moyollo amoxpetlatl ipan toncuicaya tiquimonyaitotia teteuctin aya in obispo ya zan ca totatzin aya oncan titlatoa atlitempan ay yo. 3. Mayst thy soul walk in the light, mayst thou sing in the great book, mayst thou join the dance of the rulers as our father the bishop speaks in the great temple. 4. Yehuan Dios mitzyocox aya xochitla ya mitztlacatilo yancuicatl mitzicuiloa Santa Maria in obispo ya. 4. God created thee, he caused thee to be born in a flowery place, and this new song to Holy Mary the bishop wrote for thee. Notes for Song XIX...