ITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
BRINTON S LIBRARY OF 
 
 ABORIGINAL AMERICAN LITERATURE. 
 
 NUMBER VII. 
 
 ANCIENT 
 
 NAHUATL POETRY, 
 
 CONTAINING THE NAHUATL TEXT OF XXVII ANCIENT 
 MEXICAN POEMS. 
 
 WITH A TRANSLATION, INTRODUCTION, NOTES AND 
 VOCABULARY. 
 
 BY 
 
 DANIEL G. BRINTON, A.M., M.D., 
 
 Professor- of American Linguistics and Archceology in the University 
 of Pennsylvania. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA : 
 
 D. G. BRINTON, 
 
 1890. 
 
LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 Aboriginal American 
 Literature. 
 
 No. VII. 
 
 EDITED BY 
 
 D. G. BRINTON. M.D, 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 1887. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 It is with some hesitation that I offer this volume to 
 the scientific pubHc. The text of the ancient songs 
 which it contains offers extreme and pecuhar difficulties 
 to the translator, and I have been obliged to pursue the 
 task without assistance of any kind. Not a line of them 
 has ever before been rendered into an European tongue, 
 and my endeavors to obtain aid from some of the Nahu- 
 atl scholars of Mexico have, for various reasons, proved 
 ineffectual. I am therefore alone responsible for errors 
 and misunderstandings. 
 
 Nevertheless, I have felt that these monuments of 
 ancient native literature are so interesting in themselves, 
 and so worthy of publication, that they should be placed 
 at the disposition of scholars in their original form with 
 the best rendering that I could give them at present, rather 
 than to await the uncertain event of years for a better. 
 
 The text itself may be improved by comparison with 
 the original MS. and with the copy previously made by 
 the Licentiate Chimalpopoca, referred to on page 48. 
 My own efforts in this direction have been confined to a 
 faithful reproduction in print of the MS. copy ot the 
 Abbe Brasseur deBourbourg. 
 
 The Notes, which might easily have been extended, I 
 V 
 
 83091 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 have confined within moderate compass, so as not to 
 enlarge unduly the bulk of the volume. 
 
 To some, the Vocabulary may seem inadequate. I 
 assume that those persons who wish to make a critical 
 study of the original text will provide themselves with 
 the Nahuatl Dictionaries of Molina or Simeon, both of 
 which are now easily obtainable, thanks to Mr. Julius 
 Platzmann for the reprint of Molina. I also assume that 
 such students will acquaint themselves with the rules of 
 grammar and laws of word-building of the tongue, and 
 that they will use the vocabulary merely as a labor-sav- 
 ing means of reaching the themes of compounds and 
 unusual forms of words. Employed in this manner, it 
 will, I hope, be found adequate. 
 
 In conclusion, I would mention that there is a large 
 body of Nahuatl literature yet unpublished, both prose 
 and poetry, modern and ancient, and as the Nahuatl 
 tongue is one of the most highly developed on the Amer- 
 ican continent, it is greatly to be desired that all this 
 material should be at the command of students. The 
 Nahuatl, moreover, is not a difficult tongue ; for an 
 Englishman or a Frenchman, I should say it is easier to 
 acquire than German, its grammar being simple and reg- 
 ular, and its sounds soft and sonorous. It has special 
 recommendations, therefore, to one who would acquaint 
 himself with an American lan£:ua2:e. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 PREFACE, vi 
 
 INTRODUCTION, 
 
 § I. The National Love of Poetry, . . 9 
 § 2. The Poet and His Work, . . .12 
 § 3. The Themes and Classes of the Songs, . 13 
 § 4. Prosody of the Songs, . . . • 1 7 
 § 5. The Vocal Delivery of the Songs, . . 20 
 § 6. The Instrumental Accompaniment, , .21 
 § 7. The Poetic Dialect, . . . .26 
 
 § 8. The Preservation of the Ancient 
 
 Songs, 31 
 
 § 9. The LX Songs of the King Nezahual- 
 
 coyotl, . . . . . . .35 
 
 § 10. The History of the Present Collec- 
 tion, . 47 
 
 Ancient Nahuatl Poems : 
 
 I. Song at the Beginning, . , . . -55 
 II. A Spring Song, an Otomi Song, a Plain Song, 59 
 
 III. Another Plain Song, . . . . .61 
 
 IV. An Otomi Song of the Mexicans, . . -65 
 V. Another Plain Song of the Mexicans, . -67 
 
 VI. Another Chalco-song, a Poem of Tetlapan 
 
 Quetzanitzin, 69 
 
 VII. Another, 71 
 
 vii 
 
VUl 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 VIII. Composed by a Certain Ruler in Memory of 
 
 Former Rulers, 
 
 IX. An Otomi Song of Sadness, 
 X. A Spring Song of the Mexicans, . 
 XI. Another, ....... 
 
 xii. A Spring Song, a Song of Exhortation, be 
 
 cause Certain Ones did not go to War, 
 xiii. A Song of Huexotzinco, . 
 XIV. A Christian Song, . 
 XV. The Reign of Tezozomoctli 
 
 XVI. A Song Urging to War, . 
 
 XVII. A Flower Song, 
 xviii. A Song of Tollan, . 
 
 XIX. A Christian Song, . 
 XX. A Song Lamenting the Toltecs, 
 XXI. A Song of the Huexotzincos, Coming to Ask 
 
 Aid of Montezuma Against Tlaxcalla, 
 XXII. A Flower Song, ..... 
 
 xxiii. A Song of the Prince Nezahualcovotl, . 
 XXIV. Another,. ...... 
 
 XXV. A Song of Lamentation, .... 
 
 XXVI. A Song Relating to the Lord Nezahual 
 
 PILLI, 
 
 xxvii. A Christian Song, ..... 
 
 Notes, 
 
 Vocabulary, ....... 
 
 Index of Nahuatl Proper Names, with Explana 
 TIONS, ........ 
 
 73 
 75 
 77 
 79 
 
 8i 
 
 83 
 
 87 
 
 89 
 
 95 
 
 99 
 
 105 
 
 109 
 
 III 
 
 113 
 117 
 119 
 121 
 123 
 
 125 
 127 
 
 129 • 
 149 
 
 171 
 
ANCIENT 
 NAHUATL POETRY. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 § I . The National Love of Poetry. 
 
 The passionate love with which the Nahuas cultivated song, 
 music and the dance is a subject of frequent comment by the 
 historians of Mexico. These arts are invariably mentioned 
 as prominent features of the aboriginal civilization ; no pub- 
 lic ceremony was complete without them ; they were indis- 
 pensable in the religious services held in the temples ; through 
 their assistance the sacred and historical traditions were pre- 
 served ; and the entertainments of individuals received their 
 chief lustre and charm from their association with these arts. 
 
 The profession of the poet stood in highest honor. It was 
 the custom before the Conquest for every town, every ruler 
 and every person of importance to maintain a company of 
 singers and dancers, paying them fixed salaries, and the 
 early writer, Duran, tells us that this custom continued in 
 his own time, long after the Conquest. He sensibly adds, 
 that he can see nothing improper in it, although it was con- 
 B 9 
 
10 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 demned by some of the Spaniards.' In the training of these 
 artists their patrons took a deep personal interest, and were 
 not at all tolerant of neglected duties. We are told that the 
 chief selected the song which was to be sung, and the tune 
 by which it was to be accompanied ; and did any one of the 
 choir sing falsely, a drummer beat out of time, or a dancer 
 strike an incorrect attitude, the unfortunate artist was in- 
 stantly called forth, placed in bonds and summarily executed 
 the next morning ! - 
 
 With critics of such severity to please, no wonder that it 
 was necessary to begin the training early, and to set apart 
 for it definite places and regular teachers. Therefore it was 
 one of the established duties of the teachers in the calmecac 
 or public school, "to teach the pupils all the verses of the 
 sacred songs which were written in characters in their 
 books. ' ' ^ There were also special schools, called aiicoyan, 
 singing places, "where both sexes were taught to sing the 
 popular songs and to dance to the sound of the drums. ^ In 
 the public ceremonies it was no uncommon occurrence for 
 
 ^ Diego Duran, Historia de las Indias de Nueva Espaiia, Tom. I, p. 
 233 ; and compare Geronimo de Mendieta, Historia Eclesiastica Indiana, 
 Lib. II, cap. 31. 
 
 2 Sahagun, Historia de iVtiez'a Espafla, Lib. VIII, cap. 26. 
 
 * Saliagun, Historia de Ahieva Espafla, Lib. Ill, cap. 8. 
 
 * Citicoyan, from cuica, song, and the place-ending yan, which is added 
 to the impersonal form of the verb, in this instance, cuicoa. Mr. Bancroft 
 entirely misapprehends Tezozomoc's words about these establishments, 
 and gives an erroneous rendering of the term. See his Amative Races of 
 the Pacific Const, Vol. II, p. 290, and Tezozomoc, Cronica Mexicana, 
 cap. 18. 
 
THE NATIONAL LOVE OF POETRY. 11 
 
 the audience to join in the song and dance until sometimes 
 many thousands would thus be seized with the contagion of 
 the rhythmical motion, and i^ass hours intoxicated (to use a 
 favorite expression of the Nahuatl poets) with the cadence 
 and the movement. 
 
 After the Conquest the Church set its face firmly against 
 the continuance of these amusements. Few of the priests 
 had the liberal views of Father Duran, already quoted ; 
 most of them were of the opinion of Torquemada, who 
 urges the clergy " to forbid the singing of the ancient 
 songs, because all of them are full of idolatrous memo- 
 ries, or of diabolical and suspicious allusions of the same 
 character." ' 
 
 To take the place of the older melodies, the natives 
 were taught the use of the musical instruments introduced 
 by the Spaniards, and very soon acquired no little pro- 
 ficiency, so that they could perform upon them, compose 
 original pieces, and manufacture most of the instruments 
 themselves. - 
 
 To this day the old love of the song and dance continues 
 in the Indian villages; and though the themes are changed, 
 the forms remain with little alteration. Travelers describe 
 the movements as slow, and consisting more in bending and 
 swaying the body than in motions of the feet ; while the 
 
 1 Juan de Torquemada, Monarquia Indiana, Lib. VI, cap. 43. 
 
 2 Torquemada, Monarquia Indiana, Lib. XVII, cap. 3. Didacus 
 Valades, who was in Mexico about 1550, writes of the natives : " Habent 
 instrumenta musica permulta in quibus Kmulatione quadam se exercent." 
 Rhetorica Christiana, Pars. IV, cap. 24. 
 
12 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 songs chanted either refer to some saint or biblical charac- 
 ter, or are erotic and pave the way to orgies. ' 
 
 ^ 2. The Poet and his Work. 
 
 The Nahuatl word for a song or poem is cuicatl. It is 
 derived from the verb atica, to sing, a term probably imi- 
 tative or onomatopoietic in origin, as it is also a general 
 expression for the twittering of birds. The singer was 
 called cuicani, and is distinguished from the composer of 
 the song, the poet, to whom was applied the term cuicapicqui, 
 in which compound the last member, picqui, corresponds 
 strictly to the Greek Trofjjrr^?, being a derivative oi piqui, to 
 make, to create." Sometimes he was also called ciiica- 
 tlamantini, ' ' skilled in song. ' ' 
 
 It is evident from these words, all of which belong to the 
 ancient language, that the distinction between the one who 
 composed the poems and those who sang them was well 
 established, and that the Nahuatl poetry was, therefore, 
 something much above mere improvisation, as some have 
 thought. This does not alter the fact that a professed 
 bard usually sang songs of his own composition, as well 
 as those obtained from other sources. This is obvious from 
 the songs in this collection, many of which contain the 
 exi)ression /// cuicani, I, the singer, which also refers to the 
 maker of the song. 
 
 1 Descriptions are given by Edward Muhlenpfordt, Die Re/'ublik Mexico, 
 r.d. I, pp. 250-52 (Hannover, 1S44). 
 
 * Molina translates piijui, " crear 6 plasmar Dios alguna cosa de 
 nuevo." Vocabiilario de la Lengtia Mexicana, s. v. 
 
THE THEMES AND CLASSES OF THE SONGS. 13 
 
 In the classical work of Sahagun, the author describes 
 the ancient poet: "The worthy singer has a clear mind 
 and a strong memory. He composes songs himself and 
 learns those of others, and is always ready to impart either 
 to the fellows of his craft. He sings with a well-trained 
 voice, and is careful to practice in private before he appears 
 before the public. The unworthy singer, on the other hand, 
 is ignorant and indolent. What he learns he will not com- 
 municate to others. His voice is hoarse and untrained, 
 and he is at once envious and boastful.'" 
 
 § 3. The Themes and Classes of the Songs. 
 
 From what he could learn about them some two cen- 
 turies or more after the Conquest, the antiquary Boturini 
 classified all the ancient songs under two general heads, 
 the one treating mainly of historical themes, while the 
 other was devoted to purely fictitious, emotional or imagi- 
 native subjects.^ His terse classification is expanded by the 
 Abbe Clavigero, who states that the themes of the ancient 
 poets were various, some chanting the praises of the gods 
 or petitioning them for favors, others recalled the history 
 of former generations, others were didactic and inculcated 
 correct habits of life, while others, finally, were in lighter 
 vein, treating of hunting, games and love.^ 
 
 His remarks were probably a generalization from a chapter 
 in Torquemada's Monarquia Indiana, in which that writer 
 
 1 Sahagun, Historia de Nueva Espana, Lib. X, cap. 8. 
 
 2 Boturini, Idea de una Nueva Historia General, p. 97. 
 » Clavigero, Storia anlica di Messico, Lib. VH, p. 175. 
 
14 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 states that the songs at the sacred festivals differed in sub- 
 ject with the different months and seasons. Thus, in the 
 second month of their calendar, at its stated festival, the 
 people sang the greatness of their rulers ; in the seventh 
 month all the songs were of love, of women, or of hunt- 
 ing ; in the eighth the chants recalled the noble deeds of 
 their ancestors and their divine origin ; while in the ninth 
 month nothing was heard but verses fraught with lamenta- 
 tion for the dead/ With less minuteness, Father Duran 
 gives almost the same information. He himself had often 
 heard the songs which Montezuma of Tenochtitlan, and 
 Nezahualpizintli of Tezcuco, had ordered to be composed 
 in their own honor, describing their noble lineage, their 
 riches, their grandeur and their victories. These songs 
 were in his day still sung at the public dances of the 
 natives, and he adds, "although they were filled with lau- 
 dation of their ancient rulers, it gave me much pleasure 
 to hear the praises of such grandeur." There were other 
 poets, he observes, who lived in the temples and composed 
 songs exclusively in honor of the gods.'^ 
 
 These general expressions may be supplemented by a list 
 of terms, specifying particular classes of songs, preserved 
 by various writers. These are as follows: — 
 
 melaJiuaciiicatl : this is translated by Tezozomoc, "a 
 straight and true song."'' It is a compound of melahuac, 
 straight, direct, true ; and ciiicatl, song. It was a begin- 
 
 ' Torciucmada, Monnn/iiia Iiuiiana, Lib. X, cap. 34. 
 
 2 Duran, Hist, tie la Indias de A^ueva EspaHa, Tom. I, p. 233. 
 
 ' Tezozomoc, Cronica Afexicana, cap. 64. 
 
THE THEMES AND CLASSES OF THE SONGS. 15 
 
 ning or opening song at the festivals, and apparently de- 
 rived its name from its greater intelligibility and directness 
 of expression. A synonym, derived from the same root, 
 is tlamelauhcayotl, which appears in the title to some of 
 the songs in the present collection. 
 
 xopancuicatl : this term is spelled by Ixtlilxochitl, xompa- 
 cuicatl, and explained to mean "a song of the spring" 
 (from xopan, springtime, cuicatl, song). The expression 
 seems to be figurative, referring to the beginning or early 
 life of things. Thus, the prophetic songs of Nezahual- 
 coyotl, those which he sang when he laid the foundation 
 of his great palace, bore this name.^ 
 
 teiucuicatl : songs of the nobles {teuctli, cuicatl). These 
 were also called quauhcuicatl, "eagle songs," the term 
 quauhtli, eagle, being applied to distinguished persons. 
 
 xochicuicatl : flower-song, one singing the praises of 
 flowers. 
 
 icnociiicatl : song of destitution or compassion. 
 
 noteuhcidcaliztli : "the song of my lords." This ap- 
 pears to be a synonymous expression for teucczdcatl ; it is 
 mentioned by Boturini, who adds that on the day sacred 
 to the god Xiuhteuctli the king began the song so called.^ 
 
 miccacuicatl : the song for the dead {jniqui, to die, 
 cuicatl). In this solemn chant the singers were seated on 
 the ground, and their hair was twisted in plaits around 
 their heads. ^ 
 
 1 Ixtlilxochitl, Historia Chichimeca, cap. 47. 
 
 2 Boturini, Idea de una Nueva Histo7-ia General, p. 90. 
 * Tezozomoc, Cronica Mexicana, cap. 53. 
 
16 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 In addition to the above terms drawn from the subject 
 or character of the songs, there were others, of geograph- 
 ical origin, apparently indicating that the song, or its tune, 
 or its treatment was borrowed from another locality or 
 people. These are : — 
 
 Huexotziticayotl : a song of Huexotzinco, a Nahuatl \.o\\Xi, 
 situate east of the Lake of Tezcuco. This song was sung 
 by the king and superior nobles at certain festivals, and, 
 in the prescribed order of the chants, followed a fnelahuac- 
 cuicatl. ' 
 
 Chalcayotl : a song of Chalco, on the lake of the same 
 name. This followed the last mentioned in order of time 
 at the festivals. 
 
 Otoncuicatl : a song of the Otomis. These were the 
 immediate neighbors of the Nahuas, but spoke a language 
 radically diverse. The songs so-called were sung fourth 
 on the list. 
 
 Cuextecayotl : a song of the country of the Cuexteca, 
 or Cuextlan, a northern province of Mexico. 
 
 Tlauancacuextecayotl : a song of the country of the 
 Tlauancacuexteca. 
 
 Anahuacayotl : a song of Anahuac, that is, of a country 
 near the water, either the valley of Mexico, or the shores of 
 the ocean. 
 
 Some very ancient sacred songs were referred to by 
 Tezozomoc as peculiar to the worship of Huitzilopochtli, 
 and, indeed, introduced by this potent divinity. From 
 
 1 See Sahagun, Historia de Nenva EspaJia, Lib. W, chap. 17, and 
 Tezozomoc, Cronica Mexicana, cap. 64. 
 
PROSODY OF THE SONGS. 17 
 
 their names, cuitlaxoteyotl, zxi^^ tecuilhuicuicatl,^ I judge 
 
 that they referred to some of those pederastic rites which 
 
 still prevail extensively among the natives of the pueblos 
 
 of New Mexico, and which have been described by Dr. 
 
 William A. Hammond and other observers.^ One of these 
 
 songs began, 
 
 Cuicoyan nohuan mitotia ; 
 
 In-the-place-of-song with-me they-dance. 
 
 But the old chronicler, who doubtless knew it all by 
 heart, gives us no more of it.^ 
 
 § 4. Prosody of the Songs. 
 
 The assertion is advanced by Boturini that the genu- 
 ine ancient NahuatI poetry which has been preserved is 
 in iambic metre, and he refers to a song of Nezahual- 
 coyotl in his collection to prove his opinion. What study 
 I have given to the prosody of the NahuatI tongue leads 
 me to doubt the correctness of so sweeping a statement. 
 The vocalic elements of the language have certain pecu- 
 liarities which prevent its poetry from entering unencum- 
 bered into the domain of classical prosody. 
 
 The quantity of NahuatI syllables is a very important 
 element in the pronunciation of the tongue, but their 
 quantity is not confined, as in Latin, to long, short, and 
 
 ^ Ctdtlaxoteyotl, from cuitatl, mierda; tectdlhuicuicatl, from iecuil- 
 huaztli, sello, tecuilonti, el que lo haze a otro, pecando contra natura. 
 Molina, Vocabulario. 
 
 2 William A. Hammond, The Disease of the Scythians {morbus femi- 
 naruvi) and Certain Analogous Conditions, in the American fournal of 
 Neurology and Psychiatry, 1882. ^ Cronica Mexicana, cap. 2. 
 
18 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 common. The Nahuatl vowels are long, short, interme- 
 diate, and "with stress," or as the Spanish grammarians 
 say, "with a jump," con saltillo. The last mentioned is 
 peculiar to this tongue. The vowel so designated is pro- 
 nounced with a momentary suspension or catching of the 
 breath, rendering it emphatic. 
 
 These quantities are prominent features in the formal 
 portions of the language, characterizing inflections and 
 declinations. No common means of designating them 
 have been adopted by the grammarians, and for my pre- 
 sent purpose, I shall make use of the following signs : — 
 
 a. , short. 
 
 a , intermediate. 
 
 a , long. 
 
 a , with stress. 
 The general prosodic rules are : — 
 
 1. In polysyllabic words in which there are no long 
 vowels, all the vowels are intermediate. • 
 
 2. The vowels are long in the penultimate of the plurals 
 of the imperatives when the preterit of the verb ends in a 
 vowel ; the Ci of the can of the imperatives ; the i of the 
 t'l of the gerundives ; tlie last vowel of the futures when 
 the verb loses a vowel to form them ; the penultimates 
 of passives in lo, of impersonals, of verbals in oni, illi, olli 
 and oca, of verbal nouns with the terminations yan and 
 can; the of abstract nouns in otl in composition \ and 
 those derived from long syllables. 
 
 3. Vowels are "with stress" when they are tlie finals 
 in the i)lurals of nouns and verbs, also in the perfect pre- 
 terite, in possessives ending in a, 6, 6, and in the penul- 
 
PROSODY OF THE SONGS. 19 
 
 tiniate of nouns ending in ///, tia and tie when these syl- 
 lables are immediately preceded by the vowel. • 
 
 The practical importance of these distinctions may be 
 illustrated by the following examples : — 
 
 tdtli , = father. 
 
 fdt/i , = thou drinkest. 
 
 tatli , = we drink. 
 It is, however, evident from this example that the quan- 
 tity of Nahuatl syllables enters too much into the strictly 
 formal part of the language for rules of position, such as 
 some of those above given, to be binding; and doubtless 
 for this reason the eminent grammarian Carlos de Tapia 
 Zenteno, who was professor of the tongue in the Uni- 
 versity of Mexico, denies that it can be reduced to defi- 
 nite rules of prosody like those of the Latin. '^ 
 
 Substituting accent for quantity, there would seem to 
 be an iambic character to the songs. Thus the first words 
 of Song I, weije probably chanted : — 
 
 Nino' yo I no' notza' cainpa' nicu id yec tli' ahui aca' xochiiV : 
 etc. 
 
 1 On this subject the reader may consult Paredes, Compendia del Arte 
 ae la Lengtia Mexicana, pp. 5, 6, and Sandoval, Arte de la Lengua 
 Mexicana, pp. 60, 61 . Tapia Zenteno whose Arte Novissima de la Lengua 
 Mexicana was published in 1753, rejects altogether the saltillo, and says 
 its invention is of no use except to make students work harder ! (pp. 3, 
 4.) The vowels with saltillo, he maintains, are simply to be pronounced 
 with a slight aspiration. Nevertheless, the late writers continue to employ 
 and describe the saltillo, as Chimalpopoca, Epitome 6 Modo Fdcil de 
 aprender el Idioma Na/niatl, p. 6. (Mexico, 1S69.) 
 
 * Arte Novissima de la Lengua Mexicana, pp. 3, 4. 
 
20 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 But the directions given for the drums at the beginning 
 of Songs XVIII, XIX, etc., do not indicate a continu- 
 ance of these feet, but of others, as in XIX: — 
 
 Indeed, we may suppose that the metre varied with the 
 subject and the skill of the poet. This, in fact, is the 
 precise statement of Father Duran,' who speaks of the 
 native poets as "giving to each song a different tune 
 {sonadd), as we are accustomed in our poetry to have the 
 sonnet, the octava rima and the terceto." 
 
 § 5. The Vocal Delivery of the Song. 
 
 Descriptions of the concerts so popular among the Nahuas 
 have been preserved by the older writers, and it is of the 
 highest importance to understand their methods in order 
 to appreciate the songs presented^ in this volume. 
 
 These concerts were held on ceremonial occasions in 
 the open air, in the village squares or in the courtyards 
 of the houses. They began in the morning and usually 
 continued until nightfall, occasionally far into the night. 
 The musicians occupied the centre of the square and the 
 trained singers stood or sat around them. When the sign 
 was given to begin, the two most skillful singers, some- 
 times a man and a woman, pronounced the first syllables 
 of the song slowly but with a sharp emphasis ;- then the 
 drums began in a low tone, and gradually increased in 
 
 ' Duran, Historia de Nuez'a EspaHa, Tom. I, p. 230. 
 2 The singer who began the song was called cuicaifo, " the speaker of 
 the song." 
 
THE INSTRUMENTAL ACCOMPANIMENT. 21 
 
 strength as the song proceeded ; the other singers united 
 their voices until the whole chorus was in action, and 
 often the bystanders, to the numbers of thousands, would 
 ultimately join in the words of some familiar song, keep- 
 ing time by concerted movements of the hands and feet. 
 
 Each verse or couplet of the song was repeated three 
 or four times before proceeding to the next, and those 
 songs which were of the slowest measure and least emo- 
 tional in character were selected for the earlier hours of the 
 festivals. None of the songs was lengthy, even the longest, 
 in spite of the repetitions, rarely lasting over an hour.^ 
 
 The tone in which the words were chanted is described 
 by Clavigero, Miihlenpfordt and other comparatively recent 
 travelers as harsh, strident and disagreeable to the Euro- 
 pean ear. Mendieta calls it a "contra-bass," and states 
 that persons gifted with such a voice cultivated it assidu- 
 ously and were in great" demand. The Nahuas call it 
 tozqiiitl, the singing voice, and likened it to the notes of 
 sweet singing birds. 
 
 § 6. The Instrumental Accompaniment. 
 The Nahuas were not acquainted with any stringed in- 
 strument. They manufactured, however, a variety of objects 
 from which they could extract what seemed to them melo- 
 dious sounds. The most important were two forms of 
 drums, the huehuetl and the teponaztli. 
 
 1 The most satisfactory description of these concerts is that given by 
 Geronimo de Mendieta, Historia Eclesiastica Indiana, Lib. II, cap. 31. 
 I have taken some particulars from Boturini and Sahagun. 
 
22 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The word huehuetl means something old, something 
 ancient, and therefore important and great. The drum 
 so-called was a hollow cylinder of wood, thicker than a 
 man's body, and usually about five palms in height. The 
 end was covered with tanned deerskin, firmly stretched. 
 The sides were often elaborately carved and tastefully 
 painted. This drum was placed upright on a stand in 
 front of the player and the notes were produced by strik- 
 ing the parchment with the tips of the fingers. 
 
 A smaller variety of this instrument Avas called flapanhne- 
 huetl, or the half drum, which was of the same diameter 
 but only half the height.' Still another variety was the 
 yopihuehuetl, "the drum which tears out the heart,"- so 
 called either by reason of its penetrating and powerful 
 sound, or because it was employed at the Yopico, where 
 that form of human sacrifice was conducted. 
 
 The teponaztli was a cylindrical block of wood hollowed 
 out below, and on its upper surface with two longitudinal 
 parallel grooves running nearly from end to end, and a 
 third in the centre at right angles to these, something in 
 the shape of the letter I. The two tongues left between the 
 grooves were struck with balls of rubber, /////, on the ends 
 of handles or drum sticks. These instruments varied greatly 
 
 ' Literally, " the broken drum," from tlapana, to break, as they say 
 tlapanhuimetzli, half moon. It is described by Tezozomoc as " un 
 alambor bajo." Cronica Mixicana, cap. 53. 
 
 2 From yollotl, heart, and //, to tear out. The instrument is mentioned 
 by Tezozomoc, Cronica Mexicaua, cap. 48. On the Yopico, and its 
 ceremonies, see Sahagun, I/islon.i di Nuez'a Espafla, Lib. II, cap. i, and 
 Appendix. 
 
THE INSTRUMENTAL ACCOMPANIMENT. 23 
 
 in size, some being five feet in length, and others so small 
 that they could conveniently be carried suspended to the 
 neck. The teponaztli was the house instrument of the 
 Nahuas. It was played in the women's apartments to 
 amuse the noble ladies, and the war captains carried one 
 at the side to call the attention of their cohorts on the 
 field of battle (Sahagun). The word is derived from the 
 name of the tree whose wood was selected to make the 
 drum, and this in turn from the verb tcponazoa, to swell, 
 probably from some peculiarity of its growth.' 
 
