_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 centeutl tamiyoanichan ni xochitlicacani. Cey xochitli
yantala, yantata, ayyao, ayyaue, tilili yao, ayaue, oayyaue.
4. Otlacatqui centeutl, atl, yayaui cani tlaca pillachiualoya
chalchimichuacan, yyao, yantala, yatanta, a yyao, ayyaue tilili yao,
ayyaue, oayyaue.
5. Oya tlatonazqui tlauizcalleuaya inan tlachinaya nepapan quechol,
xochitlacacan y yantala, yantata, ayyao, ayyaue, tilili yao, ayyaue,
oayyayaue.
6. Tlalpa timoquetzca, tianquiz nauaquia nitlacatla, ni quetzalcoatla,
yyao, yantala, yantata, ayyao, ayyaue, tilili yao ayyaue, oayyayue.
7. Ma ya auiallo xochinquauitl itlani nepapan quecholli ma ya in
quecholli xicaquiya tlatoaya y toteuh, xicaquiya tlatoaya y quechol
amach yeua tonicauh tlapitza amach ychan tlacaluaz, ouao.
8. Aye oho, yyayya, ca miquiyecauiz ca noxocha tonaca xochitli ye
izqui xochitla, xochitlicacan, yyaa.
9. Ollama, ollama uiue xolutl nauallachic, ollama ya xolutl
chalchiuecatl xiquitta mach, oya moteca piltzintecutli yoanchan,
yoanchan.
10. Piltzintle, piltzintle tocuitica timopotonia tlachco, timotlalli
yoanchan, yoanchan.
11. Oztomecatla yyaue, oztomecatla xochiquetzal quimama, ontlatca
cholola, ayye, ayyo, oye maui noyol, oye maui noyol, aoya yecoc
centeutl, matiuia obispo, oztomecatl chacalhoa, xiuhnacochtla, yteamic
ximaquiztla yteamico, ayye, ayye.
12. Cochina, cochina, cocochi ye nicmaololo, ni cani ye ciuatl ni
cochina yyeo, ouayeo, yho, yya, yya.
_Var._ 3. Centeuteutl. 4. Uillachiualoia. 5. Oya tonazqui. 6. Tlapan.
10. Timotlalia. 11. Suchiquetzal. Ontlatoa cholollan.
_This is the Hymn which they sang every eight years when they fasted on
bread and water._
1. The flower in my heart blossoms and spreads abroad in the middle of
the night.
2. Tonan has satisfied her passion, the goddess Tlazolteotl has
satisfied her passion.
3. I, Cinteotl, was born in Paradise, I come from the place of
flowers. I am the only flower, the new, the glorious one.
4. Cinteotl was born from the water; he came born as a mortal, as a
youth, from the cerulean home of the fishes, a new, a glorious god.
5. He shone forth as the sun; his mother dwelt in the house of the
dawn, varied in hue as the quechol bird, a new, a glorious flower.
6. I came forth on the earth, even to the market place like a mortal,
even I, Quetzalcoatl, great and glorious.
7. Be ye happy under the flower-bush varied in hue as the quetzal
bird; listen to the quechol singing to the gods; listen to the singing
of the quechol along the river; hear its flute along the river in the
house of the reeds.
8. Alas! would that my flowers would cease from dying; our flesh is as
flowers, even as flowers in the place of flowers.
9. He plays at ball, he plays at ball, the servant of marvellous
skill; he plays at ball, the precious servant; look at him; even the
ruler of the nobles follows him to his house.
10. O youths! O youths! follow the example of your ancestors; make
yourselves equal to them in the ball count; establish yourselves in your
houses.
11. She goes to the mart, they carry Xochiquetzal to the mart; she
speaks at Cholula; she startles my heart; she startles my heart; she has
not finished, the priest knows her; where the merchants sell green jade
earrings she is to be seen, in the place of wonders she is to be seen.
12. Sleep, sleep, sleep, I fold my hands to sleep, I, O woman, sleep.
_Notes._
In default of a Gloss to this hymn, the indispensable Sahagun again
comes to our aid. He informs us in the Appendix to the second book of
his _Historia_ that “When the Indians celebrated the festival called
_atamalqualiztli_, which took place every eight years, certain natives
called Mazateca swallowed living serpents and frogs, and received
garments as a recompense for their daring.” We are not informed as to
the purpose of the festival, and its name, which signifies “eating
bread made with water,” is merely that of one of the regular systems of
fasting in vogue in ancient Mexico. (See Sahagun, Lib. III., cap. 8.)
The song before us appears to be a recitation calling on a number of the
Nahua divinities.
1. “The flower in my heart” is a metaphorical expression for song.
2. _Tonan_, “Our Mother”; _Tlazolteotl_, the goddess of lascivious
love, _Venus impudica_. The verb _yecoa_ appears to have its early
signification, expressing carnal connection.
3. _Centeotl_, god of maize and fertility.
8. The flowers referred to are the youths and maidens who die young.
9. The house of the ball player is the tomb.
11. This verse is very obscure and is obviously corrupt. It contains
the only Spanish word in the text of these hymns–_obispo_–a word
including two letters, _b_ and _s_, not in the Nahuatl alphabet.
12. The woman referred to is Xochiquetzal. See Hymn IX.
(Daniel Garrison Brinton)
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