 A much superior instrument to the teponaztli, and doubt- 
 less a development from it, was the tccomapiloay " the sus- 
 pended vase" {tccomatl, gourd or vase, piloa, to hang or 
 suspend). It was a solid block of wood, with a project- 
 ing ridge on its upper surface and another opposite, on 
 its lower aspect ; to the latter one or more gourds or 
 vases were suspended, which increased and softened the 
 sound when the upper ridge was struck with the ullip' 
 This was undoubtedly the origin of the marimba, which I 
 have described elsewhere.^ 
 
 1 Simeon, however, thinks the name arose from the growing and swell- 
 ing of the sound of the instrument (notes to Jourdanet's translation of 
 Sahagun, p. 28). Mr. H. H. Bancroft gives the astonishing translation of 
 teponaztli, " wing of stone vapor !" (^Native Races of the Pacific States, 
 Vol. II, p. 293.) Brasseur traced the word to a Maya-Quiche root, tep. 
 In both Nahuatl and Maya this syllable is the radicle of various words 
 meaning to increase, enlarge, to grow strong or great, etc. 
 
 2 Sahagun, Hist, de Nueva Espafia, Lib. II, cap. 27. 
 
 3 See The Gtiegiience, a Comedy ballet in the Nahuall Spanish dialect 
 of Nicaragua, Introd., p. 29. (Philadelphia, 1883.) 
 
24 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The musical properties of these drums have been dis- 
 cussed by Theodor Baker. The teponaztli, he states, could 
 yield but two notes, and could not have been played in 
 accord with the huehuetl. It served as an imperfect 
 contra-bass. ' 
 
 Tht omichicahuaz, "strong bone," was constructed some- 
 what on the principle of a teponaztli. A large and long 
 bone was selected, as the femur of a man or deer, and it 
 was channeled by deep longitudinal incisions. The pro- 
 jections left between the fissures were rasped with another 
 bone or a shell, and thus a harsh but varied sound could 
 be produced.'^ 
 
 The tetzilacatl, the "vibrator" or "resounder," was a 
 sheet of copper suspended by a cord, which was struck 
 with sticks or with the hand. It appears to have been 
 principally confined to the sacred music in the temples. 
 
 The ayacachtli was a rattle formed of a jar of earthen- 
 ware or a dried gourd containing pebbles which was 
 fastened to a handle, and served to mark time in the 
 songs and dances. An extension of this simple instru- 
 ment was the ayacachicahualiztli, "the arrangement of 
 rattles," which was a thin board about six feet long and 
 
 1 Theodor Baker, Ueber die Musik der Nord-Ainerikanischen IVilden., 
 PP- 51-53- (Leipzig, 1SS2.) 
 
 2 Omitl, bone, chicahuac, strong. A specimen made of the bone of a 
 fossil elephant is possessed by Seiior A. Chavero, of Mexico. See Tezo- 
 zomoc, Cronica Mexicana, cap. 55, and the note of Orozco y Berra to 
 that passage in the Mexican edition. Also Sahagun, Hist, de Nueva Es- 
 paHay Lib. VIII, cap. 20, who lii<e\vise describes most of the instruments 
 referred to in this section. 
 
THE INSTRUMENTAL ACCOMPANIMENT. 25 
 
 a span wide, to which were attached bells, rattles and cylin- 
 drical pieces of hard wood. Shaking this produced a jingle- 
 jangle, agreeable to the native ear. The Aztec bells of 
 copper, tzilinilli, are really metallic rattles, like our 
 sleigh bells. They are often seen in collections of Mexican 
 antiquities. Other names for them were coyolli and yoyotli. 
 
 Various forms of flutes and fifes, made of reeds, of bone 
 or of pottery, were called by names derived from the 
 word pitzaua, to blow (e.g., tlapitzalH, uilacapitzli), and 
 sometimes, as being punctured with holes, zozoloctli, from 
 zotl, the awl or instrument used in perforating skins, etc. 
 Many of those made of earthenware have been preserved, 
 and they appear to have been a highly-esteemed instru- 
 ment, as Sahagun mentions that the leader of the choir 
 of singers in the temple bore the title tlapitzcatzin, "the 
 noble flute player." 
 
 Large conches were obtained on the seashore and framed 
 into wind instruments called quiquiztli and tecciztli, whose 
 hoarse notes could be heard for long distances, and whistles 
 of wood, bone and earthenware added their shrill notes 
 to the noise of the chanting of the singers. The shell of 
 the tortoise, ayotl, dried and suspended, was beaten in 
 unison with such instruments. 
 
 Recent researches by competent musical experts con- 
 ducted upon authentic specimens of the ancient Mexican 
 instruments have tended to elevate our opinion of their 
 skill in this art. Mr. H. T. Cresson, of the Academy of 
 Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, has critically examined the 
 various Aztec clay flutes, whistles, etc., which are there 
 preserved, and has reached the following conclusions: — 
 c 
 
26 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 "I. That upon the four-holed clay flageolets the chro- 
 matic and diatonic scales can be produced with a full 
 octave. 
 
 " II. That the clay whistles or pitch pipes, which may 
 be manipulated in quartette, will produce an octave and 
 a fourth. 
 
 "III. From the facts above shown, the Aztecs must 
 have possessed a knowledge of the scales as known to us, 
 which has been fully tested by comparison with the flute 
 and organ.'" 
 
 This result indicates for the instrumental accompaniment 
 a much higher position in musical notation than has hitherto 
 been accepted. 
 
 § 7. The Poetic Dialect. 
 
 All the old writers who were familiar with the native 
 songs speak of their extreme obscurity, and the difficulty 
 of translating them. No one will question the intimate 
 acquaintance with the Nahuatl language possessed by Father 
 Sahagun ; yet no one has expressed more strongly than he 
 the vagueness of the Nahuatl poetic dialect. "Our enemy 
 on earth," he writes, "has prepared a thick woods and 
 a dangerous ground full of pitfalls, wherein to devise his 
 evil deeds and to hide himself from attack, as do wild 
 beasts and venomous serpents. This woods and these pit- 
 falls are the songs which he has inspired to be used in his 
 service, as praises to his honor, in the temples and else- 
 where ; because they are composed with such a trick that 
 
 ' H. T. Cresson, On Aztec Music, in the Proceedings of the Academy 
 of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 1883. 
 
THE POETIC DIALECT. 27 
 
 they proclaim only what the devil commands, and are 
 understood only by those to whom they are addressed. 
 It is well known that the cavern, woods or depths in 
 which the devil hides himself were these chants or psalms 
 which he himself has composed, and which cannot be 
 understood in their true significance except by those who 
 are accustomed to the peculiar style of their language."^ 
 
 Not less positive are the expressions of Father Diego 
 Duran, contemporary of Sahagun, and himself well versed 
 in the native tongue. ''All their songs," he observes, 
 "were composed in such obscure metaphors that scarcely 
 any one can understand them unless he give especial atten- 
 tion to their construction."^ The worthy Boturini was puz- 
 zled by those which he had collected, and writes, " the 
 songs are difficult to explain, because they mystify his- 
 torical facts with constant allegorizing,"'' and Boturini's 
 literary executor, Don Mariano Echevarria y Veitia, who 
 paid especial attention to the poetic fragments he had re- 
 ceived, says frankly : " The fact is, that as to the songs I 
 have not found a person who can fully translate them, 
 because there are many words in them whose signification 
 is absolutely unknown to-day, and moreover which do not 
 appear in the vocabularies of Molina or others."* 
 
 The Abbe Clavigero speaks in somewhat more definite 
 
 1 Sahagun, Historia de Nueva Espana, Lib. II, Appendice. 
 * Duran, Historia de las Indias de Nueva Espaiia, Tom. I, p. 233. 
 3 Boturini, Idea de una Ntieva Historia General, Appendice, p. 95. 
 ■* Echevarria, Historia del Driven de las Genles de Nueva EspaHa, Dis- 
 curso Preliminar. 
 
28 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 terms of the poetic forms and licenses of the language. 
 He notes that in the fragments of the ancient verses which 
 had been preserved until his day there were inserted be- 
 tween the significant words certain interjections and mean- 
 ingless syllables, apparently to fill out the metre. Never- 
 theless, he considered the language of the chants, "pure, 
 pleasant, brilliant, figurative and replete with allusions to 
 the more pleasing objects in nature, as flowers, trees, brooks, 
 etc."^ 
 
 It is quite evident from the above extracts that in the 
 translation of the ancient songs in the present volume we 
 must be prepared for serious difficulties, the more so as the 
 Nahuatl language, in the opinion of some who are the 
 best acquainted with it, lends itself with peculiar facility 
 to ambiguities of expression and obscure figures of speech.'^ 
 Students of American ethnology are familiar with the fact 
 that in nearly all tribes the language of the sacred songs 
 differs materially from that in daily life. 
 
 Of the older grammarians. Father Carochi alone has 
 left us actual specimens of the ancient poetic dialect, 
 and his observations are regretably brief. They occur 
 
 * Clavigero, Storia Antica di Messico, Lib. VII, p. 175. 
 
 2 " Ihre Sprachen sind uberreich an doppelsinnigen Ausdrucken die sie 
 absichtlich anwenden um ihre Gedanken zu verbergen. Geistliche haben 
 mir versichert, dass sie obgleich der Aztekischen Sprache vollstandig mach- 
 tig, oft den wahren Sinn einer Beichte nicht zu verstehen vermochten, 
 weil die Beichtende sich in rSthselhafter und metaphorreicher Weise 
 auszudrilcken pflegten." Carlos von Gagern, Charakteristik der Indiau- 
 ischen Bevdlkerioii; Mexico's, p. 17 (in the Mit. der Geog. GeselL, 
 Wien. 1837). 
 
THE POETIC DIALECT. 29 
 
 in his chapter on the composition of nouns and read as 
 follows : ' — 
 
 "The ancient Indians were chary in forming compounds 
 of more than two words, while those of to-day exceed 
 this number, especially if they speak of sacred things; 
 although in their poetic dialect the ancients were also 
 extravagant in this respect, as the following examples 
 show: — 
 
 1. TlauhquechoUaztalehualto tonatoc. 
 
 2. Ayauhcogamalotonameyotimani. 
 
 3. Xiuhcoyolizitzilica in teocuitlahuehuetl. 
 
 4. Xiuhtlapallacuilolamoxtli manca. 
 
 5. Nic chalchiuhcozcameca quenmach totoma in nocuic. 
 
 1. It is gleaming red like the tlauhquechol bird. 
 
 2. And it glows like the rainbow. 
 
 3. The silver drum sounds like bells of turquoise. 
 
 4. There was a book of annals written and painted in 
 colors. 
 
 5. I see my song unfolding in a thousand directions, like a 
 string of precious stones," 
 
 1 Carochi's translations are not quite literal. The following notes will 
 explain the compounds : — 
 
 1. Tlauitl, red ochre, quechoUi, a bird so called, aztatl, a heron, 
 ehualtia, reverential of ehua, to rise up ; hence, " It (or he) shone 
 like a noble red- winged heron rising in flight." 
 
 2. Ayaniil, mist ; cofamaloti, rainbow ; to7iameyotl, shining, brightness ; 
 ti, connective ; viani, substantive verb. " The brightness of the rain- 
 bow is there." There is no conjunction " and " ; Father Carochi seems 
 to have carelessly taken ayauh, which is the form of ayatiitl in com- 
 
30 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 From the specimens presented in this volume and from 
 the above extracts, I would assign the following pecu- 
 liarities to the poetic dialect of the Nahuatl : — 
 
 I. Extreme frequency and richness of metaphor. Birds, 
 flowers, precious stones and brilliant objects are constantly 
 introduced in a figurative sense, often to the point of 
 obscuring the meaning of the sentence. 
 
 II. Words are compounded to a much greater extent 
 than in ordinary prose writing. 
 
 III. Both words and grammatical forms unknown to the 
 tongue of daily life occur. These may be archaic, or manu- 
 factured capriciously by the poet. 
 
 IV. Vowels are inordinately lengthened and syllables 
 reduplicated, either for the purpose of emphasis or of 
 meter. 
 
 V. Meaningless interjections are inserted for metrical 
 effect, while others are thrown in and repeated in order 
 to express emotion. 
 
 VI. The rhetorical figure known as aposiopesis, where 
 a sentence is left unfinished and in an interjectional con- 
 position, for the conjunction auh, and. Each of the lines given is a 
 detached fragment, without connection with the others. 
 
 3. xiiiit/, something blue or green; coyolii, htWs; tzitzUicaliztli, tink- 
 ling. " The golden drum's turquoise-bell-tinkling." 
 
 4. xiuhiic, blue or green ; tlapalli, red ; ctiiloa, to paint or write ; 
 amoxtli, book ; manca, imperf. of tnani. " There was a book painted 
 in red and green." 
 
 5. chahhiuhtiitl, the jade; cozcatl, a jewel; W(V<7/'/, a string ; totoma, 
 frequentative of toma, to unfold, unwind. " I unwind my song like 
 a string of precious jewels." 
 
 i 
 
PRESERVATION OF THE ANCIENT SONGS. 31 
 
 dition, in consequence of some emotion of the mind, is 
 not rare and adds to the obscurity of the wording. 
 
 § 8. The Preservation of the Ancient Sotigs. 
 
 In a passage already quoted/ Sahagun imparts the inter- 
 esting information that the more important songs were 
 written down by the Nahuas in their books, and from these 
 taught to the youth in the schools. A certain branch 
 of the Mexican hieroglyphic writing was largely phonetic, 
 constructed on that method to which I have applied the 
 adjective ikonomatic, and by which it was quite possible to 
 preserve the sound as well as the sense of sentences and 
 verses.^ Such attention could have been bestowed only on 
 the sacred, royal, or legendary chants, while the composi- 
 tions of ordinary poets would only be disseminated by oral 
 teaching. 
 
 By one or both of these methods there was a large body 
 of poetic chants the property of the Nahuatl -speaking 
 tribes, when they were subjugated by the Europeans. Among 
 the intelligent missionaries who devoted their lives to mas- 
 tering the language and translating into it the doctrines 
 of Christianity, there were a few who felt sufficient interest 
 in these chants to write some of them down in the orig- 
 inal tongue. Conspicuous among these was the laborious 
 Bernardino de Sahagun, whose works are our most valued 
 
 1 See above, page lo. 
 
 2 On the Ikonomatic Method of Phonetic Writing, with special ref- 
 erence to American Archeology. By D. G. Brinton, in Proceedings of 
 the American Philosophical Society, for October, i886. 
 
32 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 sources of information on all that concerns the life of the 
 ancient Nahuas. He collected a number of their sacred 
 hymns, translated them into Spanish, and inserted them into 
 the Appendix to the Second Book of his History of New 
 Spain ; but this portion of his work was destroyed by order 
 of the Inquisition, as a note in the original MS. expressly 
 states.* 
 
 A certain number, however, were preserved in the original 
 tongue, and, as already noted, we find the able grammarian 
 Horatio Carochi, who published his Grammar of the Nahuatl 
 in 1645, quoting lines from some as furnishing examples of 
 the genuine ancient forms of word-building. He could 
 not, tlierefore, have doubted their antiquity and authenticity. 
 
 A number of these must have come to the knowledge and 
 were probably in the possession of the eminent mathema- 
 tician and antiquary Don Carlos de Siguenza y Gongora, 
 who lived m the latter half of the same century (died 1700). 
 It was avowedly upon the information which he thought he 
 gleaned from these ancient chants that he constructed his 
 historical theory of the missionary labors of St. Thomas 
 in Mexico in the first century of our era. The title of 
 the work he wrote upon this notion was as follows : — 
 
 " Ft' nix del Occidente San Thomas Apbstol, hallado con el 
 notnbre de Qiietzalcoatl entre las cenizas de antiguas tradiciones, 
 consenuidas en piedras, en Teoamoxtles Tidtecas, y en cantarcs 
 Teochichimecas y Mexicanos.^^ 
 
 For many years this curious work, which was never printed 
 
 1 This fact is mentioned by Lord Kingsborough in his great work on 
 Mexico, Vol. VI, p. 533. 
 
PRESERVATION OF THE ANCIENT SONGS. 33 
 
 was supposed to be lost ; but the original MS. is extant, in 
 the possession of the distinguished antiquary Don Alfredo 
 Chavero, of the City of Mexico.^ Unfortunately, however, 
 the author did not insert in his work any song in the 
 native language nor a literal translation of any, as I am 
 informed by Senor Chavero, who has kindly examined the 
 work carefully at my request, with this inquiry in view. 
 
 Half a century later, when Boturini was collecting his 
 material, he found but very few of the old poems. In the 
 catalogue of his MSS. he mentions (XIX, i) some fragments 
 of ancient songs, badly written, on European paper, but 
 he does not say whether in the original or translated. 
 The same doubt might rest on the two songs of Neza- 
 hualcoyotl named in his Catalogue (V, 2). He does not 
 specifically state that they are in the original. The song 
 of Moquihuix, King of Tlatilulco, in which he celebrated his 
 victory over the Cuextla, which Boturini states in his text 
 (p. 91) as in his possession, is not mentioned at all in his 
 Catalogue, and it is uncertain whether his copy was in 
 Nahuatl. 
 
 His literary friend, however, Don Mariano Echevarria y 
 Veitia, removes the uncertainty about the two songs of 
 Nezahualcoyotl, as he informs us that they were in the 
 original tongue, and adds that he had inserted them in 
 his History without translation.'^ I have examined the man- 
 
 ^ It is described in the Anales del Museo Nacional, Tom. Ill, p. 262. 
 
 2 Echevarria's words are " los pongo en su idioma." Hist, del Origen 
 de las Gentes que poblaron la Nueva Espafia, Discurso Preliminar, in 
 Kingsborough's Mexico, Vol. VIII. 
 
34 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 uscript of his work, now in the Lenox Library, New York 
 City, but it does not contain these texts, and evidently the 
 copy used by Bustamente did not.^ 
 
 Boturini included the translations of the two odes of 
 Nezahualcoyotl in a work on the Virgin of Guadelupe, only 
 a fragment of which has been preserved. One of the 
 chapters in this Latin Essay is entitled De Indorum Poeta- 
 non Canticis sive Prosodiis, in which he introduces Ixtlil- 
 xochitl's translation and also a song in the original Nahuatl, 
 but the latter is doubtless of late date and unimportant as 
 a really native production.^ 
 
 The fragments of Boturini's library collected by M. Aubin, 
 of Paris, contain a number of the original ancient songs of 
 the highest importance, which make us regret the more that 
 this collection has been up to the present inaccessible to 
 students. In his description of these relics published in 1S51, 
 ^L Aubin refers to the Historical Annals of the Mexican 
 Nation (§ VIII, 10, of Boturini's Catalogue) as containing 
 " historical songs in a dialect so difficult that I have not 
 been able to translate them entirely," and adds that sim- 
 ilar songs are preserved in others of the ancient annals in 
 his hands. ^ 
 
 1 See his Tezcuco en los Ultitnos Tievipos de sus Antigtios Keyes. Parte 
 IV (Mexico, 1826). 
 
 2 See the description of this fragment of Boturini by Senor Alfredo 
 Chavero in the Anates del Museo Nacional, Tom. Ill, p. 242. 
 
 * M. Aubin, Xotice sur ttne Collection d Antiqttites Alexicaines, pp. 
 8, 9. (Paris, 1S51.) 
 
THE LX SONGS OF KING NEZAHUALCOYOTL. 35 
 
 § 9. The LX Songs of the King Nezahualcoyotl. 
 
 The most distinguished figure among the Nahuatl poets 
 was Nezahualcoyotl, ruler of .Tezcuco. His death took 
 place in 1472, at the age of eighty years. His father, Ixtlil- 
 xochitl, had been deprived of his possessions and put to 
 death by Tezozomoc, King of the Tepanecas, and until the 
 death of the latter at an advanced age in 1427, Nezahual- 
 coyotl could make but vain efforts to restore the power of 
 his family. Much of the time he was in extreme want, and 
 for this reason, and for his savage persistence in the struggle, 
 he acquired the name "the fasting or hungry wolf" — 
 nezahual-coyotl. Another of his names was AcolmiztU, 
 usually translated "arm of the lion," from acuUi, shoulder, 
 and niiztii, lion. 
 
 A third was Yoyontzin, which is equivalent to cevetor 
 nobilis, from yoyoma {cevere, i. e., fetnora mover e in re 
 venerea) ; it is to be understood figuratively as indicating 
 the height of the masculine forces. 
 
 When his power became assured, he proved himself a 
 liberal and enlightened patron of the arts and industries. 
 The poetry and music of his native land attracted him the 
 more as he felt within himself the moving god, firing his 
 imagination with poetic vision, the Deus in nobis, calescinius, 
 agitanfillo. Not only did he diligently seek out and 
 royally entertain skilled bards, but he himself had the credit 
 of composing sixty chants, and it appears that after the Con- 
 quest there were that many written down in Roman char- 
 acters and attributed to him. We need not inquire too 
 closely whether they were strictly his own composition. 
 Perhaps they were framed on themes which he furnished, or 
 
36 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 were selected by him from those sung at his court by various 
 bards. The history of the works by royal authors every- 
 where must not be too minutely scanned if we wish to 
 leave them their reputation for originality. 
 
 He was of a philosophic as well as a poetic tempera- 
 ment, and reflected deeply on the problems of life and 
 nature. Following the inherent tendency of the enlight- 
 ened intellect to seek unity in diversity, the One in the 
 Many, he reached the conclusion to which so many think- 
 ers in all ages and of all races have been driven, that 
 underlying all phenomena is one primal and adequate 
 Cause, the Essence of all Existence. This conclusion he 
 expressed in a philosophic apothegm which was preserved 
 by his disciples, in these words: — 
 
 ]pan in chicunauitlamanpan meziica in tloque nahuaqice 
 palne nohuani teyocoyani icel teotl oqiiiyocox in ixquex qiiex- 
 quex in ittoni ihuan amo ittoni. 
 
 " In the ninth series is the Cause of All, of us and of 
 all created things, the one only God who created all things 
 both visible and invisible."^ 
 
 To perpetuate the memory of this philosophic deduction 
 he caused to be constructed at Tezcuco a stone tower 
 nine stories in height, the ruins of which were visible 
 long after the Spanish occupation. To this tower he gave 
 the name Chililitli, a term of uncertain meaning, but which 
 we find was applied in Tenochtitlan to a building sacred 
 
 1 rrinted very incorrectly in Lord Kingsborough's edition of Ixtlilxo- 
 chitl's Relaciones Ilistoricas (Rel. X, Kingsborough, Antiquities of Mex- 
 ico, Vol. IX, p. 454). 
 
THE LX SONGS OF KING NEZAHUALCOYOTL. 37 
 
 to the Nine Winds.' To explain the introduction of this 
 number, I should add that a certain school of Nahuatl 
 priests taught that the heaven above and the earth below 
 were each divided into nine concentric arcs, each lead- 
 ing farther and farther away from the conditions of the 
 present life. Hence, there were nine heavens, abodes of 
 the gods, and nine lower regions, abodes of the souls of 
 the dead. Another school taught that there were not nine 
 but thirteen of these stages. 
 
 The sixty poems by Nezahualcoyotl are mentioned by 
 various writers as in existence after the Conquest, reduced 
 to writing in the original tongue, and of several of them 
 we have translations or abstracts.'^ Of four the transla- 
 tions claim to be complete, and were published entire for 
 the first time in the original Spanish by Lord Kingsbor- 
 ough in the ninth volume of his great work on the Anti- 
 quities of Mexico. Since then they have received various 
 renderings in prose and verse into different languages at 
 the hands of modern writers. 
 
 I shall give a literal prose translation from the Spanish, 
 numbering the poems and their verses, for convenience 
 of reference, in the order in which they appear in the 
 pages of Lord Kingsborough. 
 
 1 See Sahagun, Historia de Niieva Espana, Lib. II, Appendix. 
 
 2 Bustamente puts the number of the songs of Nezahualcoyotl at 
 eighty, of which he could find only one extant, and this, as I understand 
 his words, in Spanish only. See his Tezcuco en los Tiempos de sns An- 
 tiguous Reyes, p. 253 (Mexico, 1826). When Alexander von Humboldt 
 visited Mexico he sought in vain for any fragment of the songs of the 
 royal bard. Vues des Cordilleres, etc., Tom. II, p. 391. 
 
38 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The first is one referred to, and partly translated by 
 Ixtlilxochitl, in his Historia Chichimeca (cap. 47). He 
 calls it a xopancuicail (see ante, p. 15), and states 
 that it was composed and sung on the occasion of the 
 banquet when the king laid the foundations of his great 
 palace. He gives the first words in the original as fol- 
 lows: — 
 
 Thixoconcagiiican ani Nezahuakoyotzin ; 
 
 And the translation : — 
 
 " Hear that which says the King Nezahualcoyotl." 
 
 Restoring the much mutilated original to what I should 
 think was its proper form, the translation should read : — 
 
 "Listen attentively to what I, the singer, the noble 
 Nezahualcoyotl, say:" — 
 
 I. 
 
 1. Listen with attention to the lamentations which I, 
 the King Nezahualcoyotl, make upon my power, speak- 
 ing with myself, and offering an example to others. 
 
 2. O restless and striving king, when the time of thy 
 death shall come, thy subjects shall be destroyed and 
 driven forth ; they shall sink into dark oblivion. Then 
 in thy hand shall no longer be the power and the rule, 
 but with the Creator, the All-powerful. 
 
 3. He who saw the palaces and court of the old King 
 Tezozomoc, how flourishing and powerful was his sway, 
 may see them now dry and withered ; it seemed as if they 
 should last forever, but all that the world offers is illusion 
 and deception, as everything must end and die. 
 
 4. Sad and strange it is to see and reflect on the pros- 
 
THE LX SONGS OF KING NEZAHUALCOYOTL. 39 
 
 perity and power of the old and dying King Tezozomoc ; 
 watered with ambition and avarice, he grew like a willow 
 tree rising above the grass and flowers of spring, rejoicing 
 for a long time, until at length, withered and decayed, 
 the storm wind of death tore him from his roots, and 
 dashed him in fragments to the ground. The same fate 
 befell the ancient King Colzatzli, so that no memory was 
 left of him, nor of his lineage. 
 
 5. In these lamentations and in this sad song, I now 
 call to memory and offer as an example that which takes 
 place in the spring, and the end which overtook King 
 Tezozomoc ; and who, seeing this, can refrain from tears 
 and wailing, that these various flowers and rich delights 
 are bouquets that pass from hand to hand and all wither 
 and end even in the present life ! 
 
 6. Ye sons of kings and mighty lords, ponder well and 
 think upon that which I tell you in these my lamenta- 
 tions, of what takes place in spring and of the end which 
 overtook King Tezozomoc ; and who, seeing this, can 
 refrain from tears and wailing that these various flowers 
 and rich delights are bouquets that pass from hand to hand 
 and all wither and end even in the present life ! 
 
 7. Let the birds now enjoy, with melodious voices, the 
 abundance of the house of the flowery spring, and the 
 butterflies sip the nectar of its flowers. 
 
 The second song is preserved in a Spanish metrical 
 translation only, but which from internal evidence I should 
 judge to be quite literal. The words of the poem do not 
 
40 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 represent it as a composition by the royal poet, but one 
 which was sung before him, and addressed to him. It 
 admonishes him to rejoice in the present moment, as the 
 uncertainties of life and fate must at some time, perhaps 
 very soon, deprive him of their enjoyment. 
 
 II. 
 
 1. I wish to sing for a moment, since time and occasion 
 are propitious; I hope to be permitted, as my intention 
 merits it, and I begin my song, though it were better 
 called a lamentation. 
 
 2. And thou, beloved companion, enjoy the beauty of 
 these flowers, rejoice with me, cast out fears, for if pleas- 
 ure ends with life, so also does pain. 
 
 3. I, singing, will touch the sonorous instrument, and 
 thou, rejoicing in the flowers, dance and give pleasure to 
 God the powerful. Let us be happy in the present, for 
 life is transitory. 
 
 4. Thou hast placed thy noble court in Acolhuacan, 
 thine are its lintels, thou hast decked them, and one may 
 well believe that with such grandeur thy state shall in- 
 crease and grow. 
 
 5. O prudent Yoyontzin, famous king and peerless mon- 
 arch, rejoice in the present, be happy in the springtime, 
 for a day shall come in which thou shalt vainly seek these 
 joys. 
 
 6. Then thy destiny shall snatch the sceptre from thy 
 hand, thy moon shall wane, no longer wilt thou be strong 
 and proud, then thy servants shall be destitute of all things. 
 
THE LX SONGS OF KING NEZAHUALCOYOTL. 41 
 
 7. In this sad event, the nobles of thy line, the prov- 
 inces of might, children of noble parents, lacking thee as 
 their lord, shall taste the bitterness of poverty. 
 
 8. They shall call to mind how great was thy pomp, 
 thy triumphs and victories, and bewailing the glory and 
 majesty of the past, their tears will flow like seas. 
 
 9. These thy descendants who serve thy plume and 
 crown, when thou art gone, will forsake Culhuacan, and 
 as exiles will increase their woes. 
 
 10. Little will fame have to tell of this wondrous maj- 
 esty, worthy of a thousand heralds ; the nations will only 
 remember how wisely governed the three chieftains who 
 held the power, 
 
 11. At Mexico, Montezuma the famous and valorous, at 
 Culhuacan the fortunate Nezahualcoyotl, and at the strong- 
 hold of Acatlapan, Totoquilhuatli. 
 
 12. I fear no oblivion for thy just deeds, standing as 
 thou dost in thy place appointed by the Supreme Lord 
 of All, who governs all things. 
 
 13. Therefore, O Nezahualcoyotl, rejoice in what the 
 present offers, crown thyself with flowers from thy gar- 
 dens, hear my song and music which aim to please thee. 
 
 14. The pleasures and riches of this life are but loaned, 
 their substance is vain, their appearance illusory ; and so 
 true is this that I ask thee for an answer to these questions : 
 
 15. What has become of Cihuapan ? Of the brave 
 Quantzintecomatzin ? Of Conahuatzin ? What of all these 
 people ? Perhaps these very words have already passed 
 into another life. 
 
 16. Would that we who are now united by the ties of 
 
 (UNIVEBSITYI 
 
42 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 love and friendship could foresee the sharp edge of death, 
 for nothing is certain, and the future ever brings changes. 
 
 The third is a "spring song" in which the distin- 
 guished warriors of the king are compared to precious 
 stones. Such jewels were believed by the Nahuas to pos- 
 sess certain mysterious powers as charms and amulets, a 
 belief, it is needless to say, found among almost all nations. 
 In verse i8 there is a reference to the superstition that at 
 dawn, when these jewels are exposed to the first rays of 
 the sun, they emit a fine vapor which wafts abroad their 
 subtle potency. The poem is in Spanish verse, and the 
 original is said to have been written down by Don Fer- 
 nando de Avila, governor of Tlalmanalco, from the mouth 
 of Don Juan de Aguilar, governor of Cultepec, a direct 
 descendant of Nezahualcoyotl. 
 
 III. 
 
 1. The flowery spring has its house, its court, its palace, 
 adorned with riches, with goods in abundance. 
 
 2. With discreet art they are arranged and placed, rich 
 feathers, precious stones, surpassing in luster the sun. 
 
 3. There is the valued carbuncle, which from its beau- 
 teous center darts forth rays which are the lights of knowl- 
 edge. 
 
 4. There is the prized diamond, sign of strength, shoot- 
 ing forth its brilliant gleams. 
 
 5. Here one sees the translucent emerald suggesting the 
 hope of the rewards of merit. 
 
THE LX SONGS OF KING NEZAHUALCOYOTL. 43 
 
 6. Next follows the topaz, equaling the emerald, for the 
 reward it promises is a heavenly dwelling. 
 
 7. The amethyst, signifying the cares which a king has 
 for his subjects, and moderation in desires. 
 
 8. These are what kings, princes and i-nonarchs delight 
 to place upon their breasts and crowns. 
 
 9. All these stones with their varied and singular vir- 
 tues, adorn Thy house and court, O Father, O Infinite God ! 
 
 10. These stones which I the King Nezahualcoyotl have 
 succeeded in uniting in loving liens, 
 
 11. Are the famous princes, the one called Axaxacatzin, 
 the other Chimalpopoca, and Xicomatzintlamata. 
 
 12. To-day, somewhat rejoiced by the joy and words 
 of these, and of the other lords who were with them, 
 
 13. I feel, when alone, that my soul is pleased but for 
 a brief time, and that all pleasure soon passes. 
 
 14. The presence of these daring eagles pleases me, of 
 these lions and tigers who affright the world, 
 
 15. These who by their valor win everlasting renown, 
 whose name and whose deeds fame will perpetuate. 
 
 16. Only to-day am I glad and look upon these rich 
 and varied stones, the glory of my bloody battles. 
 
 17. To-day, noble princes, protectors of the realm, my 
 will is to entertain you and to praise you. 
 
 18. It seems to me that ye answer from your souls, 
 like the fine vapor arising from precious stones, — 
 
 19. "O King Nezahualcoyotl, O royal Montezuma, your 
 subjects sustain themselves with your soft dews. 
 
 20. " But at last a day shall come which will cut away 
 this power, and all these will be left wretched orphans. 
 
44 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 21. "Rejoice, mighty King, in this lofty power which 
 the King of Heaven has granted you, rejoice and be 
 glad. 
 
 2 2. "In the life of this world there is no beginning 
 anew, therefore rejoice, for all good ends. 
 
 23. "The future promises endless changes, griefs that 
 your subjects will have to undergo. 
 
 24. "Ye see before you the instruments decked with 
 wreaths of odorous flowers ; rejoice in their fragrance. 
 
 25. "To-day there are peace, and goodfellowship ; there- 
 fore let all join hands and rejoice in the dances, 
 
 26. " So that for a little while princes and kings and 
 the nobles may have pleasure in these precious stones, 
 
 27. "Which through his goodness the will of the King 
 Nezahualcoyotl has set forth for you, inviting you to-day 
 to his house." 
 
 The fourth song has been preserved in an Otomi trans- 
 lation by the Mexican antiquary Granados y Galvez,^ and 
 in an abstract by Torquemada.'^ The latter gives the first 
 words as follows: — 
 
 Xochitl viaviani in huehuetiilan : 
 
 Which he translates: — 
 
 "There are fresh and fragrant flowers among the groves." 
 
 1 Tardes Americanas, pp. 90-94. (Mexico, 1778.) 
 
 2 Torquemada, Monarquia Indiana^ Lib. II, cap. 45. The word 
 huehuetitlan, seems to be a misprint for ahuehuetitlan, from ahuehuetl, 
 with the ligature //, and the postposition tlan, literally •' among the cy- 
 presses." 
 
THE LX SONGS OF KING NEZAHUALCOYOTL. 45 
 
 It is said to have been composed at the time the king 
 dedicated his palace. 
 
 IV. 
 
 1. The fleeting pomps of the world are like the green 
 willow trees, which, aspiring to permanence, are con- 
 sumed by a fire, fall before the axe, are upturned by the 
 wind, or are scarred and saddened by age. 
 
 2. The grandeurs of life are like the flowers in color and 
 in fate ; the beauty of these remains so long as their chaste 
 buds gather and store the rich pearls of the dawn and 
 saving it, drop it in liquid dew ; but scarcely has the 
 Cause of All directed upon them the full rays of the sun, 
 when their beauty and glory fail, and the brilliant gay 
 colors which decked forth their pride wither and fade. 
 
 3. The delicious realms of flowers count their dynasties 
 by short periods ; those which in the morning revel proudly 
 in beauty and strength, by evening weep for the sad de- 
 struction of their thrones, and for the mishaps which drive 
 them to loss, to poverty, to death and to the grave. All 
 things of earth have an end, and in the midst of the most 
 joyous lives, the breath falters, they fall, they sink into the 
 ground. 
 
 4. All the earth is a grave, and nought escapes it ; 
 nothing is so perfect that it does not fall and disappear. 
 The rivers, brooks, fountains and waters flow on, and 
 never return to their joyous beginnings ; they hasten on 
 to the vast realms of Tlaloc, and the wider they spread 
 between their marges the more rapidly do they mould 
 their own sepulchral urns. That which was yesterday is 
 
46 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 not to-day; and let not that which is to-day trust to live 
 to-morrow. 
 
 5. The caverns of earth are filled with pestilential dust 
 which once was the bones, the flesh, the bodies of great 
 ones who sate upon thrones, deciding causes, ruling assem- 
 blies, governing armies, conquering provinces, possessing 
 treasures, tearing down temples, flattering themselves with 
 pride, majesty, fortune, praise and dominion. These glories 
 have passed like the dark smoke thrown out by the fires 
 of Popocatepetl, leaving no monuments but the rude skins 
 on which they are written. 
 
 6. Ha ! ha ! Were I to introduce you into the obscure 
 bowels of this temple, and were to ask you which of these 
 bones were those of the powerful Achalchiuhtlanextin, first 
 chief of the ancient Toltecs ; of Necaxecmitl, devout wor- 
 shiper of the gods ; if I inquire where is the peerless 
 beauty of the glorious empress Xiuhtzal, where the peace- 
 able Topiltzin, last monarch of the hapless land of Tulan ; 
 if I ask you where are the sacred ashes of our first father 
 Xolotl ; those of the bounteous Nopal ; those of the gener- 
 ous Tlotzin ; or even the still warm cinders of my glorious 
 and immortal, though unhappy and luckless father Ixtlil- 
 xochitl ; if I continued thus questioning about all our 
 august ancestors, what would you reply? The same that 
 I reply — I know not, I know not ; for first and last are 
 confounded in the common clay. What was their fate 
 shall be ours, and of all who follow us. 
 
 7. Unconquered princes, warlike chieftains, let us seek, 
 let us sigh for the heaven, for there all is eternal, and 
 nothing is corruptible. The darkness of the sepulchre is 
 
HISTORY OF THE PRESENT COLLECTION. 47 
 
 but the strengthening couch for the glorious sun, and the 
 obscurity of the night but serves to reveal the brilliancy of 
 the stars. No one has power to alter these heavenly lights, 
 for they serve to display the greatness of their Creator, 
 and as our eyes see them now, so saw them our earliest 
 ancestors, and so shall see them our latest posterity. 
 
 It will be seen that the philosophy of these songs is 
 mostly of the Epicurean and carpe diem order. The certainty 
 of death and the mutability of fortune, observations which 
 press themselves upon the mind of man everywhere, are 
 their principal staples, and cast over them a hue of mel- 
 ancholy, relieved by exhortations to enjoy to the utmost 
 what the present moment offers of pleasure and sensual 
 gratification. Here and there a gleam of a higher phi- 
 losophy lights the sombre reflections of the bard ; his 
 thoughts turn toward the infinite Creator of this universe, 
 and he dimly apprehends that by making Him the sub- 
 ject of his contemplation, there is boundless consolation 
 even in this mortal life. 
 
 Both these leading motifs recur over and over again in 
 the songs printed in the original in the present volume, 
 and this similarity is a common token of the authenticity 
 of the book. 
 
 § 10. The History of the Present Collection. 
 The most recent Mexican writers formally deny that any 
 ancient Mexican poetry is now extant. Thus the eminent 
 antiquary, Don Alfredo Chavero, m his elaborate work. 
 
48 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Mexico a traves de los Siglos, says, " the truth is, we know 
 no specimens of the ancient poetry, and those, whether 
 manuscript or printed, which claim to be such, date from 
 after the Conquest."^ In a similar strain the grammarian 
 Diario Julio Caballero, writes: "There has never come 
 into our hands a single poetic composition in this lan- 
 guage. It is said that the great King Nezahualcoyotl was 
 a poet and composed various songs ; however that may be, 
 the fact is that we have never seen any such composi- 
 tions, nor met any person who has seen them."'- 
 
 It is important, therefore, to state the exact provenance 
 of the specimens printed in this volume, many of which 
 I consider to have been composed previous to the Con- 
 quest, and written down shortly after the Nahuatl language 
 had been reduced to the Spanish alphabet. 
 
 All of them are from a MS. volume in the library of 
 the University of Mexico, entitled Cantares de los Mexi- 
 canos y otros opusculos, composed of various pieces in 
 different handwritings, which, from their appearance and 
 the character of the letter, were attributed by the eminent 
 antiquary Don Jose F. Ramirez, to the sixteenth and 
 seventeenth centuries. 
 
 The copy I have used is that made by the late Abbe 
 Brasseur (de Bourbourg). It does not appear to be com- 
 plete, but my efforts to have it collated with the original 
 have not been successful. Another copy was taken by the 
 late well-known Mexican scholar Faustino Chimalpopoca, 
 
 1 Op. cit. Tom. I, p. 795. 
 
 * Gramviatica del Idioma Mexicano, p. iSo. (Mexico, 1880.) 
 
 I 
 
HISTORY OF THE PRESENT COLLECTION. 49 
 
 which was in the possession of Senor Ramirez and sold at 
 the vendue of his books in 1880. It is No. 511 of the 
 catalogue. 
 
 The final decision of the age of the poems must come 
 from a careful scrutiny of the internal evidence, especially 
 the thoughts they contain and the language in which 
 they are expressed. In applying these tests, it should 
 be remembered that a song may be almost wholly ancient, 
 that is, composed anterior to the Conquest, and yet dis- 
 play a few later allusions introduced by the person who 
 preserved it in writing, so as to remove from it the flavor 
 of heathenism. Some probable instances of this kind will 
 be pointed out in the Notes. 
 
 The songs are evidently from different sources and of 
 different epochs. There are two notes inserted in the 
 MS. which throw some light on the origin of a few of 
 the poems. The first is in connection with No. XII. In 
 my copy of the MS, the title of this song is written twice, 
 and between the two the following memorandum appears 
 in Spanish : 
 
 ''Ancient songs of the native Otomis, which they were 
 accustomed to sing at their festivals and marriages, trans- 
 lated into the Mexican language, the play and the spirit 
 of the song and its figures of speech being always re- 
 tained ; as Your Reverence will understand, they displayed 
 considerable style and beauty, better than I can express 
 with my slight talent ; and may Your Reverence at your 
 convenience approve and be entertained by them, as a 
 skilled master of the tongue, as Your Reverence is." 
 
50 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 From its position and from the titles following, this 
 note appears to apply only to No. XII. 
 
 The second note is prefixed to No. XIV, which has no 
 title. It is in Nahnatl, and reads as follows : — 
 
 i 
 H 
 
 Nican ompehua in cuicatl motenehua melahuac Huexotzin- 
 cayotl ic moquichitoya in tlatoque Huexotzinca mani me- 
 catca; yexcan inic tlatlamantitica, teuccuicatl ahno^o 
 quauhcuicatl, xochicuicatl, icnocuicatl. Auh inic motzot- 
 zona huehuetl cencamatl mocauhtiuh, auh in occencamatl 
 ipan huetzi yetetl ti ; auh in huel ic ompehua centetl ti ; 
 auh inic mocuepa quiniquac iticpa huehuetzi y huehuetl, 
 zan mocemana in maitl ; auh quiniquac iyeinepantla oc- 
 ceppa itenco hualcholoa in huehuetl ; tel yehuatl itech 
 mottaz, ynima ynaquin cuicani quimati iniuh motzotzona; 
 auh yancuican yenoceppa inin cuicatl ychan D. Diego de 
 Leon, Governador Azcapotzalco ; yehuatl oquitzotzon in 
 D. Frco Placido ypan xihuitl 155 1, ypan in ezcalilitzin tl 
 Jesu Christo. 
 
 This may be freely translated as follows: — 
 
 i 
 
 Here begins a song called a plain song of Huexotzinco 
 
HISTORY OF THE PRESENT COLLECTION. 51 
 
 as it was recited by the lords of Huexotzinco. These songs 
 are divided into three classes, the songs of the nobles or 
 of the eagles, the flower songs, and the songs of destitu- 
 tion. (Directions follow for beating the drum in unison 
 with the voices.) This song was sung at the house of 
 Don Diego de Leon, Governor of Azcapotzalco ; he who 
 beat the drum was Don Francisco Placido ; in the year of 
 the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ 155 1." 
 
 This assigns beyond doubt the song in question to the 
 first half of the sixteenth century, and we may therefore 
 take its phraseology as a type of the Nahuatl poetry shortly 
 after the Conquest. It is also stated to be a native com- 
 position, and from its contents, it was clearly composed 
 by one of the converts to the Christian faith. 
 
I 
 
ANCIENT 
 NAHUATL POEMS 
 
I. Cuicapeuhcayotl. 
 
 I. Ninoyolnonotza, campa nicuiz yectli, ahuiaca 
 xochitl : — Ac nitlatlaniz ? Manozo yehuatl nictlatlani in 
 quetzal huitzitziltin, in chalchiuh huitzitzicatzin ; manozo 
 ye nictlatlani in zaquan papalotl ; ca yehuantin in ma- 
 chiz, ommati, campa cueponi in yectli ahuiac xochitl, tla 
 nitlahuihuiltequi in nican acxoyatzinitzcanquauhtla, ma- 
 noze nitlahuihuiltequi in tlauhquecholxochiquauhtla ; 
 oncan huihuitolihui ahuach tonameyotoc in oncan 
 mocehcemelquixtia ; azo oncan niquimittaz intla one- 
 chittitique ; nocuexanco nictemaz ic niquintlapaloz 
 in tepilhuan, ic niquimellelquixtiz in teteuctin. 
 
 2. Tlacazo nican nemi, ye nicaqui in ixochicuicatzin 
 yuhqui tepetl quinnananquilia ; tlacazo itlan in meyaquet- 
 zalatl, xiuhtotoameyalli, oncan mocuica, momotla, 
 mocuica ; nananquilia in centzontlatolli ; azo quinnanan- 
 quilia in coyoltototl, ayacachicahuacatimani, in nepapan 
 tlazocuicani totome. Oncan quiyectenehua in tlaltic- 
 paque hueltetozcatemique. 
 
 3. Nic itoaya, nitlaocoltzatzia ; ma namechellelti y 
 tlazohuane, niman cactimotlalique, niman hualtato in 
 quetzal huitzitziltin. Aquin tictemohua, cuicanitzine ? 
 Niman niquinnanquilia niquimilhuia : Campa catqui in 
 yectli, ahuiac xochitl ic niquimellelquixtiz in amohuam- 
 potzitzinhuan ? Niman onechicacahuatzque ca nican 
 tlatimitzittitili ticuicani azo nelli ic tiquimellelquixtiz in 
 toquichpohuan in teteuctin. 
 
 4. Tepeitic tonacatlalpa, xochitlalpa nechcalaquiqueo 
 oncan on ahuachtotonameyotimani, oncan niquittacaya 
 in nepapan tlazoahuiac xochitl, tlazohuelic xochitl, 
 
 54 
 
I. Son^ at the Beginning. 
 
 1. I am wondering where I may gather some pretty, 
 sweet flowers. Whom shall I ask ? Suppose that I ask 
 the brilliant humming-bird, the emerald trembler ; sup- 
 pose that I ask the yellow butterfly ; they will tell me, 
 they know, where bloom the pretty, sweet flowers, whether 
 I may gather them here in the laurel woods where dwell 
 the tzinitzcan birds, or whether I may gather them in the 
 flowery forests where the tlauquechol lives. There 
 they may be plucked sparkling with dew, there they come 
 forth in perfection. Perhaps there I shall see them if 
 they have appeared ; I shall place them in the folds of 
 my garment, and with them I shall greet the children, I 
 shall make glad the nobles. 
 
 2. Truly as I walk along I hear the rocks as it were 
 replying to the sweet songs of the flowers ; truly the 
 glittering, chattering water answers, the bird-green foun- 
 tain, there it sings, it dashes forth, it sings again ; the 
 mocking bird answers ; perhaps the coyol bird answers, 
 and many sweet singing birds scatter their songs around 
 like music. They bless the earth pouring out their sweet 
 voices. 
 
 3. I said, I cried aloud, may I not cause you pain ye 
 beloved ones, who are seated to listen ; may the brilliant 
 humming-birds come soon. Whom do we seek, O noble 
 poet ? I ask, I say : Where are the pretty, fragrant 
 flowers with which I may make glad you my noble com- 
 peers ? Soon they will sing to me, " Here we will make 
 thee to see, thou singer, truly wherewith thou shalt make 
 glad the nobles, thy companions." 
 
 4. They led me within a valley to a fertile spot, a 
 flowery spot, where the dew spread out in glitter- 
 ing splendor, where I saw various lovely fragrant flowers, 
 
56 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 ahuach quequentoc, ayauhcozamalotonameyotimani, oil- 
 can nechilhuia, xixochitetequi, in catlehuatl toconnequiz, 
 ma mellelquiza in ticuicani, tiquinmacataciz in tocnihuan 
 in teteuctin in quellelquixtizque in tlalticpaque. 
 
 5. Auh nicnocuecuexantia in nepapan ahuiacxochitl, 
 in huel teyolquima, in huel tetlamachti, nic itoaya 
 manozo aca tohuanti hual calaquini, ma cenca miec in 
 ticmamani ; auh ca tel ye onimatico nitlanonotztahciz 
 imixpan in tocnihuan nican mochipa tiqualtetequizque 
 in tlazo nepapan ahuiac xochitl ihuan ticuiquihui in 
 nepapan yectUyancuicatl ic tiquimellelquixtizque in 
 tocnihuan in tlalticpactlaca in tepilhuan quauhthya 
 ocelotl. 
 
 6. Ca moch nicuitoya in nicuicani ic niquimicpac 
 xochiti in tepilhuan inic niquimapan in can in mac 
 niquinten ; niman niquehuaya yectli yacuicatl ic 
 netimalolo in tepilhuan ixpan in tloque in nahuaque, auh 
 in atley y maceuallo. 
 
 7. Can quicuiz? Can quitlaz in huelic xochitl? Auh 
 cuix nohuan aciz aya in xochitlalpan, in tonacatlalpan, in 
 atley y macehuallo in nentlamati? Intla y tlacohua in 
 tlalticpacca gan quitemacehualtica in tloque in nahuaque, 
 in tlalticpac ; ye nican ic chocan noyollo noconilnami- 
 quia in ompa onitlachiato y xochitlalpana nicuicani. 
 
 8. Auh nic itoaya tlacazo amo qualcan in tlalticpac ye 
 nican, tlacazo occecni in huilohuayan, in oncan ca in 
 netlamachtilli ; tlezannen in tlalticpac ? tlacazo occecni 
 yoliliz ximoayan, ma ompa niauh, ma ompa inhuan 
 noncuicati in nepapan tlazototome, ma ompa nicnotla- 
 machti yectliya xochitl ahuiaca xochitl, in teyolquima, 
 in zan tepacca, teahuiaca yhuintia, in zan tepacca, ahuiaca 
 yhuintia. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL TOEMS. 57 
 
 lovely odorous flowers, clothed with the dew, scattered 
 around in rainbow glory, there they said to me, " Pluck 
 the flowers, whichever thou wishest, mayest thou the 
 singer be glad, and give them to thy friends, to the 
 nobles, that they may rejoice on the earth." 
 
 5. So I gathered in the folds of my garment the vari- 
 ous fragrant flowers, delicate scented, delicious, and I said, 
 may some of our people enter here, may very many of us 
 be here ; and I thought I should go forth to announce to 
 our friends that here all of us should rejoice in the dif- 
 ferent lovely, odorous flowers, and that we should cull 
 the various sweet songs with which we might rejoice our 
 friends here on earth, and the nobles in their grandeur 
 and dignity. 
 
 6. So I the singer gathered all the flowers to place 
 them upon the nobles, to clothe them and put them in 
 their hands ; and soon I lifted my voice in a worthy song 
 glorifying the nobles before the face of the Cause of All, 
 where there is no servitude. 
 
 7. Where shall one pluck them ? Where gather the 
 sweet flowers ? And how shall I attain that flowery land, 
 that fertile land, where there is no servitude, nor affliction ? 
 If one purchases it here on earth, it is only through sub- 
 mission to the Cause of All ; here on earth grief fills 
 my soul as I recall where I the singer saw the flowery 
 spot. 
 
 8. And I said, truly there is no good spot here on 
 earth, truly in some other bourne there is gladness ; For 
 what good is this earth ? Truly there is another life in 
 the hereafter. There may I go, there the sweet birds 
 sing, there may I learn to know those good flowers, those 
 sweet flowers, those delicious ones, which alone pleasur- 
 ably, sweetly intoxicate, which alone pleasurably, sweetly 
 intoxicate. 
 
58 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 II. Xopancuicatl, otoiictiicatl, tlamelauhcayotl. 
 
 1. Onihualcalac nicuicani nepapan xochitlalpan, huel 
 teellelquixtican, tetlamachtican, oncan ahuacli tonam- 
 eyoquiauhtimani, oncan cuicuica in nepapan tlazototome, 
 on cuicatlaza in coyoltototl cahuantimani inin tozquitzin 
 in quellelquixtia in tloque in nahuaque yehuan Dios, 
 ohuaya, ohuaya. 
 
 2. Oncan nicaqui in cuicanelhuayotl in. nicuicani, 
 tlacazo amo tlalticpac in peuh yectli yancuicatl, tlacazo 
 ompa in ilhuicatl itic hual caquizti in conehua in 
 tlazocoyoltototl in quimehuilia in nepapan teoquecholme 
 zacuantototl, oncan tlacazo quiyectenehua in tloque in 
 nahuaque, ohuaya, ohuaya. 
 
 3. Niyolpoxahua in nicaquia ni cuicani, acoquiza in 
 notlalnamiquilizo quin pepetlatiquiza in ilhuicame, nel- 
 cicihuiliz ehecayotiuh in iquinalquixtia in ompa 
 ontlatenehua in zacuanhuitzitzil in ilhuicatl itic, ohuaya, 
 ohuaya, 
 
 4. Auh nohuiampa nictlachialtia in noyollo auh tlacazo 
 nelli in amo ixquich quehua in tlazotototl, tlacazo ye oc 
 tlapanahuia in ilhuicatl itic yyollo in tloque in nahuaque 
 mochiuhtica, ca intlacamo teuhyotiuh in notlalnamiquiliz 
 azo huclquinalquixtica ittazo in tlamahuizolli in ilhuicac 
 ic papaqui in ilhuicac tlazototome ixpan in tloque 
 nahuaque, ohuaya, ohuaya. 
 
 5. Quenin ah nichocaz in tlalticpac ? ye nican tlacazo 
 onca nemoa)'a ninoztlacahuia, nicitoa aqo zan ye ixquich 
 in nican in tlalticpac ontlamian toyolia, macuele ehuatl in 
 tloque in nahuaque, ma ompa inhuan nimitznocuicatili in 
 ilhuicac mochanecahuan ca noyollo ehua ompa nontlac- 
 hia in monahuac in motloc tipalnemohua, ohuaya, 
 ohuaya. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 59 
 
 II. A Spring Song, an Otonii Song, a Plain Song. 
 
 1. I, the singer, have entered many flower gardens, 
 places of pleasaunce, favored spots, where the dew spread 
 out its ghttering surface, where sang various lovely birds, 
 where the co}'ol birds let fall their song, and spreading 
 far around, their voices rejoiced the Cause of All, He 
 who is God, ohuaya ! ohuaya! 
 
 2. It is there that I the singer hear the very essence of 
 song ; certainly not on earth has true poesy its birth ; 
 certainly it is within the heavens that one hears the lovely 
 coyol bird lift its voice, that the various quechol and 
 zacuan birds speak together, there they certainly praise 
 the Cause of All, ohuaya ! ohuaya ! 
 
 3. I, the singer, labor in spirit with what I heard, that 
 it may lift up my memory, that it may go forth to those 
 shining heavens, that my sighs may be borne on the 
 wind and be permitted to enter where the yellow hum- 
 ming bird chants its praises in the heavens, ohuaya ! 
 ohuaya ! 
 
 4. And as in my thoughts I gaze around, truly no such 
 sweet bird lifts its voice, truly the things made for the 
 heavens by the Cause of All surpass all others, and un- 
 less my memory tends to things divine scarcely will it be 
 possible to penetrate these and witness the wondrous 
 sights in heaven, which rejoice the sweet heavenly birds 
 before the face of the Cause of All. 
 
 lived here in vain illusion ; I say that whatever is here 
 on earth must end with our lives. May I be permitted 
 to sing to thee, the Cause of All, there in the heaven, a 
 dweller in thy mansion, there may my soul lift its voice 
 and be seen with Thee and near Thee, Thou by whom 
 we live, ohuaya ! ohuaya ! 
 
60 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 6. Ma xicaquin nocuic in tinocniuh xochihuehuetl inic 
 tzotzonaya ilhuicacuicatl in nicehuaya, ic niquimellel- 
 quixtia in teteucti, xochicueponi in noyollo izqui xochitl 
 nictzetzelohuaya ic malitiuh in no cuicatzin ixpan in 
 tloque in nahuaque, ohuaya, ohuaya. 
 
 III. Occe al mismo tono tlamelaiihcayotl. 
 
 I. Xochicalco nihualcalaquia in nicuicani, oncan icac 
 in chalchiuhuehuetl, oncan chialon ipalnemohuani in 
 teteuctin xochitl tzetzeliuhtimani, tolquatectitla, xoya- 
 caltitlan, onahuiaxtimani in xochicopal tlenamactli huel 
 teyolquima, cahuia ca ihuintia in toyollo ixpan in tloque 
 in nahuaque. 
 
 2. Ic motoma tocuic xochiahuia ca ihuinti in toyollo? 
 Aoc ticmati inic nepapan xochicuicatl ic ticcecemeltia in 
 tloque nahuaque quen ahtontlaelehuian ; tinocniuh ma 
 nohuehuetitlan ximoquetzaya nepapan xochitl ic ximo- 
 panaya chalchiuh ocoxochitl mocpac xicmanaya xicehua- 
 yan yectli yancuicatl ic melelquixtia in tloque in na- 
 huaque. 
 
 3. Tleymach tiquilnamiquia can mach in nemian 
 moyollo ic timoyol cecenmanaya ahuicpa tichuica 
 timoyol popoloaya in tlalticpac ? Ca mach titlatiuh 
 xihualmocuepaya xiccaquin yectli yancuicatl ximoyol- 
 ciahuaya xochiaticaya onahuiaxtimani oncan nicehuaya 
 in yectli yancuicatl nicuicani ic nicellclquixtia in tloque 
 in nahuaque. 
 
 4. Xihuallachian tinocniuh in oncan icayan xochi- 
 huehuetl tonameyo ontotonauhtimani quetzal ecacehuaz- 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 61 
 
 6. List to my song, thou my friend, and to the flower- 
 decked drum which kept time to the heavenly song 
 which I sang, that I might make glad the nobles, raining 
 down before them the flowery thoughts of my heart as 
 though they were flowers, that my noble song might 
 grow in glory before the face of the Cause of All, ohu- 
 aya ! oh u ay a ! 
 
 III. Another Plain Song, to the Same Ttine. 
 
 1. I, the singer, entered into the house strewn with 
 flowers, where stood upright the emerald drum, where 
 awaiting the Giver of Life the nobles strewed flowers 
 around, the place where the head is bowed for lustration, 
 the house of corrupt odors, where the burning fragrant 
 incense spreads and penetrates, intoxicating our souls in 
 the presence of the Cause of All. 
 
 2. Where shall we obtain the fragrance which intoxi- 
 cates our souls ? We do not yet know the various flower- 
 songs with which we may rejoice the Cause of All, how- 
 ever desirous we are ; thou my friend, would that thou 
 bring to my instrument various flowers, that thou 
 shouldst clothe it in brilliant oco flowers, that thou 
 shouldst offer them, and lift thy voice in a new and worthy 
 song to rejoice the Cause of All. 
 
 3. Wherefore should we recall while the soul is in life 
 that our souls must be scattered hither and thither, and 
 that wherever we go we are to be destroyed on earth ? 
 Rather let us hide it, turn from it, and listen to some 
 worthy new song ; delight thy soul with the pervading 
 fragrance of flowers, as I the singer lift my voice in a new 
 song that I may rejoice the Cause of All. 
 
 4. Come hither, thou my friend, to where stands the 
 drum, decked with flowers, gleaming with brightness. 
 
62 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 ticaya on xopaleuhtimani in oncan ic chialo ic malhuilo 
 inipetl in icpal in tloque in nahuaque ; xic cahuaya in 
 mixtecomatla xihualmocuepaya tohuan, xic ehua in 
 yancuicatl nicuicani ic niquellelquixtia in tloque in tla- 
 neciz inic moyoUo caltitlan. 
 
 5. Tlegannen in nicyocoya in nitlaocolcuica inic 
 niquimilnamiqui in tepilhuan, in tlazomaquiztin, in 
 tlazoteoxiuhme, in quetzaltotome, in moteyotico, in 
 motleyotico in tlalticpac? in ocnoma caquizti inin tenyo, 
 inin cahuanca, campa neltiazque ? Ca zan titlacatico ca 
 ompa huel tochan in canin ximoayan inocapa in yolihu- 
 ayan aic tlamian. 
 
 I 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 63 
 
 green with the outspread plumes of the quetzal bird, 
 where are looked for and cared for the seats near the 
 Cause of All ; leave the place of night and clouds, turn 
 hither with us, lift thy voice in the new song I sing so 
 that I may rejoice the Cause of All, as the dawn ap- 
 proaches in the house of thy heart. 
 
 5. Of what use is it that I frame my sad songs, that I 
 recall to mind the youths, the beloved children, the 
 precious relatives, the dear friends, famous and celebrated 
 as they were on earth ? Who now hears their fame, 
 their deeds ? Where can they find them ? All of us are 
 but mortal, and our home is there in the Hereafter, where 
 there is life without end. 
 
64 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 IV. Mcxica otoncuicatl. 
 
 I. Nicchalchiuhtonameyopetlahuaya, nictzinitzcanihui- 
 caloaya, niquilnamiquia nelhuayocuicatla, nic zacuan- 
 huipanaya yectli yancuicatl nicuicani, nicchalchiuhtlazo- 
 nenelo ic nichualnextia in xochicueponallotl ic nicellel- 
 quixtia in tloque in nahuaque. 
 
 2. Zacuantlazoihuiticaya tzinitzcan tlauquechol ic 
 nicyaimatia, nocuicatzin teocuitlatzitzilini nocuic nitoz ; 
 miahuatototl nocuica cahuantimania, nicehuaya xochitzet- 
 zelolpa ixpan in tloque nahuaque. 
 
 3. Qualli cuicanelhuayotlo, teocuitlaquiquizcopa nic- 
 ehuaya, ilhuicac cuicatlo nictenquixtia, nitoz miahuato- 
 totl, chalciuhtonameyotica, niccueponaltia yectli yancui- 
 catlo, nicehuaya xochitlenamaquilizticaya ic nitlaahuialia 
 nicuicani ixpan in tloque nahuaque. 
 
 4. Teoquecholme nechnananquilia in nicuicani coyoli- 
 cahuacaya yectli yacuicatlan, cozcapetlaticaya chachal- 
 chiuhquetzalitztonameyo xopaleuhtimania xopan xochi- 
 cuiatl onilhuica ahuiaxtimanio, xochiahuachtitlan nihual- 
 cuicaya nicuicani. 
 
 5. Nictlapalimatia nicxoxochineloaya yectli yancui- 
 catlan cozcapetlaticaya, etc. 
 
 6. Nocontimaloaya nocontlamachtiao xochiteyolquima 
 cuicatlan poyomapoctli ic ye ahuian ye noyollo, nihual- 
 yolcuecuechahuaya, nicinecuia ahuiaca, xocomiqui in 
 noyolia, nicinecuia yectliya xochitla netlamachtiloyan, 
 xochi ye ihuinti noyolia. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 65 
 
 IV. A?i Otomi Song of the Mexicans. 
 
 1. I, the sinfrer, polished my noble new song like a 
 shining emerald, I arranged it like the voice of the tzinitz- 
 can bird, I called to mind the essence of poetry, I set it in 
 order like the chant of the zacuan bird. I mingled it with 
 the beaut}^ of the emerald, that I might make it appear 
 like a rose bursting its bud, so that I might rejoice the 
 Cause of All. 
 
 2. I skillfully arranged my song like the lovely feathers 
 of the zacuan bird, the tzinitzcan and the quechol ; I 
 shall speak forth my song like the tinkling of golden 
 bells ; my song is that which the miaua bird pours 
 forth around him ; I lifted my voice and rained down 
 flowers of speech before the face of the Cause of All. 
 
 3. In the true spirit of song I lifted my voice through 
 a trumpet of gold, I let fall from my lips a celestial song, 
 I shall speak notes precious and brilliant as those of the 
 miaua bird, I shall cause to blossom out a noble new 
 song, I lifted my voice like the burning incense of flow- 
 ers, so that I the singer might cause joy before the face 
 of the Cause of All. 
 
 4. The divine quechol bird answers me as I, the singer, 
 sing, like the coyol bird, a noble new song, polished like 
 a jewel, a turquoise, a shining emerald, darting green 
 rays, a flower song of spring, spreading celestial fragrance, 
 fresh with the dews of roses, thus have I the poet sung. 
 
 5. I colored with skill, I mingled choice roses in a 
 noble new song, polished like a jewel, etc. (as in v. 4). 
 
 6. I was glorified, I was enriched, by the flower-sweet 
 song as by the smoke of the poyomatl, my soul was con- 
 tented, I trembled in spirit, I inhaled the sweetness, my 
 soul was intoxicated, I inhaled the fragrance of delicious 
 flowers in the place of riches, my soul was drunken with 
 the flowers. 
 
66 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 V. Otro Mexica tlamelaiLhcaciucayotl. 
 
 1. Zanio in xochitl tonequimilol, zanio in cuicatl ic 
 huehuetzi in tellel in Dios ye mochan. 
 
 2. In mach noca ompolihuiz in cohuayotl mach noca 
 in icniuhyotl in ononoya in ye ichan ; ye nio loyontzin 
 on cuicatillano ye ipalnemohuani. 
 
 3. Ma xiuhquechol xochi, zan in tzinitzcan malintoca 
 zan miqui huaqui xochitl zan ic tonmoquimiloa can 
 titlatoani ya ti Nezahualcoyotl. 
 
 4. Ma yan moyoliuh quimati in antepilhuan in anquau- 
 htin amo celo ca mochipan titocnihuan, zancuel achic 
 nican timochitonyazque o ye ichano. 
 
 5. Ca ye ompolihuiz in moteyo Nopiltzin, ti Tezozo- 
 moctli aca ca ye in mocuica ?> aye a nihualchocao ca 
 nihualicnotlamatica notia ye ichan. 
 
 6. An ca nihuallaocoya onicnotlamati ayo quico, ayoc 
 quemanian, namech aitlaquiuh in tlalticpac y icanontia ye 
 ichan. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 67 
 
 V. Another Plain So7ig of the Mexicans. 
 
 1. I alone will clothe thee with flowers, mine alone is 
 the song which casts down our grief before God in thy 
 house. 
 
 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. 
 
 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 Nezahual- 
 coyotl. 
 
 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. 
 
 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. 
 
 6. Ye whom I bewailed, I know nevermore, never 
 again ; I am sad here on earth that ye have gone to your 
 homes. 
 
68 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 VI. Otro cJialcayotl, canto de Tetlepan Qtietzanit- 
 zin. 
 
 1. Aua nocnihue ninentlamatia zan ninochoquilia in 
 monahuac aya yehuan Dios, quexquich onmitzicnotla- 
 machtia momacehual cemamanahuac ontonitlanililo in ic 
 tontlahuica tontecemilhuitiltia in tlalticpac. 
 
 2. Macazo tleon xoconyoyocoya ti noyollo, yehua cuix 
 ic nepohualoyan in oncan nemohua yehua, in atle tlahuelli 
 in antecocolia huel on yecnemiz in tlalticpac. 
 
 3. In quimati noyollo nichoca yehua huel eza ye nelli 
 in titicnihuan, huellenelli nemoa in tlalticpac in tonicniuh 
 tlatzihuiz yehuan Dios. 
 
 4. Xontlachayan huitztlampayan, iquizayan in tonatiuh, 
 ximoyollehuayan oncan manian teoatl tlachinolli, oncan 
 mocuica in teucyotl in tlatocayotl yectliya xochitl in amo 
 zannen mocuia, in quetzallalpilo niaya macquauhtica, 
 chimaltica neicaloloyan in tlalticpac ic momacehuaya in 
 yectliya xochitl in tiquelehuia in ticnequia in tinocniuh in 
 quitemacehualtia in quitenemactia in tloque in nahuaque. 
 
 5. Nentiquelehuia in tictemoaya in tinocniuh yectliya 
 xochitl can ticuiz intlacamo ximicaliya, melchiquiuhticaya, 
 mitonaltica)'a ticmacchuaya in yectliyaxochitla, yaocho- 
 quiztli ixayoticaya in quitemacehualtica in tloque in na- 
 huaque. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 69 
 
 VI. Another Chalco-sono-, a Poe7n of Tetlepan 
 Quetzanitzin. 
 
 1. Alas, my friend, I was afflicted, I cried aloud on thy 
 account to God. How much compassion hast thou for 
 thy servant in this world sent here by thee to be thy sub- 
 ject for the space of a day on this earth ! 
 
 2. However that may be, mayst thou so dispose my 
 heart, that it may pass through this place of reckoning, 
 without anger, without injury, and live a good life on 
 earth. 
 
 3. My heart knows how truly I weep for my friend, 
 how truly as it lives on earth it cries aloud for thee, my 
 friend, to God, 
 
 4. Let thy soul awake and turn toward the south, 
 toward the rising of the sun, rouse thy heart that it turn 
 toward the field of battle, there let it win power and fame, 
 the noble flowers which it will not grasp in vain ; adorned 
 with a frontlet of quetzal feathers I went forth armed 
 with sword and shield to the battlefield on earth, that I 
 might merit these noble flowers with which we may re- 
 joice as we wish our friends, as the Cause of All may 
 reward and grant to us. 
 
 5. Vainly, O friends, do we desire and seek where we 
 may cull those noble flowers unless we fight with bared 
 breasts, with the sweat of the brow, meriting these noble 
 flowers, in bitter and painful war, for which the Cause of 
 All will eive reward. 
 
70 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 \'II. Otro. 
 
 I. Tleinmach oamaxque on in antocnihuan in an Chia- 
 paneca Otomi, omachamelelacic : in ic oamihuintiqueo 
 octicatl in oanquique ic oamihuintique, xicualcuican, in 
 amo ma in anhuehuetztoqueo, ximozcalicano in antocni- 
 huan nipatiazque in tochano, xopantlalpan ye nican, ma 
 quiza in amihuintiliz, on xitlachiacano ohuican ye anma- 
 quia, O ! 
 
 2. Ca yeppa yuhqui in tizaoctli in tlalticpac, quitema- 
 cao ohuican ic tecalaquiao teoatl tlachinolH quitoao texaxa- 
 matzao teopopoloao on canin xaxamanio in tlazochalchi- 
 hiuitl, in teoxihuitl, in maquizth tlazotetl in tepilhuan in 
 coninio in xochitizaoctHo cuel can in antocnihuan in toni- 
 cahuacao. 
 
 3. Ma ye ticiti in xochitlalpan in tochan xochitlalticpac- 
 ilhuicacpaco in huel ic xochiamemeyallotl on ahuiaxti- 
 mani, teyolquima yohhz ahuach xochitl in tochan in 
 Chiappan, oncan timalolo in teucyotl in tlatocayotl in 
 chimalxochitl oncuepontimani tonacatlalpan. 
 
 4. Quemach in amo antlacaquio in antocnihuan to- 
 huian tohuiano xicahuacano, in tizaoctHo teoatlachino- 
 loctli ; ma ye ticiti in ompa tinectilo in tochan xochiahu- 
 achoctH, zan ic ahuiaca ihuinti in toyollo, tetlamachtio 
 tcyolquimao tixochiachichinatihui netlamachtiloyan in 
 toquizayan xochitlalpan tonacatlalpan : tlemach oamax- 
 queo? xichualcaquican in tocuic in tamocnihuan, etc. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 71 
 
 VII. Another. 
 
 1. What have you done, O you our friends, you Chia- 
 panecs and Otomis, why have you grieved, that you 
 were drunken with the wine which you took, that 
 you were drunken ? Come hither and sing ; do not 
 lie stretched out ; arise, O friends, let us go to our 
 houses here in this land of spring ; come forth from your 
 drunkenness, see in what a difficult place you must 
 take it. 
 
 2. For formerly it was so on earth that the white wine 
 was taken in difficult places, as on entering the battlefield, 
 or, as it was said, where the stones were broken and de- 
 stroyed, where were broken into fragments the lovely 
 emeralds, the turquoises, the honored precious stones, the 
 youths, the children ; therefore take the flowery white 
 wine, O friends and brothers. 
 
 3. Let us drink it in the flowery land, in our dwelling 
 surrounded by the flowery earth and sky, where the 
 fountains of the flowers send their sweetness abroad ; the 
 delicious breath of the dewy flowers is in our homes in 
 Chiapas ; there nobility and power make them glorious, 
 and the war-flowers bloom over a fertile land. 
 
 4. Is it possible, oh friends, that you do not' hear us ? 
 Let us go, let us go, let us pour forth the white wine, 
 the wine of battle ; let us drink where the wine sweet as 
 the dew of roses is set forth in our houses, let our souls 
 be intoxicated with its sweetness ; enriched, steeped in 
 delight, we shall soak up the water of the flowers in the 
 place of riches, going forth to a land of flowers, a fertile 
 spot. What have you done ? Come hither and listen to 
 our songs, O friends. 
 
72 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 VIII. Ot7'0, Queuh ce tlatohuani in quimilnaviiqid 
 in tlatoque. 
 
 I, Tlaocolxochi ixayoticaya ic nichuipana in nocuic 
 nicuicani, niquimilnamiqui in tepilhuan, in teintoque, in 
 tlagotitoque in campa in ximohuaya, in oteuctico, in 
 otlatocatico in tlallia icpac, in quetzalhuahuaciuhtoque in 
 chalchiuhteintoque in tepilhuan, in maoc imixpan in 
 maoc oquitlani ; in ye itto in tlalticpac iximachoca in 
 tloque in nahuaque. 
 
 2. Y yo ya hue nitlaocolcuicaya in niquimilnamiqui in 
 tepilhuan, ma zan itla ninocuepa, ma niquimonana, ma 
 niquinhualquixti in ompa in ximoayan, ma oc oppa 
 tihua in tlalticpac, ma oc quimahuizoqui in tepilhuan in 
 ticmahuizoa, azo huel yehuantin tlatlazomahuizozquia in 
 ipalnemohualoni, quemmach tomazehual in tlazaniuh 
 ticmatican in ticnopillahueliloque ic choca in noyollo 
 nino tlalnamiquiliz huipana in nicuicani choquiztica 
 tlaocoltica nitlalnamiquia. 
 
 3. Manozo zan nicmati in nechcaquizque intla itla yectli 
 cuicatl niquimehuili in ompa ximohuayan, ma ic niqui- 
 papacti, ma ic niquimacotlaza inin tonez inin chichina- 
 quiliz in tepilhuan. Cuix on machiaz ? Quennel nihu- 
 alnellaquahua ? Aquen manian ompa niquimontocaz ? 
 Ano niquin nonotztaciz in ye yuh quin in tlalticpac. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 73 
 
 VIII. Composed by a Certain R2iler in Memory of 
 Former Rulers. 
 
 1. Weeping, I, the singer, weave my song of 
 flowers of sadness ; I call to memory the youths, the 
 shards, the fragments, gone to the land of the dead ; 
 once noble and powerful here on earth, the youths 
 were dried up like feathers, were split into fragments 
 like an emerald, before the face and in the sight of 
 those who saw them on earth, and with the knowledge of 
 the Cause of All. 
 
 2. Alas ! alas ! I sing in grief as I recall the children. 
 Would that I could turn back again ; would that I could 
 grasp their hands once more ; would that I could call 
 them forth from the land of the dead ; would that we 
 could bring them again on earth, that they might rejoice 
 and we rejoice, and that they might rejoice and delight 
 the Giver of Life ; is it possible that we His servants 
 should reject him or should be ungrateful ? Thus I weep 
 in my heart as I, the singer, review my memories, recall- 
 ing things sad and grievous. 
 
 3. Would only that I knew they could hear me, therein 
 the land of the dead, were I to sing some worthy song. 
 Would that I could gladden them, that I could console 
 the suffering and the torment of the children. How can 
 it be learned ? Whence can I draw the inspiration ? They 
 are not where I may follow them ; neither can I reach 
 them with my calling as one here on earth. 
 
74 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 IX. Otro Tlaocolcuica Otomitl. 
 
 1. In titloque in tinahuaque nimitzontlaocolnonotzaya, 
 nelcicihuiliz mixpantzinco noconiyahuaya, ninentlamati 
 in tlalticpac ye nican nitlatematia, ninotolinia, in aye 
 onotechacic in pactli, in necuiltonolli ye nican ; tlezannen 
 naicoyc amo y mochiuhyan, tlacazo atle nican xotlacue- 
 poni in nentlamachtillia, tlacazo zan ihuian in motloc in 
 monahuac ; Macuelehuatl ma xicmonequilti ma mona- 
 huactzinco oc ehuiti in noyolia, ninixayohuatzaz in motloc 
 monahuac tipalnemohuani, 
 
 2. Quemachamiqueo in motimalotinemi co y in 
 tlalticpac in ayac contenmatio in atlamachilizneque o 
 tlacazo can moztla cahuia on in amitztenmati in titloque 
 in tinahuaque inic momatio ca mochipa tlalticpac, 
 nemizqueo ninotlamatli motlaliao niquimittao, tlacazo 
 mixitl tlapatl oquiqueo ic nihualnelaquahua in ninoto- 
 linia o tlacazo ompa in ximohuayan neittotiuh o, cazo 
 tiquenamiqueo quiniquac ye pachihuiz ye teyoUoa. 
 
 3. Ma cayac quen quichihuaya in iyollo in tlalticpac 
 ye nican in titlaocaxtinemi in tichocatinemia, ca zacuel 
 achic ontlaniizoo, tlacazo zan tontlatocatihuio in yuho 
 otlatocatque tepilhuan, ma ic ximixcuiti in tinocniuh in 
 atonahuia in atihuelamati in tlalticpac o ; ma oc ye 
 ximapana in tlaocolxochitl, choquizxochitl, xoyocatimalo 
 o xochielcicihuiliztlio in ihuicpatoconiyahuazon in tloque 
 in nahuaque. 
 
 4. lea ye ninapanao tlaocolxochicozcatlon, nomac 
 ommanian elcicihuilizchimalxochitlon, nic ehuaya in 
 tlaocolcuicatloo, nicchalchiuhcocahuicomana yectli yan- 
 cuicatl, nic ahuachxochilacatzoa, yn o chalchiuhue- 
 hueuhilhuitl, itech nictlaxilotia in nocuicatzin in nicuicani 
 ye niquincuilia in ilhuicac chanequeo zacuantototl, 
 quetzaltzinitzcantototl tcoquechol inon tlritoa quechol in 
 qui cecemeltia in tloque, etc. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 75 
 
 IX. An Otomi Song of Sadness. 
 
 I. To thee, the Cause of All, to thee I cried out in 
 sadness, my sighs rose up before thy face ; I am afflicted 
 here on earth, I suffer, I am wretched, never has joy 
 been my lot, never good fortune ; my labor has been of 
 no avail, certainly nothing here lessens one's suffering; 
 truly only to be with thee, near thee ; may it be thy 
 will that my soul shall rise to thee, may I pour out my 
 tears to thee, before thee. O thou Giver of Life. 
 
 2. Happy are those who walk in thy favor here on 
 earth, who never neglect to offer up praise, nor, leaving till 
 to-morrow, neglect thee, thou Cause of All, that thou may- 
 est be known in all the earth ; I know that they shall 
 live, I see that they are established, certainly they have 
 drunk to forgetfulness while I am miserable, certainly I 
 shall go to see the land of the dead, certainly we shall 
 meet where all souls are contented. 
 
 3. Never were any troubled in spirit on the earth who 
 appealed to thee, who cried to thee, only for an instant 
 were they cast down, truly thou caused them to rule as 
 they ruled before : Take as an example on earth, O 
 friend, the fever-stricken patient ; clothe thyself in the 
 flowers of sadness, in the flowers of weeping, give praises 
 in flowers of sighs that may carry you toward the Cause 
 of All. 
 
 4. I array myself with the jewels of saddest flowers ; 
 in my hands are the weeping flowers of war ; I lift my 
 voice in sad songs ; I offer a new and worthy song which 
 is beautiful and melodious ; I weave songs fresh as the dew 
 of flowers ; on my drum decked with precious stones and 
 plumes I, the singer, keep time to my song, as I take it 
 from those dwellers in the heavens, the zacuan bird, the 
 beautiful tzinitzcan, the divine quechol, those melodi- 
 ous birds who give joy to the Cause of All. 
 
76 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 I 
 
 X. Mexica xopanancatl tlamelatihcayotl. 
 
 1. Tlaocoya in noyollo nicuicanitl nicnotlamatia, yehua 
 za yey xochitl y zan ye in cuicatlin, ica nitlacocoa in 
 tlalticpac ye nican, ma nequitocan intech cocolia intech 
 miquitlani moch ompa onyazque cano y ichan, ohuaya. 
 
 2. I inquemanian in otonciahuic, in otontlatzihuic 
 tocon ynayaz in momahuizco in motenyo in tlalticpac, 
 ma nenquitocane, ohuaya, etc. 
 
 3. Inin azan oc huelnemohuan in tlalticpac mazano 
 ihuian yehuan Dios quiniquac onnetemoloa in tiaque in 
 canin ye ichan, ohuaya. 
 
 4. Hu inin titotolinia ma yuhquitimiquican ma omo- 
 chiuh in mantech onittocan in tocnihuan in matech 
 onahuacan in quauhtin y a ocelotl. 
 
 5. Mazo quiyocoli macaoc xictemachican, can antla- 
 huicaya y caya amechmotlatili in ipalnemohuani, ohuaya. 
 
 6. Ay ya yo xicnotlamatican Tezcacoacatl, Atecpane- 
 catl mach nel amihuihuinti in cozcatl in chalchihuitli, ma 
 ye anmonecti, ma ye antlaneltocati. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 77 
 
 I 
 
 X. A Spring Song of the Mexicans, a Plain So7ig. 
 
 1. My heart grieved, I, the singer, was afflicted, that 
 these are the only flowers, the only songs which I can 
 procure here on earth ; see how they speak of sickness 
 and of death, how all go there to their homes, alas. 
 
 2. Sometimes thou "hast toiled and acquired skill, thou 
 takest refuge in thy fame and renown on earth ; but see 
 how vain they speak, alas. 
 
 3. As many as live on earth, truly they go to God 
 when they descend to the place where are their homes, 
 alas. 
 
 4. Alas, we miserable ones, may it happe'n when we 
 die that we may see our friends, that we may be with 
 them in grandeur and strength. 
 
 5. Although He is the Creator, do not hope that the 
 Giver of Life has sent you and has established you. 
 
 6. Be ye grieved, ye of Tezcuco and Atecpan, that ye 
 are intoxicated with gems and precious stones ; come 
 forth to the light, come and believe. 
 
78 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 XI. Otro. 
 
 1. Nicchocaehua, nicnotlamati, nicelnamiqui ticauhte- 
 huazque yectliya xochitl yectli yancuicatl ; ma oc tonahui- 
 acan, ma oc toncuicacan cen tiyahui tipolihui ye ichan, 
 etc. 
 
 2. Achtleon ah yuhquimati in tocnihuan cocoya in 
 noyollo qualani yehua ay oppan in tlacatihua ye ay oppa 
 piltihuaye yece yequi xoantlalticpac. 
 
 3. Oc achintzinca y tetloc ye nican tenahuacan aic 
 yezco on aic nahuiaz aic nihuelamatiz. 
 
 4. In can on nemian noyollo yehua? Can liuel ye no- 
 chan ? Can huel nocallamanian ? Ninotolinia tlalticpac. 
 
 5. Zan ye tocontemaca ye tocontotoma in mochalchiuh, 
 ye on quetzalmalintoc, zacuan icpac xochitl, za yan 
 tiquinmacayan tepilhuan O. 
 
 6. In nepapan xochitl conquimilo, conihuiti ye 
 noyollo niman nichocaya ixpan niauh in tonan. 
 
 7. Zan nocolhuia : ipalnemohua ma ca ximozoma, 
 ma ca ximonenequin tlalticpac, mazo tehuantin motloc 
 tinemican y, zan ca ye moch ana ilhuicatlitica. 
 
 8. Azo tie nello nicyaitohua nican ipalnemohua, zan 
 tontemiqui y, zan toncochitlehuaco, nicitoa in tlalticpac 
 ye ayac huel tontiquilhuia ye nicana. 
 
 9. In manel ye chalchihuitl, mantlamatilolli, on aya 
 mazo ya ipalnemohuani ayac hueltic ilhuia nicana. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 79 
 
 XI. Another. 
 
 1. I lift my voice in wailing, I am afflicted, as I remem- 
 ber that we must leave the beautiful flowers, the noble 
 songs ; let us enjoy ourselves for a while, let us sing, for 
 we must depart forever, we are to be destroyed in our 
 dwelling place. 
 
 2. Is it indeed known to our friends how it pains and 
 angers me that nev^er again can they be born, never again 
 be young on this earth ? 
 
 3. Yet a little while with them here, then nevermore 
 shall I be with them, nevermore enjoy them, nevermore 
 know them. 
 
 4. Where shall my soul dwell ? Where is my home ? 
 Where shall be my house ? I am miserable on earth. 
 
 5. We take, we unwind the jewels, the blue flowers are 
 woven over the yellow ones, that we may give them to 
 the children. 
 
 6. Let my soul be draped in various flowers ; let it be 
 intoxicated by them, for soon must I weeping go before 
 the face of our mother. 
 
 7. This only do I ask : — Thou Giver of Life, be not 
 angry, be not severe on earth, let us live with thee on 
 earth, take us to the Heavens. 
 
 8. But what can I speak truly here of the Giver of 
 Life ? We only dream, we are plunged in sleep ; I speak 
 here on earth ; but never can we speak in worthy terms 
 here. 
 
 9. Although it may be jewels and precious ointments 
 (of speech), yet of the Giver of Life, one can never here 
 speak in worthy terms. 
 
80 ANXIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 XII. Xopanadcatl nenonotzalaticatl ipampa in 
 aqiiiqiie amo on mixtilia in yaoc. 
 
 I. Nictzotzonan nohuehueuh nicuicatlamatquetl ic 
 niquimonixitia ic niquimitlehua in tocnihuan in atle in 
 yollo quimati in aic tlathui ipan inin yollo yaocochmic- 
 toque in inpan motimaloa in mixtecomatlayohualli anen 
 niquito huay motolinia y, maquicaqui qui y xochitlathui- 
 cacuicatl occeh tzetzeuhtimania huehuetitlana, ohuaya, 
 ohuai. 
 
 2. Tlahuizcalteochitla oncuepontimani in ixochiquiya- 
 opan in tloque in nahuaque, onahuachtotonameyotimani 
 in teyolquima ; ma xiqualitacan in atle ipan ontlatao, zan- 
 nen cuepontimanio ayac mahaca quelehuiao in antocni- 
 huan amo zannen ya xochitl yoliliztlapalneucxochitla e. 
 
 3- Quiyolcaihuintia}'a in teyolia, zan oncan ye oniania, 
 zan oncan ye oncuepontimania quauhtepetitlan in ya 
 hualiuhcancopa y ixtlahuatlitica oncan inemaya oc teoati 
 tlachinolli a. Oncan in epoyahuayan in teoquauhtli 
 oncan iquiquinacayan, in ocelotl, ipixauhyan in nepapan 
 tlazomaquiztetl, in emomolotzayan in nepapan tlazopili- 
 huitl, oncan teintoque oncan xamantoque in tepilhuan. 
 
 4. Tlacuah yehuantin in tepilhuani conelehuiao, in 
 tlahuizcalxochitlan ya nemamallihuao ic tetlanfinectiao, 
 in ilhuicac onocon iceolitzin yn iotepiltzina quitzetzeloti- 
 manio a in tepilhuan in quauhtliya ocelotl, in quime- 
 mactiao in xochicueponalotlon in quimihuintia yeyol- 
 xochiahuechtlia. 
 
 5. In ic timomatia in tinocniuh zan ne yan xochitlon 
 in tiquelehuiaon in tlalticpac, qucn toconcuizon quen 
 ticyachihuazon, timotolinia in tiquimiztlacoa a in tepilhuan 
 xochitica cuicatica ; ma xihuallachican in atle y ica 
 mitl, ehuaon zan moch yehuantin in tepilhuan zacuanme- 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 81 
 
 XII. A Spring Song, a Song of Exhortation, 
 Becattse Ceidain Ones did not go to the War. 
 
 1. I strike on my drum, I the skillful singer, that I may 
 arouse, that I may fire our fi-iends, who think of nothing, 
 to whose minds plunged in sleep the dawn has not 
 appeared, over whom are yet spread the dark clouds of 
 night ; may I not call in vain and poorly, may they hear 
 this song of the rosy dawn, poured abroad widely by the 
 drum, ohe ! ohe ! 
 
 2. The divine flowers of dawn blossom forth, the war 
 flowers of the Cause of All ; glittering with dew they 
 scatter abroad their fragrance ; bring them hither that they 
 be not hidden nor bloom in vain, that they may rejoice 
 you our friends, and not in vain shall be the flowers, the 
 living, colored, brilliant flowers. 
 
 3. They intoxicate the soul, but they are only found, 
 they blossom only on the lofty mountains, on the broad 
 plains where glorious war finds its home. There is where 
 the eagles gather in bands of sixties, there the tigers 
 roar, there the various beloved stones rain down, there 
 the various dear children are cut to pieces ; there the 
 youths are split into shards and ground into fragments. 
 
 4. Stoutly do those youths rejoice, laboring for the 
 rose of the dawn that they may win it ; and in heaven, 
 He, the only one, the noble one, pours down upon the 
 youths strength and courage, that they may pluck the 
 budding flowers of the pathway, that they may be intoxi- 
 cated with the dew-damp flowers of the spirit. 
 
 5. Know, my friend, that these are the only flowers 
 which will give thee pleasure on earth ; mayest thou take 
 them and make them ; O poor one, search out for thy 
 children these flowers and songs. Look not hither with- 
 out arrows, let all the youths lift up their voices, like 
 
82 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 teoquecholtitzinitzcatlatlauhquecholtin moyeh yectitine- 
 mio in onmatio in ixtlahuatlitican. 
 
 6. Chimalxochitl, quauhpilolxochitl ic oquichtlama- 
 timani in y antepilhuan xochicozcaocoxochitl ic 
 mapantimanian, quitimaloao yectliya cuicatl, yectliya 
 xochitl, imezo imelchiquiuh patiuh mochihuaya in quicelia 
 on in teoatl tlachinolli ; y iantocnihuan tliliuhquitepeca 
 in tiyaotehua huey otlipana, ma huel xoconmanao y ye 
 mochimalo, huel xonicaon in ti quauhtliya ocelotla. 
 
 XIII. Htiexotzincayotl. 
 
 I. Zan tlaocolxochitl, tlaocolcuicatl on mania Mexico 
 nican ha in Tlatilolco, in yece ye oncan on neixima- 
 choyan, ohuaya. 
 
 2. Ixamayo yectH in zan ca otitech icneli ipalnemohu- 
 ani, in za can tipopohhuizque in timacehualta, ohuaya. 
 
 3. Ototlahuehltic, zan titotoHnia timacehualtinquezo 
 huel tehuantin, otiquittaque in cococ ye machoyan, 
 ohuaya. 
 
 4. Ticmomoyahua, ticxoxocoyan in momacehualy in 
 Tlatilolco cococ moteca cococ ye machoyan ye ic ticia- 
 huia ipalnemoani, ohuaya. 
 
 5. Choquiztli moteca ixayotl pixahui oncan a in 
 Tlatilolco ; in atlan yahqueon o in Mexica ye cihua 
 nelihui ica yehuilo a oncan ontihui in tocnihuan a, 
 ohuaya. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 83 
 
 zacuan birds, divine quechols, tzinitzcans, and red que- 
 chols, who live joyous lives, and know the fields. 
 
 6. O youths, here there are skilled men in the flowers 
 of shields, in the flowers of the pendant eagle plumes, 
 the yellow flowers which they grasp ; they pour forth 
 noble songs, noble flowers ; they make payment with 
 their blood, with their bare breasts ; they seek the bloody 
 field of war. And you, O friends, put on your black 
 paint, for war, for the path of victory ; let us lay hands 
 on our shields, and raise aloft our strength and courage. 
 
 XIII. A Song of Huexotzinco. 
 
 I. Only sad flowers, sad songs, are here in Mexico, in 
 Tlatilolco, in this place these alone are known, alas. 
 
 2. It is well to know these, if only we may please the 
 Giver of Life, lest we be destroyed, we his subjects, 
 alas. 
 
 3. We have angered Him, we are only wretched 
 beings, slaves by blood ; we have seen and known afflic- 
 tion, alas. 
 
 4. We are disturbed, we are embittered, thy servants 
 here in Tlatilolco, deprived of food, made acquainted with 
 affliction, we are fatigued with labor, O Giver of Life, 
 alas. 
 
 5. Weeping is with us, tears fall like rain, here in 
 Tlatilolco ; as the Mexican women go down to the water, 
 we beg of them for ourselves and our friends, alas. 
 
84 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 6. In ic neltic o ya cahua Atloyantepetl o in Mexico 
 in poctli ehuatoc ayahuitl onmantoc, in tocon ya chihuaya 
 ipalnemoani, ohuaya. 
 
 7. In an^Iexica ma xiquilnamiquican o yan zan topan 
 quitemohuia y ellelon i mahuizo yehuan zan yehuan Dios, 
 yehua anquin ye oncan in coyonacazco, ohuaya. 
 
 8. Za can ye oncan zan quinchoquiz tlapaloa o anqui- 
 huitzmanatl incan yeuch motelchiuh on ya o anquin ye 
 mochin, ha in tlayotlaqui, ah in tlacotzin, ah in tlacate- 
 uctH in oquichtzin y huihui ica 9a ye con yacauhqui in 
 Tenochtitlan, ohuaya. 
 
 9. In antocnihuan ma xachocacan aya ma xaconmati- 
 can ica ye ticcauhque Mexicayotl huiya, zan ye yatl 
 chichixhuiya no zan ye tlaqualH chichixaya zan con aya 
 chiuhqui in ipalnemoani ha in Tlatilolco y, ohuaya. 
 
 10. Tel ah zan yhuian huicoque hon in motelchiuhtzin 
 ha in tlacotzin zan mocuica ellaquauhque ac achinanco 
 
 .in ahiquac in tlepan quixtiloto in coyohuacan, ohuaya. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 85 
 
 6. Even as the smoke, rising, lies in a cloud over 
 Mount Atloyan, in Mexico, so does it happen unto us, O 
 Giver of Life, alas. 
 
 7. And you Mexicans, may you remember concern- 
 ing us when you descend and suffer before the majesty of 
 God, when there you shall howl like wolves. 
 
 8. There, there will be only weeping as your greeting 
 when you come, there you will be accursed, all of you, 
 workers in filth, slaves, rulers or warriors, and thus 
 Tenochtitlan will be deserted. 
 
 9. Oh friends, do not weep, but know that sometime 
 we shall have left behind us the things of Mexico, and 
 then their water shall be made bitter and their food shall 
 be made bitter, here in Tlatilolco, as never before, by the 
 Giver of Life. 
 
 10. The disdained and the slaves shall go forth with 
 song ; but in a little while their oppressors shall be seen 
 in the fire, amid the howling of wolves. 
 
86 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 1. Zan tzinitzcan impetlatl ipan, ohuaya ; on tzinitzcan 
 iceliztoca oncan izan in ninentlamatia, in zan icnoxochi- 
 cuicatica inocon ya temohua ya ohuaya, ohuaya. 
 
 2. In canin nemiya icanon in nemitoconchia ye nican 
 huehuetitlan a ayiahue, ye onnentlamacho, ye mocatlao- 
 coyalo ay xopancahteca, ohuaya, ohuaya. 
 
 3. Ac ipiltzin ? Achanca ipiltzin yehuayan Dios Jesu 
 Christo can quicuilo antlacuiloa quicuilo ancuicatl a 
 ohuaya, ohuaya. 
 
 4. O achan canel ompa huiz canin ilhuicac y xochin- 
 tlacuilol xochincahtec a ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
 5. In ma ontlachialoya in ma ontlatlamahuicolo in 
 tlapapalcalimanican y ipalnemoa y tlayocol yehuan Dios, 
 ohuaya. 
 
 6. Techtohnian techtlatlanectia y icuicaxochiamilpan, 
 intechontlatlachialtian ipalnemohua itlayocol yehuan 
 Dios a ohuava. 
 
 7. Ya ixopantla ixopantlatinenemi ye nican ixtlahuatl 
 yteey, za xiuhquechol quiahuitl zan topan xaxamacay in 
 athxco ya ohuaya, ohuaya. 
 
 8. Zan ye nauhcampay ontlapepetlantoc, oncan 
 onceliztoc in cozahuizxochitl, oncan nemi in Mexica in 
 tepilhuan a ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
ANXIENT NAHUATL POEMS. ^' 87 
 
 XIV. 
 
 1. Only the tzinitzcan is in power, the tzinitzcan arouses 
 me in m)- affliction, letting fall its songs like sad flowers. 
 
 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. 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. Is not the flowery writing within the house of 
 flowers that he shall come there from heaven ? 
 
 5. Look around and wonder at this scene of many 
 colored houses which God has created and endowed with 
 life. 
 
 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. 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. Where it gleams forth in fourfold rays, where the 
 fragrant yellow flowers bud, there live the Mexicans, the 
 youths. 
 
88 A^XIENT NAHUATL POEMS. ) 
 
 XV. Tezozomoctli ic motecpac. 
 
 1. Zan ca tzihuactitlan, mizquititlan, aiyahue Chico- 
 moztocpa, mochi ompa yahuitze antlatohuan ye nican, . } 
 ohuaya, ohuaya. 
 
 2. Nican momalinaco in colcahuahtecpillotl huiya 
 nican milacatzoa in Colhuaca Chichimecayotl in 
 toteuchuahuia. 
 
 3. Ma oc achitzinca xomotlanecuican antepilhuan 
 huiya tlacateuhtzin Huitzilihuitl a ya cihuacoatl y 
 Quauhxilotl huia totomihuacan Tlalnahuacatl aya zan ca 
 xiuhtototl Ixtlilxochitl y quenman tlatzihuiz quimohmo- 
 yahuaquiuh yauh y tepeuh yehuan Dios ica ye choca 
 Tezozomoctli ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
 4. Yenoceppa mizquitl yacahuantimani Hueytlalpani, 
 anquican itlatol yehuan Dios a ohuaya, ohuaya. 
 
 5. Can onyeyauh xochitl, can oyeyauh yeh intoca 
 quauhth ocelotl huia ya moyahuaya xehhuia Atloyante- 
 petl Hueytlalpan y anquizan itlatol ipalnemohua ohuaya 
 ohuaya. 
 
 6. Oncuiltonoloc, onechtlachtiloc, in teteuctin cemana- 
 huac y huel zotoca huipantoca y tlatol ipalnemohuani, 
 huel quimothuitico, hucl qui.ximatico y yollo yehuan 
 Dios huiya chalchihuitl maquiztliya tlamatelolliya tizatla 
 ihuitla za xochitl quimatico yaoyotla ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
 7. Oya in Tochin y miec acalcatli, Acolmiztlan teuctli 
 zan Catocih teuctli Yohuallatonoc y yehuan Cuetzpaltzin 
 Iztaccoyotl totomihuacan Tla.Kcalian ohuaye Coatzi- 
 teuctli Huitlalotzin za xochitl quimatico yaoyotla ohuaya 
 ohuaya. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 89 
 
 XV. The Reign of Tezozomoctli. 
 
 1. From the land of the tzihuac bushes, from the land of 
 the mezquite bushes, where was ancient Chicomoztoc, 
 thence came all your rulers hither. 
 
 2. Here unrolled itself the royal line of Colhuacan, 
 here our nobles of Colhuacan, united with the Chichi- 
 mecs. 
 
 3. Sing for a little while concerning these, O chil- 
 dren, the sovereign HuitzilihuitI, the judge Quauhxilotl, 
 of our bold leader Tlalnahuacatl, of the proud bird 
 Ixtlilxochitl, those who went forth, and conquered and 
 ruled before God, and bewail Tezozomoctli. 
 
 4. A second time they left the mezquite bushes in Hue 
 Tlalpan, obeying the order of God. 
 
 5. They go where are the flowers, where they may 
 gain grandeur and power, dividing asunder they leave 
 the mountain Atloyan and Hue Tlalpan, obeying the 
 order of the Giver of Life. 
 
 6. It is cause of rejoicing, that I am enabled to see 
 our rulers from all parts gathering together, arranging in 
 order the words of the Giver of Life, and that their 
 souls are caused to see and to know that God is precious, 
 wonderful, a sweet ointment, and that they are known as 
 flowers of wise counsel in the affairs of war. 
 
 7. There were Tochin, with many boats, the noble 
 Acolmiztlan, the noble Catocih, Yohuallatonoc, and 
 Cuetzpaltzin, and Iztaccoyotl, bold leaders from Tlaxcalla, 
 and Coatziteuctli, and Huitlalotzin, famed as flowers on 
 the field of battle. 
 
90 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 8. Tley an quiyocoya anteteuctin y Huexotzinca ? ma 
 xontlachiacan Acolihuacan in quatlapanca oncan ye 
 Huexotla itztapallocan huia yeyahuatimani Atloyantepetl 
 a ohuaya. 
 
 9. Oncan in pochotl ahuehuetl oncan icaca mizquitl ye 
 oztotlhuia tetlaquahuac quimatia ipalnemohuani oyao ai 
 ya hue ohuaya. 
 
 10. Tlacateotl nopiltzin Chichimecatl y tleonmach itla 
 techcocolia TezozomoctU tech in micitlani ye ehuaya ata- 
 yahuili quinequia yaoyotl necahztlon quima Acolhuacan 
 ohuaya. 
 
 11. Tel ca tonehua ticahuiltia ipalnemohuani Colihua 
 o o Mexicatl y tlahcateotl huiaya atayahui-li quinequia 
 yaoyotl necaliztl qui mana Acolhuacan a ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
 12. Zan ye on necuiltonolo in tlalticpac ay oppan 
 titlano chimalli xochitl ay oppan ahuiltilon ipalnemohua ; 
 ye ic anauia in tlailotlaqui xayacamacha huia ho ay ya 
 yi ee ohuaya ha ohuaya. 
 
 13. Inacon anquelehuia chimalli xochitl y yohual 
 xochitli tlachinol xochitl ; ye ic neyahpanalo antepilhuan 
 huiya Quetzalmamatzin Huitznahuacatl ohuaye ho ha 
 yia yi ee oua yi aha ohuaya. 
 
 14. Chimal tenamitl oncan in nemohua yehua necalia 
 huilotl oyahualla icahuaca yehuaya on canin ye nemi in 
 tecpipiltin Xiuhtzin xayacamachani amehuano o ancona- 
 huiltia ipalnemohua ohuaya. 
 
 15. In ma huel netotilo mannemamanaloya yaonahuac 
 a on netlamachtiloyan ipan nechihuallano ohuaye in 
 tepiltzin can ye mocuetlaca ohuaya, ohuaya. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 91 
 
 8. For what purpose do you make your rulers, men of 
 Huexotzinco ? Look at Acolhuacan where the men of 
 Huexotzinco are broken with toil, are trod upon like 
 paving stones, and wander around the mountain Atloyan, 
 
 9. There is a ceiba tree, a cypress tree, there stands a 
 mezquite bush, strong as a cavern of stone, known as the 
 Giver of Life. 
 
 10. Ruler of men, Nopiltzin, Chicimec, O Tezozomoc- 
 tli, why hast thou made us sick, why brought us to death, 
 through not desiring to offer war and battle to Acol- 
 huacan ? 
 
 11. But we lift up our voice and rejoice in the Giver of 
 life; the men of Colhuacan and the Mexican leader have 
 ruined us, through not desiring to offer war and battle to 
 Acolhuacan. 
 
 12. The only joy on earth will be again to send the 
 shield-flower, again to rejoice the Giver of Life ; already 
 are discontented the faces of the workers in filth. 
 
 13. Therefore you rejoice in the shield-flowers, the 
 flowers of night, the flowers of battle ; already are }'e 
 clothed, ye children of Quetzalmamatzin and Huitzna- 
 huacatl. 
 
 14. Your shield and your wall of safety are where 
 dwells the sweet joy of war, where it comes, and sings 
 and lifts its voice, where dwell the nobles, the precious 
 stones, making known their faces ; thus you give joy to 
 the Giver of Life. 
 
 15. Let your dancing, and banqueting be in the battle, 
 there be your place of gain, your scene of action, where 
 the noble youths perish. 
 
92 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 1 6. Quetzalipantica oyo huiloa ahuiltiloni ipalnemo- 
 huan yectlahuacan in tapalcayocan a ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
 17. Oyo hualehuaya ye tocalipan oyohua yehua 
 Huexotzincatl y tototihua o o Iztaccoyotla ohuaya 
 ohuaya. 
 
 18. Ace melle ica tonacoquiza y nican topantilemonti 
 Tlaxcaltecatl itocoya cacaHa in altepetl y Huexochinco 
 ya ohuaya. 
 
 19. Cauhtimanizo polihuiz tlalli yan totomihuacan 
 huia cehuiz yioUo o antepilhuan a Huexotzinca.y ohuaya 
 ohuaya. 
 
 20. Mizquitl y mancan tzihuactli y mancan ahuehuetl 
 onicacahuia ipalnemohua, xonicnotlamati mochi eh- 
 manca Huexotzinco ya zanio oncan in huel on mani 
 tlalla ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
 21. Zan nohuian tlaxixinia tlamomoyahua y ayoc an- 
 mocehuia momacehual y hualcaco mocuic in icelteotl oc 
 xoconyocoyacan antepilhuan a ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
 22. Zan mocuepa itlatol conahuiloa ipalnemohua 
 Tepeyacac ohuaye antepilhuan ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
 23. Canel amonyazque xoconmolhuican an Tlaxcalteca 
 y Tlacomihuatzin hui oc oyauh itlachinol ya yehuan 
 Dios a ohuaya. 
 
 24. Cozcatl ihuihui quetzal nehuihuia oc zo conhui- 
 panque zan Chichimeca y Totomihua a Iztaccoyotl a 
 ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
 25. Huexotzinco ya zan quiauhtzinteuctli techcocolia 
 Mexicatl itechcocolia Acolihuiao ach quennelotihua 
 tonyazque quenonamican a ohuaye ohuaye. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 93 
 
 1 6. Dressed in their feathers they go rejoicing the 
 Giver of Life to the excellent place, the place of shards. 
 
 17. He lifted up his voice in our houses like a bird, 
 that man of Huexotzinco, Iztaccoyotl. 
 
 18. WHioever is aggrieved let him come forth with us 
 against the men of Tlaxcallan, let him follow where the 
 cit}' of Huexotzinco lets drive its arrows. 
 
 19. Our leaders will lay waste, they will destroy the 
 land, and your children, O Huexotzincos, will have peace 
 of mind. 
 
 20. The mezquite was there, the tzihuac was there, the 
 Giver of Life has set up the cypress ; be sad that evil has 
 befallen Huexotzinco, that it stands alone in the land. 
 
 21. In all parts there are destruction and desolation, no 
 longer are there protection and safety, nor has the one 
 only God heard the song ; therefore speak it again, you 
 children ; 
 
 22. That the words may be repeated, you children, and 
 give joy to the Giver of Life at Tepeyacan. 
 
 23. And since you are going, you Tlaxcallans, call upon 
 Tlacomihuatzin that he may yet goto this divine war. 
 
 24. The Chichimecs and the leaders and Iztaccoy- 
 otl have with difficulty and vain labor arranged and set 
 in order their jewels and feathers. 
 
 25. At Huexotzinco the ruler Quiauhtzin hates the 
 Mexicans, hates the Acolhuacans ; when shall we go to 
 mix with them, to meet them ? 
 
94 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 26. Ay antlayocoya anquimitoa in amotahuan an 
 teteuctin ayoquantzin ihuan a in tlepetztic in cacha 
 ohuaya tzihuacpopoca yo huaya. 
 
 27. Ca zan catcan Chalco Acolihuaca huia totomihua- 
 can y amilpan in QuauhquechoUa quixixinia in ipetl icpal 
 yehuan Dios ohoaya ohuaya. 
 
 28. Tlazoco a ye nican tlalli tepetl yecocoliloya cema- 
 nahuac a ohuaya. 
 
 29. Quennel conchihuazque atl popoca itlacoh in 
 teuctli tlalli mocuepaya Mictlan onmatia Cacamatl 
 onteuctli, quennel conchihuazque, ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
 XVI. 
 
 1. On onellelacic quexquich nic ya ittoa antocnihuan 
 ayiaue noconnenemititica noyollon tlalticpac y no- 
 conycuilotica, ay niyuh can tinemi ahuian yeccan, ay 
 cemellecan in tenahuac y, ah nonnohuicallan in quenon 
 amican ohuaya. 
 
 2. Zan nellin quimati ye noyollo za nelli nicittoa 
 antocnihuan, ayiahue aquin quitlatlauhtia icelteotl yiollo 
 itlacoca con aya macan. Machamo oncan? In tlalticpac 
 machamo oppan piltihua. Ye nelli nemoa in quenon 
 amican ilhuicatl y itec icanyio oncan in netlamachtilo y 
 ohuaya. 
 
 3. O yohualli icahuacan teuctlin popoca ahuiltilon 
 Dios ipalncmoluiani : chimalli xochitl in cuecuepontimani 
 in mahuiztli moteca molinian tlalticpac, ye nican ic 
 xochimicohuayan in ixtlahuac itec a ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 95 
 
 26. Set to work and speak, you fathers, to your rulers, 
 to your lords, that they may make a blazing fire of the 
 smoking tzihuac wood. 
 
 27. The Acolhuacans were at Chalco, the Otomies 
 were in your cornfields at Quauhquechollan, they laid 
 them waste by the permission of God. 
 
 28. The fields and hills are ravaged, the whole land has 
 been laid waste. 
 
 29. What remedy can they turn to ? Water and 
 smoke have spoiled the land of the rulers ; they have 
 gone back to Mictlan attaching themselves to the ruler 
 Cacamatl. What remedy can they turn to ? 
 
 XVI. 
 
 1. It is a bitter grief to see so many of you, dear friends 
 not walking with me in spirit on the earth, and written 
 down with me ; that no more do I walk in company to 
 the joyful and pleasant spots ; that nevermore in union 
 with you do I journey to the same place. 
 
 2. Truly I doubt in my heart if I really see you, dear 
 friends ; Is there no one who will pray to the one only 
 God that he take this error from your hearts? Is no one 
 there ? No one can live a second time on earth. Truly 
 they live there within the heavens, there in a place of 
 delight only. 
 
 3. At night rises up the smoke of the warriors, a 
 delight to the Lord the Giver of Life ; the shield-flower 
 spreads abroad its leaves, marvelous deeds agitate the 
 earth ; here is the place of the fatal flowers of death 
 which cover the fields. 
 
96 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 4. Yaonauac ye oncan yaopeuhca in ixtlahuac itec 
 iteuhtlinpopoca ya milacatzoa y momalacachoa yao- 
 xochimiquiztica antepilhuan in anteteuctin zan Chichi- 
 meca y ohuaya. 
 
 5. Maca mahui noyollo ye oncan ixtlahuatl itic, noco- 
 nele hua in itzimiquiliztli zan quinequin toyoUo yaomi- 
 quiztla ohuaya. 
 
 6. O anquin ye oncan yaonahuac, noconelehuia in itzi 
 miquiliztli can quinequin toyoUo yaomiquiztla ohuaya 
 ohuaya. 
 
 7. Mixtli ye ehuatimani yehuaya moxoxopan ipalnemo- 
 huani ye oncan celiztimani a in quauhtlin ocelotl, ye on- 
 can cueponio o in tepilhuan huiya in tlachinol, ohuaya 
 ohuaya. 
 
 8. In ma oc tonahuican antocnihuan ayiahue, ma oc 
 xonahuiacan antepilhuan in ixtlahuatl itec, y nemoaqui- 
 huic zan tictotlanehuia o a in chimalli xochitl in tlachi- 
 noll, ohuaya, ohuaya, ohuaya. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 97 
 
 4. The battle is there, the beginning of the battle is in 
 the open fields, the smoke of the warriors winds around 
 and curls upward from the slaughter of the flowery war, 
 ye friends and warriors of the Chichimecs. 
 
 5. Let not my soul dread that open field; I earnestly 
 desire the beginning of the slaughter, may thy soul long 
 for the murderous strife. 
 
 6. O you who are there in the battle, I earnestly desire 
 the beginning of the slaughter, may thy soul long for the 
 murderous strife. 
 
 7. The cloud rises upward, rising into the blue sky of 
 the Giver of Life ; there blossom forth prowess and daring, 
 there, in the battle field, come the children to maturity. 
 
 8. Let us rejoice, dear friends, and may ye rejoice, O 
 children, within the open field, and going forth to it, let 
 us revel amid the shield-flowers of the battle. 
 
98 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 XVII. XochictticaU. 
 
 I. Can ti ya nemia ticuicaniti ma ya hualmoquetza 
 xochihuehuetl quetzaltica huiconticac teocuitlaxochi- 
 nenepaniuhticac y ayamo aye iliamo aye huiy ohuaya, 
 oh u ay a. 
 
 2. Tiquimonahuiltiz in tepilhuan teteucto in qua 
 ocelotl ayamo, etc. 
 
 uhtlo 
 
 3. In tlacace otemoc aya huehuetitlan ya nemi in cui- 
 canitlhuia zan qui quetzal in tomaya quexexeloa aya 
 icuic ipalnemoa qui ya nanquilia in coyolyantototl on- 
 cuicatinemi xochimanamanaya taxocha ohuaya, ohuaya. 
 
 4. In canon in noconcaqui in tlatol aya tlacazo 
 yehuatl ipalnemoa quiyananquilia quiyananquilia in 
 coyolyantototl on cuicatinemi xochimanamanaya, etc. 
 
 5. In chalchihuitl ohuayee on quetzal pipixauhtimania 
 in amo tlatolhuia, noyuh ye quittoa yayoquan yehuayan 
 cuetzpal ohuaye anquinelin ye quimatin ipalnemoa 
 ohuaya. 
 
 6. Noyuh quichihua con teuctlon timaloa yecan 
 quetzalmaquiztla matilolticoya conahuiltia icelteotlhuia 
 achcanon azo a yan ipalnemoa achcanon azo tie nel in 
 tlalticpac ohuaya. 
 
 7. Macuelachic aya maoc ixquich cahuitl niquin no- 
 tlanehui in chalchiuhtini in maquiztini in tepilhuan aya; 
 zan nicxochimalina in tecpillotl huia : zan ca nican nocuic 
 ica ya nocon ilacatzohua a in huehuetitlan a ohuaya 
 ohuaya. 
 
 8. Oc noncoati nican Huexotzinco y nitLltohuani 
 ni teca ehuatzin huiya chalchiuhti zan quetzalitztin y, 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 99 
 
 XVI I. A Flozver Song. 
 
 1. Where thou walkest, O singer, bring forth thy flow- 
 ery drum, let it stand amid beauteous feathers, let it be 
 placed in the midst of golden flowers ; 
 
 2. That thou mayest rejoice the youths and the nobles 
 in their grandeur. 
 
 3. Wonderful indeed is it how the living song de- 
 scended upon the drum, how it loosened its feathers and 
 spread abroad the songs of the Giver of Life, and the 
 coyol bird answered, spreading wide its notes, offering up 
 its flowery songs of flowers. 
 
 4. Wherever I hear those words, perhaps the Giver of 
 Life is answering, as answers the coyol bird, spreading 
 wide its notes, offering up its flowery song of flowers. 
 
 5. It rains down precious stones and beauteous feathers 
 rather than words ; it seems to be as one reveling in 
 food, as one who truly knows the Giver of Life. 
 
 6. Thus do the nobles glorify themselves with things 
 of beauty, honor and delight, that they may please the 
 one only god, though one knows not the dwelling of the 
 Giver of Life, one knows not whether he is on earth. 
 
 7. May I yet for a little while have time to revel in 
 those precious and honorable youths; may I wreathe 
 flowers for their nobility ; may I here yet for a while 
 wind the songs around the drum. 
 
 8. I am a guest here among the rulers of Huexotzinco; 
 I lift up my voice and sing of precious stones and emer- 
 
100 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 niquincenquixtia in tepilhuan aya zan nicxochimalina in 
 tecpillotl huia ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
 9. A in ilhuicac itic ompa yeya huitz in yectliyan 
 xochitl yectliyan cuicatl y, conpolo antellel conpolo 
 antotlayocol y in tlacazo yehuatl in Chichimecatl teuctli 
 in teca yehuatzin ica xonahuiacan a ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
 10. Moquetzal izqui xochintzetzeloa in icniuhyotl 
 aztlacaxtlatlapantica ye onmaHnticac in quetzalxiloxo- 
 chitl imapan onnenemi conchichichintinemi in teteuctin 
 in tepilhuan. 
 
 11. Zan teocuitlacoyoltototl o huel yectli namocuic 
 huel yectli in anq'ehua anquin ye oncan y xochitl y ya 
 hualyuhcan y xochitl imapan amoncate in amontlatlatoa 
 ye ohuaya ohui ohui ilili y yao ayya hue ho ama ha ilili 
 ohua y yaohuia. 
 
 12. O ach ancati quechol in ipalnemoa o ach ancati 
 tlatocauh yehuan Dios huiya achto tiamehuan anquitzto- 
 que tlahuizcalli amoncuicatinemi ohui, ohui, ilili, etc. 
 
 13. Maciuhtiao o in quinequi noyollo, zan chimalli 
 xochitl mixochiuh ipalnemoani, quen conchihuaz noyollo 
 yehua onentacico tonquizaco in tlalticpac a ohuaya 
 ohuaya. 
 
 14. Zan ca yuhqui noyaz in o ompopoliuh xochitla 
 antlenotleyoye in quemmanian, antlenitacihcayez in 
 tlalticpac. Manel xochitl manel cuicatl, quen conchihuaz 
 noyollo yehua onentacico tonquizaco in tlalticpac ohuaya 
 ohuaya. 
 
 15. Manton ahuiacan antocnihuan aya ma on nequech 
 nahualo nican huiyaa xochintlaticpac ontiyanemiyenican 
 ayac quitlamitehuaz in xochitl in cuicatl in mani a ichan 
 ipalnemohulani yi ao ailili yi ao aya hue aye ohuaya. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 101 
 
 aids ; I select from among the youths those for whom I 
 shall wreathe the flowers of nobility. 
 
 9. There comes from within the heavens a good flower, 
 a good song, which will destroy your grief, destroy your 
 sorrow; therefore, Chief of the Chichimecs, be glad and 
 rejoice. 
 
 10. Here, delightful friendship, turning about with 
 scarlet dyed wings, rains down its flowers, and the war- 
 riors and youths, holding in their hands the fragrant xilo 
 flowers, walk about inhaling the sweet odor. 
 
 II. The golden coyol bird sings sweetly to you, 
 sweetly lifts its voice like a flower, like sweet flowers in 
 your hand, as you converse and lift your voice in singing, 
 etc. 
 
 12. Even like the quechol bird to the Giver of Life, 
 even a^ the herald of God, you have waited for the dawn, 
 and gone forth singing ohui, etc. 
 
 13. Although I wish that the Giver of Life shall give 
 for flowers the shield-flower, how shall I grieve that your 
 efforts have been in vain, that you have gone forth from 
 the world. 
 
 14. Even as I shall go forth into the place of decayed 
 flowers, so sometime will it be with your fame and deeds 
 on earth. Although they are flowers, although they are 
 songs, how shall I grieve that your eflbrts have been in 
 vain, that you have gone forth from the world. 
 
 15. Let us be glad, dear friends, let us rejoice while w^e 
 walk here on this flowery earth ; may the end never come 
 of our flowers and songs, but may they continue in the 
 mansion of the Giver of Life. 
 
102 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 1 6. In zancuelachitzincan tlalticpac aya ayaoc noiuhcan 
 quennonamicani cuixocpacohua icniuhtihuay auh in amo 
 zanio nican totiximatizo in tlalticpac y yiao ha ilili yiao. 
 
 17. Noconca con cuicatl noconca o quin tlapitzaya 
 xochimecatl ayoquan teuctliya ahuayie, ohuayiao ayio yo 
 ohua. 
 
 18. Zan mitzyananquili omitzyananquili xochin- 
 calaitec y in aquiauhatzin in tlacateuhtli ayapancatl 
 yahuayia. 
 
 19. Cantinemi noteouh ipalnemohuani mitztemohua in 
 quemmanian y mocanitlaocoyan, nicuicanitlhuia, zan ni 
 mitzahuiltiaya ohuiyan tililiyanco huia ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
 20. In zan ca izqui xochitl in quetzalizqui xochitl pix- 
 ahui ye nican xopancalaitec i tlacuilolcalitec, zan nimitz- 
 ahahuiltiaya ohui. 
 
 21. O anqui ye oncan Tlaxcala, ayahue, chalchiuh- 
 tetzilacuicatoque in huehuetitlan ohuaye, xochin poyon 
 ayiahue Xicontencatl teuctli in Tizatlacatzin in camaxo- 
 chitzin cuicatica y melelquiza xochiticaya on chielo 
 itlatol ohuay icelteotl ohuaya. 
 
 22. O, anqui nohuia y, ye mochan ipalnemohua 
 xochipetlatl ye noca xochitica on tzauhticac oncan 
 mitztlatlauhtia in tepilhua ohuaya. 
 
 23. In nepapan xochiquahuitl onicac, a}'a, huehue- 
 titlan a a yiahue, can canticaya quetzaltica malintiniani, 
 ya, yecxochitl motzetzeloaya ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
 24. Can quetzatzal petlacoatl ycpac o, ye nemi coj'olto- 
 totl cuicatinemiya, can quinanquili teuctli ya, conahuilti- 
 anquauhtloocelotl ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 103 
 
 1 6. Yet a little while and your friends must pass from 
 earth. What does friendship offer of enjoyment, when 
 soon we shall no longer be known on earth ? 
 
 17. This is the burden of my song, of the garland of 
 flowers played on the flute, without equal in the place of 
 the nobles. 
 
 18. Within the house of flowers the Lord of the 
 Waters, of the Gate of the Waters, answers thee, has 
 answered thee. 
 
 19. Where thou livest, my beloved, the Giver of Life 
 sends down upon thee sometimes things of sadness ; but 
 I, the singer, shall make thee glad in the place of diffi- 
 cult}-, in the place of cumber. 
 
 20. Here are the many flowers, the beauteous flowers, 
 rained down within the house of spring, within its 
 painted house, and I with them shall make thee glad. 
 
 21. O, you there in Tlaxcala, you have played like 
 sweet bells upon your drums, even like brilliantly col- 
 ored flowers. There was Xicontecatl, lord of Tizatlan, 
 the rosy-mouthed, whose songs gave joy like flowers, who 
 listened to the words of the one only God. 
 
 22. Thy house, O Giver of Life is in all places ; its 
 mats are of flowers, finely spun with flowers, where thy 
 children pray to thee. 
 
 23. A rain of various flowers falls where stands, the 
 drum, beauteous wreaths entwine it, sweet flowers are 
 poured down around it. 
 
 24. Where the brilliant scolopender basks, the coyol 
 bird scatters abroad its songs, answering back the nobles, 
 rejoicing in their prowess and might. 
 
104 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 25. Xochitzetzeliuhtoc y, niconnetolilo antocnihuan 
 huehuetitlan ai on chielo can nontlamati toyollo yehua 
 ohuaya ohuaya. 
 
 26. In zan ca yehuan Dios tlaxic, ya, caquican yehual 
 temoya o ilhuicatl itic, y, cuicatihuitz, y, quinanquilia o, 
 angelotin ontlapitztihuitzteaya oyiahue yaia o o ohuaya 
 ohuaya. 
 
 27. Zan ninentlamatia can niquauhtenco ayahue can 
 
 XVIII. Nican Ompehua Teponazctiicatl. 
 
 Tico, tico, toco, toto, aiih ic ontlantiiih adcatl, tiqiii, ti ti, tito, 
 titi. 
 
 1. Tollan aya huapalcalli manca, nozan in mamani 
 coatlaquetzaUi yaqui yacauhtehuac Nacxitl Topiltzin, 
 onquiquiztica ye choquiHlo in topilhuan ahuay yeyauh 
 in poHhuitiuh nechcan Tlapallan ho ay. 
 
 2. Nechcayan Cholollan oncan tonquizaya Poyauhte- 
 catitlan, in quiyapanhuiya y Acallan anquiquiztica ye 
 choquiHlon ye. 
 
 3. Nonohualco ye nihuitz ye nihui quecholi nimamah- 
 teuctla, nicnotlamatia oyah quin noteuc ye ihuitimaH, 
 nechya icnocauhya nimatlac xochitl, ayao ayao o ayya y 
 yao ay. 
 
 4. In tepctl huitomica niyaychocaya, axahqueuhca 
 nicnotlamati\-a o yaquin noteuc (etc. as v. 3). 
 
 5. In Tlapallan aya mochieloca monahuatiloca ye cochi- 
 ztla o anca ca zanio ayao, ayao, a}'ao. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 105 
 
 25. Scattering flowers I rejoice you, dear friends, with 
 my drum, awaiting what comes to our minds. 
 
 26. It reaches even to God, he hears it seeking him 
 within the heavens, the song comes and the angels an- 
 swer, playing on their flutes. 
 
 27. But I am sad within this wood. * * * 
 
 XVIII. Here begin Songs for the Teponaztli. 
 
 Tico, tico, toco, toto, and as the song approaches the end, 
 tiqni, titi, tito, titi. 
 
 1. At Tollan there stood the house of beams, there 
 yet stands the house of plumed serpents left by Nacxitl 
 Topiltzin ; going forth weeping, our nobles went to 
 where he was to perish, down there at Tlapallan. 
 
 2. We went forth from Cholula by way of Poyauhtecatl, 
 and ye went forth weeping down by the water toward 
 Acallan. 
 
 3. I come from Nonohualco as if I carried quechol 
 birds to the place of the nobles ; I grieve that my lord 
 has gone, garlanded with feathers ; I am wretched like 
 the last flower. 
 
 4. With the falling down of mountains I wept, with 
 the lifting up of sands I was wretched, that my lord had 
 gone. 
 
 5. At Tlapallan he was waited for, it was commanded 
 that there he should sleep, thus being alone. 
 
 
106 
 
 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 6. Zan tiyaolinca ye noteuc ic ihuitimali, tinahuatiloya 
 ye Xicalanco o anca zacanco. 
 
 7. Ay yanco ay yanco ayamo aya ayhuiya ayanco 
 ayyanco ayamo aye ahuiya que ye mamaniz mocha mo- 
 quiapana, oquen ye mamaniz moteuccallatic ya icno- 
 cauhqui nican Tollan Nonohualco ya y ya y ya o ay. 
 
 8. In ye quinti chocaya teuctlon, timalon que ye mam- 
 aniz mochan (etc. as v. 7). 
 
 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. 
 
 10. Zan can xiuhcalliya cohuacallaya in oticmatehuac 
 nachcan Tollan y inon can yn otontlatoco Naxitl 
 Topiltzin (etc. as in v. g). 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 107 
 
 6. In our battles my lord was garlanded with feathers; 
 we were commanded to go alone to Xicalanco. 
 
 7. Alas ! and alas ! who will be in thy house to attire 
 thee ? Who will be the ruler in thy house, left desolate 
 here in ToUan, in Nonohualco ? 
 
 8. After he was drunk, the ruler wept ; we glorified 
 ourselves to be in thy dwelling. 
 
 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. We have left the turquoise houses, the serpent 
 houses there in Tollan, where ruled our leader Nacxitl 
 Topiltzin. 
 
108 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 XIX. 
 
 Tico toco toco ti qttiti quiti qiiiti qiiito ; can ic mocjicptiuh. 
 
 1. Tlapapal xochiceutli niyolaya nepapan tonacan 
 xochitl moyahuaya oncueponti moquetzaco ya naya aya 
 ye teo ya ixpan tonaa Santa Maria ayyo. 
 
 2. An ya ya cuicaya zan quetzala xihuitl tomolihui 
 yan aya ye nitlachihual icelteotl y ye Dios aya ni itla- 
 yocolaoya yecoc ya. 
 
 3. Zan ca tlaauilolpan nemia moyollo amoxpetlatl 
 ipan toncuicaya tiquimonyaitotia teteuctin aya in obispo 
 ya zan ca totatzin aya oncan titlatoa atlitempan ay yo. 
 
 4. Yehuan Dios mitzyocox aya xochitla ya mitztlaca- 
 tilo yancuicatl mitzicuiloa Santa Maria in obispo ya. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 109 
 
 XIX. 
 
 Tico, toco, toco, tiquiti, qiiiti, quiti, qiiito ; tvhcre it is to 
 turn back again. 
 
 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. 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. 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. 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. 
 
110 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 XX. 
 
 1. Tolteca icuilihuia ahaa ya ha on tlantoc amoxtli ya 
 moyollo ya on aya mochonaciticac o o Toltecayootl aic 
 aya ninemiz ye nican ay yo. 
 
 2. Ac ya nechcuiliz, ac ye nohuan oyaz o, nicaz a anni 
 icuihuan aya y yancuicanitl y yehetl y noxochiuh non 
 cuica ihuitequi onteixpan ayyo. 
 
 3. Huey in tetl nictequintomahuac quahuitl, nic- 
 icuiloa yancuicatl itech aya oncan nomitoz in quem- 
 manian in can Jiiyaz nocuica machio nicyacauhtiaz in 
 tialticpac, y onnemiz noyol zan ca ye nican ya hualla y 
 yancoya nolnamicoca nemiz ye noteyo ay yo. 
 
 4. Nichocaya niquittoaya nicnotza noyollo ma niquitta 
 cuicanelhuayotl ayama nicyatlalaquiya ma ya ica tial- 
 ticpac quimman mochihua onnenemiz noyol y. Zan ca 
 teucxochitl ahuiaca ipotocaticac mocepanoayan toxo- 
 chiuh ay ye ayao ohuiy on can quiya itzmolini ye no- 
 cuic celia notlatollaquillo ohua in toxochiuh icac iqui- 
 apani ayao. 
 
 5. Tel ca cahua xochitl ahuiac xeliuhtihuitz a ipoto- 
 caya in ahuiyac poyomatlin pixahua oncan ninenenemi 
 nicuicanitl y ye aya o ohui y on ca quiya itzmolini ye 
 nocuic celia, etc. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. Ill 
 
 XX. 
 
 1 
 
 1. The Toltecs have been taken, alas, the book of their 
 souls has come to an end, alas, everything of the Toltecs 
 has reached its conclusion, no longer do I care to live 
 here. 
 
 2. Who will take me? Who will go with me? I am 
 ready to be taken, alas. All that was fresh, the perfume, 
 my flowers, my songs, have gone along with them. 
 
 3. Great is my affliction, weighty is my burden ; I 
 write out a new song concerning it, that some time I may 
 speak it there where I shall go, a song to be known when 
 I shall leave the earth, that my soul shall live after I 
 have gone from here, that my fame shall live fresh in 
 memory. 
 
 4. I cried aloud, I looked about, I reflected how I 
 might see the root of song, that I might plant it here on 
 the earth, and that then it should make my soul to live. 
 The sweet exhalations of the lovely flowers rose up 
 uniting with our flowers ; one hears them growing as my 
 song buds forth, filled with my words our flowers stand 
 upright in the waters. 
 
 5. But the flowers depart, their sweetness is divided 
 and exhales, the fragrant poyomatl rains down its leaves 
 where I the poet walk in sadness ; one hears them 
 growing, etc. 
 
112 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 XXI. Huexotzincayotl. 
 
 Viniendo los de Hiiexotzinco a pedir socorro d Moteuczoina 
 Tlaxcalla. 
 
 1. Tlacuiloltzetzeliuhticac moyoliol tiMoteuczomatzi 
 nichuicatihuitz nictzetzelotihuitz y o huetzcani xochin- 
 quetzalpapalotl moquetzalizouhtihuitz noconitotia chal- 
 chiuhatlaquiquizcopa niyahueloncuica chalchiuhhuila- 
 capitzli nicteocuitlapitza ya ho ay la ya o haye ohuichile 
 amiyacale. 
 
 2. Ohuaya ye onniceelehuia moxochiuh aya ipalne- 
 moani yehuaya Dios aya ilihuaca nahuiche nictzetzeloaya 
 noncuicatilo yaha y. 
 
 3. Tozmilini xochitl in noyolyol ay yahue tozmilini 
 xochitl noteponaz ayanco ayancayome oncana y yahue 
 nicxochiamoxtozimmanaya itlatol ayanco ayanca yomeho. 
 
 4. Xompaqui xonahuia annochipanicantiyazque ye 
 ichano nohueyetzinteucth Moteuczomatzi, totlaneuh tlpc 
 totlaneuh ueHc xochitl o ayanco. 
 
 5. TIachinoltepec yn ahuicacopa tixochitonameyo timo- 
 quetzaco y yehuan Dios a ocelozacatl ypan quauhtli 
 choca ymopopoyauhtoc y yanco y liyan cay yahue ayli 
 y yacalco y ya y yeho zaca y yahue. 
 
 6. Ohuaya yche nipa tlantinemia ixpan Dios a ninozo- 
 zohuayatlauhquechoi, zaquan quetzal in tlayahualol pa- 
 palotl mopilihuitzetzeloa teixpana xochiatlaquiquizcopa 
 oh tlatoca ye nocuic y yanco ili, etc. 
 
 7. Nehcoya ompa ye nihuithuiya xoxouhqui hueyatla 
 ymancan zanniman olini pozoni tetecuica ic nipa tlania, 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 113 
 
 XXI. A Song of the Huexotzincos, Coming to 
 Ask Aid of Montez7ima Against Tlaxcalla. 
 
 1. Raining down writings for thy mind, O Montezuma, 
 I come hither, I come raining them down, a very jester, 
 a painted butterfly ; stringing together pretty objects, I 
 seem to be as one cementing together precious stones, as 
 I chant my song on my emerald flute, as I blow on my 
 golden flute, ya ho, ay la, etc. 
 
 2. Yes, I shall cause thy flowers to rejoice the Giver 
 of Life, the God in heaven, as hither I come raining 
 down my songs, ya ho. 
 
 3. A sweet voiced flower is my mind, a sweet voiced 
 flower is my drum, and I sing the words of this flowery 
 book, 
 
 4. Rejoice and be glad ye who live amid the flowers 
 in the house of my great lord Montezuma, we must 
 finish with this earth, we must finish with the sweet 
 flowers, alas. 
 
 5. At the Mount of Battle we bring forth our sweet 
 and glittering flowers before God, plants having the 
 lustre of the tiger, like the cry of the eagle, leaving 
 glorious memory, such are the plants in this house. 
 
 6. Alas! in a little while there is an end before God to 
 all living ; let me therefore string together beauteous 
 and yellow feathers, and mingling them with the dancing 
 butterflies rain them down before you, scattering the 
 words of my song like water dashed from flowers. 
 
 7. I would that I could go there where lies the great 
 blue water surging, and smoking and thundering, till after 
 a time it retires again : I shall sing as the quetzal, the 
 
114 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 zan iquetzal in tototl xiuhquechol tototl no chiuhtihuitz y 
 ni yahuinac ya Huexotzinco Atzalan ayome. 
 
 8. Zan niquintocaz aya niquimiximatitiuh nohueyo- 
 tzitzinhuan chalchiuhquechol y canca xiuhquechol in 
 teocuitlapapalotl in cozcatototl ontlapia ye onca Hue- 
 xotzinco Atzalan ayame ; 
 
 9. Xochi Atzalaan teocuitlaatl chalchiuhatl y nepa- 
 niuhyan itiatoaya in quetzalcanauhtli quetzalnocuitlapilli 
 cuecueyahuaya yliya yliya yaho ayli yaho aye huichile 
 anicale. 
 
 10. Huecapan nicac nicuicanitl huiya zaquan petlatolini, 
 ma nica yeninemia nicyeyectian cuicatla in nic xochiotia 
 yayaho yahii. 
 
I 
 
 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 115 
 
 blue quechol, when I go back to Huexotzinco among 
 the waters [or, and Atzalan). 
 
 8. I shall follow them, I shall know them, my beloved 
 Huexotzincos; the emerald quechol birds, the green 
 quechol, the golden butterflies, and yellow birds, guard 
 Huexotzinco among the waters {or, and Atzalan). 
 
 9. Among the flowery waters, the golden waters, the 
 emerald waters, at the junction of the waters which the 
 blue duck rules moving her spangled tail. 
 
 10. I the singer stand on high on the yellow rushes; 
 let me g-o forth with noble song-s and laden with flowers. 
 
116 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 XXIL 
 
 Tico tico ticoti tico tico ticoti mill ic ojitlantiuh in cuicatl 
 totoco totoco. 
 
 I. Xichocayan nicuicanitl nicitta noxochiuh zan nomac 
 ommania zan quihuintiaye noyollo ni cuicatl aya nohuian 
 nemia, zan ca ye noyollo notlayocola in cayo. 
 
 2. Xiuhtlamatelolla quetzalchalchiuhtla ipan ye nic- 
 matia nocuic aya ma yectlaxochitl y, zan nomac ton 
 mania, etc. 
 
 3. In quetzalin chalchiuhtla ipan ye nicmatia yectli ye 
 nocuic yectli noxochiuh annicuihuan tepilhuan aya 
 xonahuiacan a ayac onnemiz o in tlalticpac ayo. 
 
 4. O an niquitquiz ye niaz yectli nocuic yectli noxo- 
 chiuhui annicuihuan tepilhuan aya. 
 
 5. O huayanco o nichocaya a huayanco o cahua y 
 yahue nictzetzelo xochitl ay yo. 
 
 6. Mach nohuan tonyaz quennonamica o ah nicitquiz 
 xochitl zan nicuicanitl huiya ma yo a xonahuiyacan to ya 
 nemia ticaqui ye nocuic ahuaya. 
 
 7. Ay ca nichocaya nicuicanitl ya icha ahuicaloyan 
 cuicatl ha Mictlan temohuiloya yectliya xochitl onca ya 
 oncaa y yao ohuayan ca ya ilaca tziuhan ca na y yo. 
 
 8. Amo nequimilool amo neccuiltonol antepilhuan 
 aychaa ohuicaloyan cuicatl. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 117 
 
 XXII. 
 
 Tico, tico, ticoti, tico, tico, ticoti, and then the song ends 
 with totoeo, totoco. 
 
 1. In the place of tears I the singer watch my flowers; 
 they are in my hand; they intoxicate my soul and my 
 song, as I walk alone with them, with my sad soul among 
 them. 
 
 2. In this spot, where the herbage is like sweet oint- 
 ment and green as the turquoise and emerald, I think 
 upon my song, holding the beauteous flowers in my 
 hand, etc. (as in v. i). 
 
 3. In this spot of turquoise and emerald, I think upon 
 beauteous songs, beauteous flowers ; let us rejoice now, 
 dear friends and children, for life is not long upon earth. 
 
 4. I shall hasten forth, I shall go to the sweet songs, 
 the sweet flowers, dear friends and children. 
 
 5. O he! I cried aloud; O he! I rained down flowers 
 as I left. 
 
 6. Let us go forth anywhere ; I the singer shall find 
 and bring forth the flowers; let us be glad while we live; 
 listen to my song. 
 
 7. I the poet cry out a song for a place of joy, a 
 glorious song which descends to Mictlan, and there turns 
 about and comes forth again. 
 
 8. I seek neither vestment nor riches, O children, but 
 a song for a place of joy. 
 
118 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 XXIII. Ycuic NezaJmalcoyotzm. 
 
 Totoco totoco tico, totoco totoco ic ontlantiuh tico titico ti tico 
 tico. 
 
 I. Nicaya quetza con tohuehueuh aoniquimitotia 
 quauhtlocelo yn ca tiyayhcac in cuicaxochitl, nictemoan 
 cuicatl ye tonequimilol ayyo. 
 
 2. Ti Nopiltzi o ti Nezahualcoyotl o tiya jMictl a quen- 
 onamica y yece miyoncan ay yo. 
 
 3. Quiyon quiyon caya nichocaya ya ni Nezahual- 
 coyotl huiya queni yeno yaz o ya nipolihuiz oyamiquitla 
 ye nimitzcahua noteouh ypalnemo o tinechnahuatia ye 
 niaz nipolihuiz aya, yo. 
 
 4. Ouenon maniz tlallin Acolihuacan huiya cuixoca 
 quen mano o ticmomoyahuaz in momacehuah ye nimitz- 
 cahua noteouh, etc. 
 
 5. Can yio cuicatli tonequimilol quipoloaya a in 
 totlacuiloli tepilhuan 00 maya o huitihua nican aya ayac 
 ichan tlalticpac 00 ticyacencahuazque huelic ye xochitl 
 ayio. 
 
 6. O ayac quitlamitaz monecuiltonol ypalnemoa a 
 noyolquimati cuelachic otictlanehuico Nezahualcoyotzin 
 ay oppatihua nican anaya y chan tlpc. Oon yn ay 
 oppatihuain tlalticpacqui, zan nicuicanitl ayaho onnicho- 
 caya niquelnamiqui Nezahualcoj^otl aya ho. 
 
 7. Xo acico ye nican in teotl aya ypalnemoa, ayaho 
 on nichocaya a niquelnamiqui Nezalhuacoyotl ayio. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 119 
 
 XXIII. Scmo-s of the Prince Nezahualcoyotl. 
 
 Totoco, totoco, tico, totoco totoco, then it ends zvith tico titico, 
 titico, tico. 
 
 1. I bring forth our drum that I may show the power 
 and the grandeur in which thou standest, decked with 
 flowers of song : I seek a song wherewith to drape thee, 
 ah! oh! 
 
 2. Thou, my Lord, O thou Nezahualcoyotl, thou 
 goest to Mictlan in some manner and at a fixed time, ere 
 long. 
 
 3. For this, for this, I weep, I Nezahualcoyotl, inas- 
 much as I am to go, I am to be lost in death, I must 
 leave thee ; my God, the Giver of Life, thou commandest 
 me, that I go forth, that I be lost, alas. 
 
 4. How shall the land of Acolhuacan remain, alas ? 
 How shall we, thy servants, spread abroad its fame ? I 
 must leave thee ; my God, etc. 
 
 5. Even this song for thy draping may perish, which 
 we have written for our children, it will no longer have 
 a home here on earth when we shall wholly leave these 
 fragrant flowers. 
 
 6. Alas! thy riches shall end; the Giver of Life teaches 
 me that but for a little while do we enjoy the prince 
 Nezahualcoyotl, nor a second time will he come to his 
 house on earth ; no second time will he rejoice on earth; 
 but I the singer grieve, recalling to memory Nezahual- 
 coyotl. 
 
 7. Let us seek while here the god, the Giver of Life ; 
 I grieve, recalling to memory Nezahualcoyotl, 
 
120 ANXIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 Quititi, quititi, quid tocoto, tocoti tocoto tocoti zan ic 
 vwaicptiiih. 
 
 1. Ma xochicuicoya ma ichtoa nichuana ayyahue 
 teyhuinti xochitl ao ya noyehcoc ye nica poyoma 
 xahuallan timaliuhtihuitz ay yo. 
 
 2. Ma xochitl oyecoc ye nican ayyahue ^an tlaahui- 
 xochitla moyahuaya motzetzeloa ancazo yehuatl in nepa- 
 paxochitl ayyo. Zan commoni huehuetl ma ya netotilo. 
 
 3. Yn quetzal poyomatl aye ihcuilihuic noyol nicui- 
 canitl in xochitl ayan tzetzelihui ya ancuel ni cuiya ma 
 xonahuacan ayio zan noyolitic ontlapanion cuicaxochitl 
 nicyamoyahuaya yxoochitla. 
 
 4. Cuicatl ya ninoquinilotehuaz in quemmanian xochi- 
 neneliuhtiaz noyollo yehuan tepilhuan oonteteuctin in ca 
 yio. 
 
 5. Zan ye ic nichoca in quemanian zan nicaya ihtoa 
 noxochiteyo nocuicatoca nictlalitehuaz in quemanian 
 xochineneliuhtiaz, etc. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 121 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 Qitititi, qidiiti, quiti tocoto, tocoti, tocoto, tocoti, then it is to 
 turn back again. 
 
 1. Let me pluck flowers, let me see them, let me 
 gather the really intoxicating flowers ; the flowers are 
 ready, many colored, varied in hue, for our enjoyment. 
 
 2. The flowers are ready here in this retired spot, this 
 spot of fragrant flowers, many sorts of flowers are poured 
 down and scattered about ; let the drum be ready for the 
 dance. 
 
 3. I the singer take and pour down before you from 
 my soul the beautiful poyomatl, not to be painted, and 
 other flowers ; let us rejoice, while I alone within my 
 soul disclose the songs of flowers, and scatter them abroad 
 in the place of flowers. 
 
 4. I shall leave my songs in order that sometime I 
 may mingle the flowers of my heart with the children 
 and the nobles. 
 
 5. I weep sometimes as I see that I must leave the 
 earth and my flowers and songs, that sometime these 
 flowers will be vain and useless. 
 
122 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 XXV. 
 
 Tico toco tocoto ic ontlantiuJi ticoto ticoto. 
 
 1. Toztliyan quechol nipa tlantinemia in tlallaicpac 
 oquihuinti ye noyol ahua y ya i. 
 
 2. Ni quetzaltototl niyecoya ye iquiapan ycelteotl 
 yxochiticpac nihueloncuica oo nicuicaihtoa paqui ye 
 noyol ahuay. 
 
 3. Xochiatl in pozontimania in tlallaicpac oquihuinti 
 ye noyol ahua. 
 
 4. Ninochoquilia niquinotlamati ayac in chan 00 
 tlallicpac ahua. 
 
 5. Zan niquittoaya ye ni Mexicatl mani ya huiya 
 nohtlatoca tequantepec ni yahui polihuin chittepehua a 
 ya ye choca in tequantepehua o huaye. 
 
 6. Ma ca qualania nohueyotehua Mexicatli polihui 
 chile. 
 
 7. Citlalin in popocaya ipan ye moteca y za ye polihui 
 a zan ye xochitecatl ohuaye. 
 
 8. Zan ye chocaya amaxtecatl aya caye chocaya 
 tequantepehua. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 123 
 
 I 
 
 XXV. 
 
 Tico, toco, tocoto, and then it ends, ticoto, ticoto. 
 
 1. The sweet voiced quechol there, ruhng the earth, 
 has intoxicated my soul. 
 
 2. I am hke the quetzal bird, I am created in the house 
 of the one only God ; I sing sweet songs among the 
 flowers ; I chant songs and rejoice in my heart. 
 
 3. The fuming dew-drops from the flowers in the field 
 intoxicate my soul. 
 
 4. I grieve to myself that ever this dwelling on earth 
 should end. 
 
 5. I foresaw, being a Mexican, that our rule began to 
 be destroyed, I went forth weeping that it was to bow 
 down and be destroyed. 
 
 6. Let me not be angry that the grandeur o^" Mexico 
 is to be destroyed, 
 
 7. The smoking stars gather together against it : the 
 one who cares for flowers is about to be destroyed. 
 
 8. He who cared for books wept, he wept for the begin- 
 ning of the destruction. 
 
124 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 XXVI. 
 
 Toto tiquiti tiquiti ic ontlantmli tocotico tocoti toto titiqiii 
 toto titiqiiiti. 
 
 1. Oya moquetz huel oon ma on netotilo teteuctin aya 
 ma onnetlanehuihuilo chalchihuitl on quetzal! patlahuac, 
 ayac ichan tlalticpac, ayio zan nomac onmania ooo y 
 xochiuh aya ipalnemoa ma onnetlanehuilo chalchihuitl. 
 
 2. Oyohual in colinia o on In icelteotl ipalnemaa 
 Anahuac o onnemia noyol ayio. 
 
 3. In yancuica oncan quixima ipalnemoani ca ye 
 Nonoalco ahuilizapan i in teuctli yehua Nezahualpilli y 
 yece ye oncan aya in tlacoch tenanpan Atlixco ayio. 
 
 4. Zan momac otitemic motlahuan zomal a ica tica- 
 huiltia icelteotl in teuctli yehua. 
 
 5. Y yeho aye icnotlamati noyollo, zan niNonoalcatl, 
 zan can nicolintototl o nocamapan aya Mexicatl in ca 
 yio. 
 
 6. On quetzal pipixauhtoc motlachinolxochiuh in 
 ipalnemoa zan ca nicolintototl, etc. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 125 
 
 XXVI. 
 
 Toto tiquiti tiqniti, then it ends tocotico, tocoti toto titiqui 
 toto iitiqidti, 
 
 1. Come forth to the dance, ye lords, let there be 
 abundance of turquoise and feathers ; our dwelling on 
 earth is not for long ; only let the gods give me flowers 
 to my hand, give me abundance of turquoises. 
 
 2. Come let us move in the dance in honor of the one 
 only god, the Giver of Life, while my soul lives by the 
 waters [or, in Anahuac). 
 
 3. The Giver of Life made known a new song after the 
 lord Nezahualpilli entered the strongholds of Nonoalco 
 and sped his arrows within the walls of Atlixco. 
 
 4. Thou hast filled thy plate and thy cup in thy hands 
 and hast rejoiced in the one only God, the Lord. 
 
 5. Alas, how I am afflicted in my soul, I, a resident of 
 Nonoalco; I am like a wild bird, my face is that of a 
 Mexican. 
 
 6. The beauteous flowers of thy battles lie abundantly 
 snowed down, O Giver of Life; I am like a wild bird, 
 etc. 
 
126 ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 
 
 XXVII. 
 
 Toco toco tiqid tiqui ic ontlant'mli toco tico tocoti. 
 
 1. Ma ya pehualo ya nicuihua in ma ya on acico ye 
 nicaan aya oya yecoc yeliuan Dios in cayio in ma ya ca 
 ya onahuilihuan tepilhuan a ayamo acico ya yehuan 
 Dios oncan titemoc yeliuan Dios a oncan huel in oncan 
 tlacat y ye Yesu Cristo in ca yio. 
 
 2. In oncan tlahuizcalli milintimani mochan aya moxo- 
 chiuhaya Dios aya chalchiuhcueponi maquiztzetzelihui 
 onnetlamaclitiloya in ca yio in oncan ya o nepapan 
 izhuayo moxochiuh aya Dios a. 
 
 3. Zan ye xochitl moyahua 00 zan ca itlatol in 
 ipalnemoani o ontepan ye moteca anahuac ooica tic- 
 huelmana atl on yan tepetl ayio. 
 
 4. Zan temomac mania cemilhuitl in niman ye tehuatl 
 toconyaittoaya ipalnemoani. 
 
ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS. 127 
 
 XXVII. 
 
 Toco, toco, iiqiii, tiqui, and then it ends toco, tico, tocoti. 
 
 1. Let my song be begun, let it spread abroad from 
 here as far as God has created ; may the children be 
 glad, may it reach to God, there to God whom we seek, 
 there where is Jesus Christ who was born. 
 
 2. There the dawn spreads widely over the fields, over 
 thy house, and thy flowers, O God, blossom beauteous as 
 emeralds ; they rain down in wondrous showers, in that 
 place of happiness; there alone may my flowers, of 
 various leaves, be found, O God. 
 
 3. There the flowers are the words of the Giver of Life; 
 they are upon the mountains and by the waters; we find 
 them alike by the water and the mountain. 
 
 4. Our day is in thy hand, and soon we shall see thee, 
 thou Giver of Life. 
 
I 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 SONG I. 
 
 The song is an allegor>', portraying the soul-life of the poet. 
 By the flowers which he sets forth to seek, we are to understand 
 the songs which he desires to compose. He asks himself where 
 the poetic inspiration is to be sought, and the answer is the same 
 as was given by Wordsworth, that it is to the grand and beautiful 
 scenes of Nature that the poet must turn for the elevation of 
 soul which will lift him to the sublimest heights of his art. But 
 this exaltation bears with it the heavy penalty that it disquali- 
 fies for ordinary joys. As in medieval tales, he who had once 
 been admitted to fairyland, could nevermore conquer his long- 
 ing to return thither, so the poet longs for some other condition 
 of existence where the divine spirit of song may forever lift him 
 above the trials and the littleness of this earthly life. 
 
 There is no sign of Christian influence in the poem, and it is 
 probably one handed down from a generation anterior to the 
 Conquest. 
 
 I. The word peuhcayotl (rom peiia, to begin, intimates that this 
 was a song chanted at the beginning of a musical entertainment. 
 The verses are longer, and the phraseology plainer than in many 
 of those following. There is also an absence of interjections and 
 lengthened vowels, all of which indicate that the time was 
 slow, and the actions of the singer temperate, as was the custom 
 at the beginning of a baile. (See Introd., p. 20.) 
 
 I. Ninoyolnotiotza^ a reflexive, frequentative form from notza, 
 to think, to reflect, itself from the primitive radicle 110, mind, 
 common to both the Nahuatl and Maya languages. The syllable 
 yol is for yollotl, heart, in its figurative sense of soul or mind. 
 The combination oi yolno7iotza is not found in any of the diction- 
 aries. The full sense is, " I am thinking by myself, in my heart." 
 
 ahuiaca, an adverbial form, usually means " pleasant-smelling," 
 though in derivation it is from the verb ahuia, to be satisfied with. 
 
 quetzal, for quetzalli, a long, handsome blue feather from the 
 quetzal bird, often used figuratively for anything beautiful or 
 precious. 
 
 129 
 
130 NOTES. 
 
 chalchinh for chalchiuitl, the famous green-stone, jade or em- 
 erald, so highly prized by the Mexicans ; often used figuratively 
 for anything noble, beautiful and esteemed. 
 
 htdtzitzicatin, a word not found in the dictionaries, appears to 
 be from tziiziica, to tremble, usually from cold, but here applied 
 to the tremulous motion of the humming bird as it hovers over a 
 flower. 
 
 zacuan, the yellow plumage of the zacuan bird, and from simi- 
 larity of color here applied to the butterfly. The zacuan is 
 known to ornithologists as the Oriolus dominicensis. These 
 birds are remarkably gregarious, sometimes as many as a hun- 
 dred nests being found in one tree (see Eduard Muhlenpfort, 
 Versuch ehier getreuen Schilderimg der Republik Blexiko, Bd. I, 
 p. 183). 
 
 acxoyatzinitzcanquauhtia ; composed of acxoyatl, the wild 
 laurel ; tzitiifzcan, the native name of the Trogon mexicanus, 
 renowned for its beautiful plumage; guauhtli, a tree; and the 
 place-ending //a, meaning abundance. 
 
 tlauquecJiolxochiquatthtla ; composed of tlauqiiechol , the native 
 name of the red, spoon-billed heron, Platalea ajaja; xochiil, 
 flower ; qiiaiihtli, tree ; and the place-ending tla. 
 
 tonameyotoc, the root is the verb totia, to shine, to be warm ; 
 tonatiuh, the sun ; tonameyotl, a ray of the sun, etc. As warmth 
 and sunlight are the conditions of growth and fertility, many 
 derivatives from this root signify abundance, riches, etc. 
 
 mocehcemelquixtia ; wo is the reflexive pronoun, 3d sing., often 
 used impersonally ; cehcemel, is a reduplicated form of the nu- 
 meral ce, one ; it conveys the sense of entire, whole, perfect, and 
 is thus an interesting illustration of the tendency of the untu- 
 tored mind to associate the idea of unity with the notion of per- 
 fection ; quixtia is the compulsive form oi qiiiza, to go forth. 
 
 onechittitique ; 3d person plural, preterit, of the causative form 
 of itta, to see ; ittitia, to cause to see, to show ; nech, me, accusa- 
 tive form of the pronoun. 
 
 noniexanco ; from cucxantli, the loose gown worn by the 
 natives, extending from the waist to the knees. Articles were 
 carried in it as in an apron ; 7io-cuexan-co, my-gown-in, the ter- 
 minal ///being dropped on suffixing the postposition. 
 
 tepilhuan ; ixompilli, boy, girl, child, young person, with the rel- 
 ative, indefinite, pronominal prefix te, and the pronominal plural 
 termination /rwaw, to take which, pilli drops its last syllable,/// 
 
NOTES. 131 
 
 hence, te-pil-hiian, somebody's children, or in general, the young 
 people. This word is of constant occurrence in the songs. 
 
 tetenctin, plural with reduplication of tetictli, a noble, a ruler, 
 a lord. The singer addresses his audience by this respectful 
 title. 
 
 2. ixochiciiicatzini ; i,'poss.Tpron.2,ds\ng.\ xochitl,^ovj&r\ cui- 
 caii, song ; tzin, termination signifying reverence or affection ; 
 " their dear flower-songs." 
 
 yuhqui tepetl, etc. The echo in the Nahuatl tongue is called 
 tepeyolotl^ the heart or soul of the mountain (not in Simeon's Dic- 
 tionnaire, but given by Tezozomoc, Cronica Mexicana, p. 202). 
 
 vieyaqiietzalatl; from meya, to flow slowly, to trickle ; quetzalli, 
 beautiful ; atl, water. 
 
 xiuhtotoameyalli ; the root xiuh meant originally green (or 
 blue, as they were not distinguished apart) ; hence xiuiil, a leaf 
 or plant, the green herbage ; as where the Nahuas then were this 
 was renewed annually, xiuitl came to mean a year ; as a comet 
 seems to have a bunch of fiery flames growing from it, this too was 
 xiuitl, and a turquoise was called by the same term ; in the 
 present compound, it is employed adjectively ; xiuh-totol, tur- 
 quoise-bird, is the Guiaca cerulea, Linn. ; anieyalli, from atl, 
 water, ineya, to trickle, and the noun ending. 
 
 mo-motla; to throw one's self, to dash one's self against some- 
 thing, etc. 
 
 centzontlatolli ; literally," four hundred speeches." The nu- 
 meral four hundred was employed, like the Greek " myriad," to 
 express vaguely any extraordinary number. . The term may be 
 rendered "the myriad-voiced," and was the common name of 
 the mocking-bird, called by ornithologists Turdus polygloittis, 
 Ca/audria polyglotta, and Miinus polyglotta. 
 
 coyoltototi, literally, " the rattle-bird," so called from its peculiar 
 notes {coyolli^ a rattle), is one of the Tanegridae, probably the 
 Piranga hepatic a. 
 
 ayacachicahuacti)nani' ; composed of ayacachtli, the rattle (see 
 ante, page 24) ; and icahuaca, to sing (of birds) ; to the theme of 
 this verb is added the connective syllable ti, and the verb mani, 
 which, in such connection, indicates that the action of the former 
 verb is expended over a large surface, broadly and widely (see 
 Olmos, Gram, de la Langue Nahuatl, p. 155, where, however, the 
 connective ti is erroneously taken for the pronoun //). 
 
 hueltetozcatemique ; composed of huel, good or well ; tetozca, 
 
132 NOTES. 
 
 from tozquitl, the singing voice ; and tenio, to let fall, to drop ; 
 que is the plural verbal termination. 
 
 3. ma fi-amech-ellelti, vetative causative from elleloa, to cause 
 pain. 
 
 cactiniotlaliqiie, appears to be a compound of caqui, to listen, 
 to hear, and tlalia, to seat, to place. 
 
 aniohuanipofzitzinhiian, a compound based on the pronoun of 
 the second person plural, a}no, the particle />c, which means simi- 
 larity or likeness, and the reduplicated reverential plural termina- 
 tion. The same particle /o, appears a few lines later in toqiiichpo- 
 huan ; potli = comrade, compeer. 
 
 4. Tepeilic, from tepell, mountain, ititl, belly, from which is de- 
 rived the proposition itic, within, among. The term is applied to 
 a ravine or sequestered valley. 
 
 5. quauhtliya oceloti, the expression quauhtli, oceloti, is of fre- 
 quent occurrence in the ancient Nahuatl writers. The words 
 mean literally " eagle, tiger." These were military titles applied 
 to officers commanding small bodies of troops ; figuratively, 
 the words mean control, power, and dignity ; also, bravery 
 and virtue. Comp. Agustin de Vetancurt, Teatro Mexicano, 
 Tratado II, cap. 3. 
 
 6. in tloqne in nahicaque ; this expression, applied by the ancient 
 Nahuas to the highest divinity, is attributed by some to Nezahu- 
 alcoyotl (see above, p. 36). It is composed of two postpositions 
 i/oc and nafmac, and in the form given conveys the meaning " to 
 whom are present and in whom are immanent all things having 
 life." See Agustin de la Rosa, Analisis de la Platica Mexicana 
 sobre el Misterio de la Santisinia Trinidad, p. 11 (Guadalajara, 
 1871). The epithet was applied in heathen times to the supreme 
 divinity Tonacateotl ; see the Codex Tellenatio-Retncnsis, in 
 Kingsborough's Mexico, Vol. VI, p. 107. 
 
 8. ximoayan ; this word does not appear in the dictionaries of 
 Molina or Simeon, and is a proof, as is the sentiment of the 
 whole verse, that the present poem belongs to a period previous 
 to the Conquest. The term means " where all go to stay," and 
 was the name of the principal realm of departed souls in the 
 mythology of the ancient Nahuas. See Bartholome de Alva, 
 Confessionario en Lengua Mexicana, fol. 13 (Mexico, 1634) ; Tez- 
 ozomoc, Cronica A/exicaua, cap. 55; D. G. Brinton ; The Jotirney 
 of the Soul (in Aztec and Aryan Myths), Philadelphia, 1883. 
 
 yhuiniia, causative form of ihiiinli, to make drunk. The Nir- 
 
NOTES. 133 
 
 vana of the Nahuas was for the soul to He in dense smoke and 
 darkness, filled with utter content, and free from all impressions 
 (" en lo profundo de contento y obscuridad,"Tezozomoc, Cronica 
 Mexicana, cap. 55). 
 
 II. 
 
 On the signification of the titles given to this poem see the In- 
 troduction, I 3. 
 
 1. yc/iuan Dios ; literally " who are God ; " the introduction of 
 the Spanish Dios, God, is in explanation of /« tloque m nahiiaqiie ; 
 so far from proving that this song is of late date, this vouches 
 for its genuine ancient character, through the necessity for such 
 explanation. 
 
 2. nelhuayotl, the essence or source of something, its true 
 nature ; probably from nelli, true. 
 
 teoquechobne ; the prefix teoti, divine, is often added as an ex- 
 pression of admiration. Sahagun mentions the teoqiiechol as a 
 bird of brilliant plumage. 
 
 III. 
 
 The poet recalls a recent attendance on the obsequies of an 
 acquaintance, and seeks to divert his mind from the gloomy con- 
 templation of death and the ephemeral character of mortal joys 
 by urging his friend to join in the pleasure of the hour, and by 
 suggesting the probability of an after life. 
 
 I. xochicaico ; compounded oi xochitl, flower ; calli, house ; and 
 the postposition, co. The term was applied to any room 
 decorated with flowers ; here, to the mortuary chamber, which 
 Tezozomoc tells us was decked with roses and brilliant feathers. 
 
 ipalnemohiiani, literally "the one by whom life exists." The 
 composition is /, possessive pronoun, third person, singular ; 
 pal, postposition, by ; nemoani, singular of the present in ni of 
 the impersonal form of the verb «<?;«/, to live, with the meaning 
 to do habitually that which the verb expresses. It is an ancient 
 epithet applied to the highest divinity, and is found in the Codex 
 Telleriatw-Reniensis, Kingsborough's Mexico, Vol. VI, p. 128, 
 note. 
 
 tolquatectitlan, from toloa, to lower, to bow ; quatequia, to im- 
 merse the head ; tlaii, place ending. In the ancient funeral cere- 
 
134 NOTES. 
 
 monies the faces of the assistants were laved with holy water. 
 On this rite see the note of Orozco y Berra to his edition of the 
 Cronica Mexicana of Tezozomoc, p. 435 (Mexico, 1878). 
 
 xoyacaltitlan ; from xoyaiii, to spoil, to decay, whence xoyanh- 
 gui, rank, unpleasant, like the odor of decaying substances. 
 
 xochicopal tlenauiactli, "the incense of sweet copal," which 
 was burned in the funeral chamber (see Tezozomoc's description 
 of the obsequies of Axayaca, Cron. J/ex., cap. 55). 
 
 2. The translation of this verse offers some special difficulties. 
 
 IV. 
 
 A poem of unusually rich metaphors is presented, with the 
 title " A Song of the Mexicans, after the manner of the Otomis." 
 It is a rhapsody, in which the bard sings his " faculty divine," 
 and describes the intoxication of the poetic inspiration. It has 
 every inherent mark of antiquity, and its thought is free from 
 any tincture of European influence. 
 
 2. Diiahuatototl, literally, " the corn-silk bird," iniahua being 
 the term applied to the silk or tassel of the maize ear when in 
 the milk. I have not found its scientific designation. 
 
 6. poyomatl ; the poyomatli is described by Sahagun {Hist, de 
 la Nueva Espana, Lib. X, cap. 24) as a species of rose, portions 
 of which were used to fill the cane tubes or pipes used for smok- 
 ing. He names it along with certain fungi employed for the 
 same purpose, and it probably produced a narcotic effect. 
 
 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 transitori- 
 ness 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 mis- 
 sionaries. 
 
 I. tofiequimi/ol ; I take this to be a derivative from qnimiloa, 
 to wrap up, especially, to shroud the dead, to wrap the corpse in 
 its winding sheets, as was the custom of tlie ancient Mexicans. 
 
NOTES. 135 
 
 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, i, and do 
 not consider that it detracts from the authentic antiquity of the 
 poem. 
 
 2. yoyoiitzin ; on the significance of this appellation of Nezahu- 
 alcoyotl, see Introduction, p. 35. 
 
 3. //' 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 Intro- 
 duction, p. 35. 
 
 6. The text of the latter part or refrain of verses 5 and 6 is cor- 
 rupt, and my translation is doubtful. 
 
 VI. 
 
 Most of the poems in this collection are not assigned to any 
 author, but this, and apparently the one following, are recorded 
 as the compositions of Tetlapan Quetzanitzin. He is evidently 
 the personage spoken of by Sahagun as " King of Tlacopan," as 
 present with Montezuma on the occasion of his first interview 
 with Cortez. Later in the struggle Tetlapan appears as the asso- 
 ciate of Quauhtemoctzin, the " King of Mexico." (See Saha- 
 gun, Hist, de la Nueva Espana, Lib. XII, cap. 16 and 40.) M. 
 R^mi Simeon explains the name to mean " he who deceives the 
 people by magic ; " deriving it from quetza, he places ; te, the 
 people, tlepan, on the fire. A simpler derivation seems to me pos- 
 sible from tetlapatiqui, miner, or quarryman (literally, stone- 
 breaker), and qaetzalli, red; qiietzatzin, the lord or master of the 
 miners. 
 
 Both this and the following are war songs, and have marked 
 similarity in thought and wording. The introduction of the 
 Spanish Dios was doubtless substituted by the scribe, for the 
 name of some native god of war, perhaps Huitzilopochtli. 
 
 I. Alia ; this word I take to be a form of the interjection ji'a/;«^, 
 or, as Olmos gives it in his Gravunar, aa. 
 
136 NOTES, 
 
 2. nepohtialoyan ; "the place of counting or reckoning," from 
 pohica, to count. The reference is not clear, and the translation 
 uncertain. In some parts of ancient Mexico they used in their 
 accounting knotted cords of various colors, like the Peruvian 
 quipus. These were called nepohualtzitzin. 
 
 4. This verse is remarkable for its sonorous phrases and the 
 archaic forms of the words. Its translation offers considerable 
 difficulty. 
 
 xontlachayan, I take to be an imperative form from tlachia, to 
 look, with the euphonic 07i. 
 
 teoatl tlachinolli,\\X.QXdX\y "the divine water {i. e. blood), the 
 burning," and the expression means war, battle. In one of his 
 sermons Fray Juan Bautista describes the fall of Jericho in the 
 words, otialtitechya in altepetl teuatl tiachinolli ye opoliuh, and 
 explains it, " the town was destroj-ed with fire and blood" {Ser- 
 tnones en Lengua 3/exicana, p. 122). The word tiachinolli is from 
 chinoa, to burn. 
 
 quetzalalpilo ; a compound of quetzalli, a beautiful feather, and 
 tlalpiloni, the band which passed around the head to keep the 
 hair in place. 
 
 5. melchiquiuhticaya ; " he who presented his breast," an 
 imperfect, reflexive form. Molina gives melchiquiuh petlaiihqiii, 
 with the translation despechugado. Vocabulario Mexicana, s. v. 
 
 VII. 
 
 The second specimen from the muse of Tetlapan Quetzanitzin 
 is the noblest war song in the collection. It is an appeal to his 
 friends to join in a foray to Chiapas. The intoxication of the 
 battle field is compared to that produced by the strong white wine 
 prepared from maguey, which was drunk only on solemn occa- 
 sions. The bard likens the exhaustion of his fellow warriors 
 from previous conflicts, to the stupor which follows a debauch, 
 and he exhorts them to throw it aside. 
 
 I. oamaxque, o, pret. a>n, you, axque, 2d pi. pret. from ay, 
 to do. 
 
 odicatl, apparently an old form from odli, the intoxicating 
 beverage prepared from the maguey. 
 
 oanqiiique, 2d pi. pret. from cui, to take. 
 
 ohnican, a place of difiiculty and danger. 
 
NOTES. , 137 
 
 The frequent addition of the terminal o in this and the succeed- 
 ing verses is merely euphonic. 
 
 2. icoatj tiachinolli ; see note VI, 4. 
 
 /;/ inaqiiiztli tlazotetl, the beloved jewels, a phrase which iiuli- 
 cates that the broken stones and splintered emeralds referred to 
 are the young warriors who fall in battle, the pride of their 
 parents' hearts, who are destroyed in the fight. 
 
 The tizaoctii, white wine (^tizatl, chalk, hence white, and octli, 
 wine), referred to in this passage, is said by Sahagun to have been 
 drunk especially at the feast of the god Papaztac, one of the 
 many gods of the wine cup. Hist, de Nueva EspaFia, Lib. II, 
 App. Tezozomoc mentions it as handed to the mourners at 
 funeral ceremonies. Cronica Mexicana, cap. 55. 
 
 3. xochitlalticpacillmicacpao ; in this long compound oi xochitl, 
 flower, Haiti, earth, and ilhuicatl, sky, with various postpositions 
 and the euphonic terminal o, the final /a gives the sense of loca- 
 tion, towards, in the direction of. 
 
 chinialxochitl ; " the shield flower," the shield or buckler of 
 the ancient warriors, ornamented with tassels and feathers, is 
 not unaptly called the flower of war. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 The entire absence in this lament for the dead of any conso- 
 lation drawn from Christian doctrines, points clearly to a date 
 for its composition earlier than the teachings of the missionaries. 
 Its cry of woe is hopeless, and the title attributes its authorship 
 to one of the old chieftains, tlatoani, who held the power before 
 the Spaniard arrived. 
 
 1. quetzalJuiahuaciuhtoque, from qtietzalli, fmaqui ; in teintoqjce, 
 the splinters ; the same simile is employed in VII, 2. 
 
 2. ximoaya?t,SQ& note to I, 8. The occurrence of this term here 
 and in verse 3 testifies to the fact of a composition outside of 
 Christian influences. 
 
 IX. 
 
 The title does not necessarily mean that this song is a transla- 
 tion from the Otomi language, but merely that the time to which 
 it was chanted was in the Otomi style ; or, the term Otomi may 
 
 J 
 
138 NOTES. 
 
 have reference to the miHtary officer so called. The word is per- 
 haps a compound of <?///, path, and mitl, arrow. 
 
 The bard sings the vanity of eartlily pleasures, and the reality 
 of earthly pains ; he exhorts himself and his hearers not to neglect 
 the duties of religion, and lauds his own skill in song, which he 
 compares to the sweet voices of melodious birds. There is 
 nothing in the poem which reflects European influence. 
 
 1. xotlacueponi ; the meaning of this compound is obscure. It 
 is not found in the dictionaries. 
 
 2. The terminal o is inserted several times in the passage to 
 express emotion and fill the metre. 
 
 mixitl tlapatl. A phrase signifying the stupor or drunkenness 
 that comes from swallowing or smoking narcotic plants. See 
 Olmos, Granunaire de la Layigue Nahuatl, pp. 223, 228 ; oquiqiieo 
 is from i, to drink, or cui, to take, the o terminal being euphonic. 
 
 X. 
 
 The poet expresses his grief that his songs all dwell on pain- 
 ful topics; he exhorts his hearers of the vanity of fame and 
 skill in handicrafts, and of the uncertainty of life ; closing, he 
 appeals especially to those of Tezcuco and Atecpan to listen 
 and believe his warnings. 
 
 In spite of the introduction of the Spanish word Dios, and the 
 exhortation to " believe," in the last line, it is possible that the 
 substance of this song was due to purely native inspiration ; yet 
 it may have been, like Song XIX, one of those written at an 
 early period for the converts by the missionaries. 
 
 XL 
 
 In a similar strain as in the last poem, the bard bewails the 
 briefness of human life and friendships. He closes with an appeal 
 to the Master of Life, of whom no mortal tongue can speak in 
 worthy and appropriate terms. 
 
 6. ihuiii, apparently a form of ihuintia. 
 
 tonan ; the reference appears to be to Tonantzin, Our Mother, 
 otherwise known as Cihuacoat!, the Serpent Woman. Slie was 
 the mythical mother of tlie human race, and dispensed afflictions 
 
I 
 
 NOTES. 139 
 
 and adverse fortune. See Sahagun, Hist, dc la Xiieva Espana, 
 Lib. I, cap. 6. Tlie name is a proof of the antiiiuily of the poem, 
 which is throughout in the spirit of the ancient reUgion. 
 
 XII. 
 
 As stated in the Introduction (| lo), a note prefixed to this song 
 introduces it as a transhition from the Otomi into the Nahuatl 
 tongue. It admirably illustrates the poetic flexibility of the Na- 
 huatl. 
 
 3. epoyhicayan, from epoalli, sixty ; teoquauhtli ocelotl, " divine 
 eagles, tigers." These terms refer to the warriors bearing these 
 titles. 
 
 tlazomaqidzietl, " beloved, precious stones," a figure of speech 
 referring to the youths who go to war. The same or similar 
 metaphors are used in previous songs. 
 
 5. The fifth and sixth verses present serious difficulties of con- 
 struction which I do not flatter myself I have overcome. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 The inhabitants of Huexotzinco were in frequent strife with 
 those of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, and on various occasions the lat- 
 ter captured many prisoners. The present poem is represented 
 to be a composition of one of these prisoners when he and his 
 companions were confined in Tlatilolco, one of the suburbs of 
 Tenochtitlan. It breathes hatred against his captors and an 
 ardent thirst for vengeance. The latest date at which I find cap- 
 tives from Huexotzinco detained in Mexico is 1511, and it is to 
 this year, therefore, that I assign the composition of the poem. 
 
 5. Atloyantepetl; this name possibly means " the mountain of 
 the place of the water-falcons " {atl, water ; tlatli, falcon ; yan, 
 place-ending; tepetl, mountain). I have not found it in other 
 writers. (See Index.) 
 
 8. tlaylotlaqui; Simeon, on the authority of Aubin, explains 
 this term as the name of a tribe living near Tezcuco. In deri- 
 vation it appears to be a term of contempt, " workers in filth or 
 refuse," scum, offscourings. It also appears in Song XV. 
 
 10. The construction of this verse is so obscure, or the text 
 so imperfect, that the translation is doubtful. 
 
140 NOTES. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 This poem, chanted in 1551 before the Governor of Azcapo- 
 tzalco, by Francisco Placido, a native of Huexotzinco, is a Chris- 
 tian song in the style and metre of the ancient poetry. See the 
 Introduction, p. 51. 
 
 I. impetlatl ; the ordinary meaning of />^//ai'/ 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. 
 
 XV. 
 
 This extremely difficult composition seems to be a war song, 
 in which the bard refers to the traditional history of the Nahuas, 
 names some of their most prominent warriors, and incites his 
 hearers to deeds of prowess on the battle field. I do not claim 
 for my version more than a general correspondence to the 
 thought of the original. In several parts, especially verse 18, 
 the text is obviously defective. 
 
 1. tzihitactitlan ; " the land of the tzihuac bushes." The tzihu- 
 actli is a small kind of maguey which grows in rocky localities. 
 The tenth edifice of the great temple at Tenochtitlan was a wall 
 surrounding an artificial rockery planted with these bushes. Sa- 
 hagun, who mentions this fact, adds that the name of this edifice 
 was Teotla/pan, which literally means " on holy ground." {Hist, 
 de la Nueva Espana, Lib. II, App.) The rnizquitl is the common 
 Mimosa circinalis. 
 
 Chicomoztoc ; "at the Seven Caves," a famous locality in Mex- 
 ican legend, and the supposed birthplace of their race. 
 
 2. Colhuacan is probably fur Acolhuacan ; the early rulers of 
 the latter were of the blood of the Chichimec chiefs of the Tepan- 
 ecas. 
 
 4. Hueytlalpaii, " at the ancient land," perhaps for Huetlapal- 
 lan, a locality often referred to in the migration myths of the Na- 
 huas. 
 
 5. Atloyan ; see note to XIII, 6. 
 
 9. The ceiba and cypress trees were employed figuratively 
 to indicate protection and safeguard. .See Olmos, Gram, de la 
 La)igue Nahuatl,\>. 7.11. 
 
 12. On tlailothiqui, see note to XIII, 8. The interjectional 
 appendages to this and the following verse are increased. 
 
f 
 
 NOTES. 141 
 
 15. Tepeyacan was the name of a mountain on which before 
 tlie Conquest was a temple dedicated to the " Mother of our Life," 
 Tonantzin. 
 
 16. thipalcayocan, "the phxce of shards," of broken pieces, /. e., 
 the field of battle. 
 
 19. The word fotomihuacan, which has already occurred in vv. 
 3 and 7, I have translated as referring to the war captains of the 
 Mexican armies, called otonii (see Bandelier, On the Art of War 
 of the Ancient 3Iex~icafis, p. 117). I am quite open for correction 
 however. 
 
 27. iti ipetl icpal; in a translation of an ancient song, Ixtlilxo- 
 chitl renders the expression /« ipetlicpalin teotl, "en el trono y 
 tribunal de Dios," Historia Chichimeca, cap. 32. 
 
 29. Mictlan ; the place of departed souls in Aztec mythology. 
 
 XVI. 
 
 In this stirring war-song, the poet reproaches his friends for 
 their lukewarmness in the love of battle. He reminds them that 
 life is transitory, and the dead rise not again, and that the 
 greatest joy of the brave is on the ringing field of fray where 
 warriors win renown. It is in the spirit of the Scotch harper : — 
 
 " 'Twere worth ten years of peaceful life, 
 One hour of such a day." 
 
 1. Each verse terminates with an interjectional refrain. The 
 frequent introduction of the particle on is intended to add 
 strengtli and gravity to the oration. 
 
 2. oppan piltihna. Compare this expression with that in v. 22, 
 p. 44. 
 
 3. xochimicohuayan, should perhaps be translated, " where the 
 captives to be immolated to the Gods are taken." The xochbn- 
 ique, " those destined to a flowery death " were the captives who 
 were reserved for sacrifice to the gods. See Joan Bautista, Ser- 
 monario en Lengua Mexicana, p. 180. 
 
 4. yaoxochimiquiztica, " pertaining to the slaughter of the 
 flowery war." This adjective refers to the peculiar institution of 
 the " flowery war," gnerra florida, which obtained among the 
 ancient Mexicans. It appears to have been a contest without 
 provocation, and merely for the display of prowess and to take 
 
142 NOTES. 
 
 captives to supply the demand for human sacrifices in the 
 religious rites. On this see Tezozomoc, Cronica Mexicana^ cap. 
 96. 
 
 XVII. 
 
 In this long fragment — the closing strophes are missing in my 
 MS. — the bard represents himself as a stranger appearing before 
 the nobles of Huexotzinco at some festival. The first two verses 
 appear to be addressed to him by the nobles. They ask him to 
 bring forth his drum and sing. He begins with a laudation of the 
 power of music, proceeds to praise the noble company present, 
 and touches those regretful chords, so common in the Nahuatl 
 poetry, which hint at the ephemeral nature of all joy and the cer- 
 tainty of death and oblivion. An appeal is made to the Master 
 of Life who inspires the soul of the poet, and whose praises 
 should be ever in mind. 
 
 The words Z>/6).f and a«^^/c»//;/, in verse 26th, indicate that the 
 poem has received some " recension " by the Spanish copyist ; 
 but the general tone impresses me as quite aboriginal in character. 
 
 2. quauhtlocclotl, see note to I, 5. 
 
 3. In this verse, as frequently elsewhere, the syllable ya is 
 introduced merely to complete the metre. Ordinarily it is the 
 sign of the imperfect tense, and has other meanings (see the Vo- 
 cabulary), but in many instances does not admit of translation. 
 
 8. noncoaii, for 7ii-on-coatl, I am a guest. 
 
 18. The references in this verse are obscure, and I doubt if I 
 have solved them. 
 
 20. "The house of spring; " compare the expression in v. i, of 
 Nezahualcoyotl's song, p. 42. 
 
 21. A long oration of Xicontecatl, lord of Tizatlan, may be 
 found in Clavigero, Hist. Antica di Messico, Tom. Ill, p. 40. The 
 expression in camaxochitzin, from cmnail, mouth, xochitl, 
 rose, flower, and the reverential tzin, is noteworthy. 
 
 24. petlacoatl, the centipede or scolopender ; ixom pet/ati, mat, 
 and coal/, serpent, as they are said to intertwine with each other, 
 like the threads of a mat (.Sahagun, Lib. XII, cap. 4K 
 
NOTES. 143 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 At this portion of the MS. several poems are preceded by a 
 Hne of syllables indicating: their accompaniment on the teponaz- 
 tli (see Introduction, p. 32). 
 
 The present number is one of the most noteworthy songs of the 
 collection. It belongs to the ancient cyclus of Quetzalcoatl 
 myths, and gives a brief relation of the destruction of Tollan and 
 the departure and disappearance of the Light God, Quetzalcoatl 
 Ce Acatl. As I have elsewhere collated this typical myth at 
 length, and interpreted it according to the tenets of modern 
 mythologic science, I shall not dwell upon it here (see D. G. 
 Brinton, American Hero Myths, Phila., 1S82). 
 
 The text of the poem is quite archaic, and presents many diffi- 
 culties. But my translation, I think, gives the general sense cor- 
 rectly. 
 
 1. huapalcaUi ; literally, "the house constructed of beams." This 
 name was applied to the chief temple of theToltecs ; the ruins of 
 an ancient structure at Tollantzinco were pointed out at the 
 time of the Conquest as those of this building (see Sahagun, 
 Hist, de la Nueva EspaJia, Lib. X, cap. 29). 
 
 coatlaquetzalli ; this edifice, said to have been left incomplete 
 by Quetzalcoatl, when he forsook Tollan, had pillars in the form 
 of a serpent, the head at the base, the tail at the top of the pillar. 
 (See Orozco y Berra, Hist. Antigua de Mexico, Tom. Ill, pp.30 
 and 46.) The structure is mentioned as follows in the Atiales 
 de Oiauhtitlan : — 
 
 ^^ Aiihiniquac nemia Quetzalcoatl quitzintica, qiiipeuahtica iteo- 
 cal quiinaman coatlaquetzali ihuan amo quitzonquixti, aino qui- 
 pantlaz." 
 
 " And when Quetzalcoatl was living, he began and commenced 
 the temple of his which is the Coatlaquetzali (Serpent Plumes), 
 and he did not finish it, he did not fully erect it." 
 
 Nacxitl Topiltzin, " Our Lord the four-footed." Wa^;rz// appears 
 to have been the name of Quetzalcoatl, in his position as lord of 
 the merchants. Compare Sahagun, ubi supra, Lib. I, cap. 19. 
 
 2. Poyauhtecatl, a volcano near Orizaba, mentioned by Sahagun. 
 Acallan, a province bordering on the Laguna de los Terminos. 
 
 The myth reported that Quetzalcoatl journeyed to the shores of 
 the Gulf about the isthmus of Tehuantepec and there disap- 
 peared. 
 
144' NOTES. 
 
 3. Nonohualco ; the reference is to the cerro de Nonoalco, 
 which plays a part in the Quetzalcoatl myth. The words of the 
 song are ahnost those of Tezcatlipoca when he is introduced to 
 Quetzalcoatl. Asked whence he came, he replied, " Nihuitz in 
 Nonohualcatepetl itzintla, etc." {Anales de Cuauhtitlan). 
 
 4. The occurrences alluded to are the marvels performed by 
 Quetzalcoatl on his journey from Tulan. See my American 
 Hero Myths, p. 115. 
 
 5. The departure of Quetzalcoatl was because he was ordered 
 to repair to Tlapallan, supposed to be beyond Xicalanco. 
 
 8. qitinti, for iqiiifitia ; the reference is to the magic draught 
 given Quetzalcoatl by Tezcatlipoca. 
 
 9. In teil, i?i qnahiiitl; literally, " stone and stick ; " a very com- 
 mon phrase in Nahautl, to signify misfortunes. 
 
 XIX. 
 In this song we have avowedly a specimen of an early chant 
 prepared probably by Bishop Zummarraga for the native converts. 
 The accompaniment on the teponaztli is marked at the beginning. 
 The language is noticeably different from the hymn to Quetzal- 
 coatl just given (XVIII). 
 
 XX. 
 
 Another song of the antique Quetzalcoatl cyclus. It bewails the 
 loss of Tulan, and the bard seeks in vain for any joyous theme to 
 inspire his melody, reflecting on all that has bloomed in glory 
 and now is gone forever. 
 
 3. Tetl-quahitl ; see note to XVIII, 9. 
 
 XXI. 
 
 The occurrence to which this poem alludes took place about 
 the year 1507. The chroniclers state that it was in the early 
 period of the reign of Montezuma II, thilt the natives of Huexot- 
 zinco, at that time allies of the Mexicans, were severely harassed 
 by the Tlascallans, and applied, not in vain, to their powerful 
 suzerain to aid them. (See Tezozomoc, Cronica ilfexicana, cap. 
 97.) 
 
NOTES. *145 
 
 The poet does not appee\r to make a direct petition, but indi- 
 rectly praises the grandeur of Montezuma and expresses his own 
 ardent love for his native Huexotzinco. The song would appear 
 to be used as a delicate prelude to the more serious negotia- 
 tions. It is one of the few historical songs in the collection. 
 From the references in verses i and 3 we infer that this singer 
 held in his hand the painted book from which he recited the 
 couplets. This may explain the presentation of the piece. 
 
 I. hueizcani; one who laughs, a jester, perhaps the designation 
 of one who sang cheerful songs. 
 
 chakhiiihatlaquiquizcopa; a word of difficult analysis. I sus- 
 pect an omission of an /, and that the compound includes 
 tlaquilqui, one who fastens and puts together, a mason, etc. 
 
 5. The sense is that the warriors of Montezuma when on the 
 field of battle, shine in their deeds like beautiful flowers in a field, 
 and win lasting fame by their exploits. 
 
 inopopoyauhtoc . The grammarian Olmos explains the reflex- 
 ive verb ino-popoyauhtiuh to signify "he leaves an honored mem- 
 ory of his exploits." See Simeon, Dictionaire de la Lang ue Na- 
 huat/, sub voce. 
 
 7. Huexotzinco atzalan ; "Huexotzinco amid the waters." 
 This expression, repeated in verse 8, appears inappropriate to 
 the town of Huexotzinco, which lies inland. In fact, the descrip- 
 tion in verse 7 applies to Tenochtitlan rather than the singer's 
 own town. But the text does not admit this translation. Per- 
 haps we should read "Huexotzinco and Atzalan," as there are yet 
 two villages of that name in the state of Puebla (which embraced 
 part of ancient Huexotzinco). 
 
 10. petiatolitii, I have derived from petlatl, suspecting an error 
 in transcription. The reference is to the rushes in the mat on 
 which the singer stood. 
 
 XXII. 
 
 The ordinary sad burden of the Nahuatl poets is repeated with 
 emphasis in this plaint. It is a variation of the Epicurean advice, 
 "Eat, drink, and be merry, for to-morrow we die." Both the 
 sentiment and the reference to Mictlan in verse 7, point it out 
 as a production uninfluenced by Christian teaching. 
 
 7. The word ahtcicaloyan, place of sweetness, would seem to 
 be identical with ohuicaloyati, place of difficulty, in v. 8; I iiave 
 regarded the latter as an error of transcription. 
 
146 NOTES. 
 
 XXIII. 
 
 Althougli No. V. is probably one of the lost songs of Nezahual- 
 coyotl, the present is the only one of the collection which is defin- 
 itely attributed to him. The language is very archaic, and in the 
 sentiment there is every mark of antiquity. 
 
 The text is apparently a dialogue, which was chanted as 
 strophe and antistrophe, the one singer speaking for the King- 
 the other for the bard himself. 
 
 The word teotl is used for divinity, and it is doubtless this word 
 for which the copyists of some of the other songs have substi- 
 tuted the Spanish Dios, thus conveying an impression that the 
 chants themselves were of late date. 
 
 The last verse, however, seems to be by one who lives after 
 the time of the great poet-prince, and is calling him to memory. 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 It will be seen that there is a wearisome sameness in the 
 theme of most of the short poems. Probably the bards followed 
 conventional models, and feared for the popularity of their pro- 
 ducts, did they seek originality. Here again are the same 
 delight in flowers and songs, and the same grief at the thought 
 that all such joys are evanescent and that soon " death closes 
 all." 
 
 I consider the poem one of undoubted antiquity and purely 
 native in thought and language. 
 
 XXV. 
 
 The destruction of the Mexican state was heralded by a series of 
 omens and prodigies which took place at various times during 
 the ten years preceding the arrival of Cortes. They are care- 
 fully recorded by Sahagun, in the first chapter of the 12th book of 
 his history. They included a comet, or " smoking star," as these 
 were called in Nahuatl, and a bright flame in the East and South- 
 east, over the mountains, visible from midnight to daylight, for a 
 year. This latter occurred in 1509. The song before us is a bod- 
 ing chant, referring to such prognostics, and drawing from them 
 the inference that the existence of Mexico was doomed. It was 
 
NOTES. 147 
 
 probably from just such songs tliat Sahagun derived his inforiii- 
 ation. 
 
 1. ioztliyan, I suppose from tozquiil, the singing voice, in the 
 locative ; literally, " the quechol in the place of sweet-singing." 
 
 2. iquiapan, from i, possessive prefix, quiauatl, door, entrance, 
 house, /<?//, in. 
 
 5. An obscure verse ; tequantepcc, appears to be a textual error ; 
 fcquaiii, a ravenous beast, from qua to eat ; tepee, a mountain ; 
 but tcquantepehua occurring twice later in the poem induces the 
 belief tequani should be taken in its figurative sense of afllic- 
 tion, destruction, and that tepee is an old verbal form. 
 
 7. XoehitecatI, " one who cares for flowers," is said by Sahagun 
 to have been the name applied to a woman doomed to sacrifice 
 to the divinities of the mountains {Hist. Nueva Espana, Lib. II, 
 cap. 13). 
 
 8. ainaxtecatl, or ajtioxteeatt, ?iS the MS. may read, from amoxtli, 
 a book. 
 
 XXVI. 
 
 This seems to be a song of victory to celebrate an attack upon 
 Atlixco by the ruler of Tezcuco, the famous Nezahualpilli. This 
 monarch died in 1516, and therefore the song must antedate this 
 period, if it is genuine. It has every intrinsic evidence of anti- 
 quity, and I think may justly be classed among those preserved 
 from a time anterior to the Conquest. According to the chro- 
 nologies preserved, the attack of Nezahualpilli upon Atlixco was 
 in the year XI tochtli, which corresponds to 1490, two years before 
 the discovery by Columbus (see Orozco y Berra, Hist. Antigua 
 de Mexico, Tom. Ill, p. 399). 
 
 XXVII. 
 
 My MS. closes with a Christian song in the style of the ancient 
 poetry. It is valuable as indicating the linguistic differences 
 between these later productions of the sixteenth century and 
 those earlier ones, such as XXVI, which I have not hesitated to 
 assign to an epoch before the Spaniards landed upon the shores 
 of New Spain. 
 
VOCABULARY. 
 
 The Roman numerals refer to the songs, the Arabic to the 
 verses, in which the word occurs. Abbreviations: lit., Hterally ; 
 ref., reflexive; pret., preterit; rev., reverential \ freq., frequenta- 
 tive; post., postposition ; Span., a Spanish word. 
 
 A, adv. No, not, in comp. 
 
 A, ji. For att, water, in comp. ; as acalH, water-house, i. c, a 
 
 boat. 
 A, iiitcrj. Oh ! ah ! placed after the word on which stress is 
 
 laid. 
 P^c, pron., interj. Who ? 
 Aca, proti. Some, any ; somebody. 
 Acalli, n. A boat, of any kind. 
 Ach, dubitative particle. Indeed ? is it not ? etc. 
 Achitzinca, adv. A little while, a short time. 
 Achquen, rt^c'. At what time ? When? 
 Aci, r'. To reach, to acquire. 
 Acohuetzi, v. To console, to make glad. I, 3. 
 Acoquiza, v. To lift up, to raise, to increase in dignity or power. 
 Acotlaza, :-. To console. 
 Acxoyatl, n. The wild laurel. 
 
 Ahauia, v. To rejoice, take pleasure in; freq. of ahuia. 
 Ahuachia, v. To wet one's self, to bathe. VII, 4. 
 Ahuachtli, ;/. Dew, moisture. 
 
 Ahuehuetl, n. The cypress tree ; Cupressus disticha. 
 Ahuia, V. To rejoice, to be joyful. 
 Ahuiac, adj. Agreeable, pleasant, sweet. 
 Ahuian, adj. Content, satisfied. 
 Ahuicpa, adv. From one place to another. 111,3. 
 Aic, adv. Never. 
 Altepetl, «. Town, city, citadel. 
 Amech,/>r<?«. rel. You, to you. 
 
 Ameyalli, n. A fountain, a stream; ///., flowing water. 
 Amilli, 71. Watered and arable land. XIV, 6. 
 
 140 
 
150 VOCABULARY. 
 
 Amo, adv. No, not ; amo ma, no other ; anio zannen, not in vain ; 
 
 pron., you, yours. 
 Amoxpetlatl, «. Book-mat. See XIX, 3. 
 Amoxtecatl, «. See XXV, 8, note. 
 A.n, pron. You. 
 
 Ana, V. To take, to grasp, to seize. 
 Anahuia, v. To be dissatisfied . 
 Anca, art'y. Of the kind that. XVII, 12. 
 Ane, adv. Hollo ! in calling. 
 Angelotin, n. Angels. Span. XVII, 26. 
 Ano, adv. As little, neither. 
 Anozo, conj. Or, perhaps. 
 Aoc, adv. Not yet. 
 Apana, v. To clothe. 
 
 Apano, V. To ford, to cross water. XVIII, 2. 
 Aquen, adv. Nothing, in no manner. 
 Aquin, proti. Who ? in aquin, he who. 
 At, adv. Perhaps, perchance. 
 Atayahuili, for at ay a iieli. Not yet, not even. 
 Atihuelmati, v. Not to be well. IX, 3. 
 Atl, n. Water. 
 
 Atlamachtia, v. To praise one ; ref., to be proud. 
 Atle, pron. Nothing. 
 Atley, in alley. Without. 
 Atonauia, v. To have a fever, to be sick. 
 Auh, conj. And, even, also. 
 Axalli, ;/. Bar-sand, water-sand. 
 Ay, V. pret. oax. To do, to make. 
 Aya, adv. Not yet, not now. 
 
 Ayacachtli, n. A musical instrument. See p. 24. 
 Ayahuitl, n. Fog, mist, vapor. 
 
 Ayauh cozamalotl, n. The rainbow; ///., "mist of water jewels.' 
 Ayoc, adv. Already not. Ayoctle, nothing more. 
 Ayoquan, a^/r'. Aoc-iuan. Nothing like it, unequaled. XVII, 17. 
 Ayoquic, adv. Nevermore. V, 6. 
 Azan, adv. Not a little, not a few. 
 Azo, conj. Or, perhaps, percliance. 
 Aztlacapalli, n. The tail feathers of a bird. XVII, 10. 
 
 Q., pron. rel. He, her, it, him ; poslpos., with, by, in, from, at. 
 Ca, adv. Already, yes, because, for, truly, only. 
 
VOCABULARY. 151 
 
 Ca, V. To be (in a place). 
 
 Csi, postpos. With, by, by means of. 
 
 Cacali, v. To discharge arrows. 
 
 Cacopa, />(?j/. Toward, towards. 
 
 Cahua, v. To leave, to let, to desert, to stop, to lay down. 
 
 Calaquia, v. To enter, to go in. 
 
 Calli, ;/. A house ; in comp. cal, as nocal, my house. 
 
 Calmecac, u. A public school, p. lo. 
 
 Camapantli, ;/. The cheeks, the face. XXVI, 5. 
 
 Camatl, n. The mouth. 
 
 Campa, adv. Where, whither. 
 
 Can, adv. andpostpos. Where. 
 
 Canauhtli, «. A duck. XXI, 9. 
 
 Canel, adv. Since, as, because. 
 
 Caqui, v. To hear, to listen to. 
 
 Catlehuatl,/>r(3«. Who? which ? whoever, whatever. 
 
 Catqui, v. irreg. From ca, to be (in a place). 
 
 Cauhtehua, v. To leave a place. 
 
 Caxtlauitl, n. A kind of ochre. XVII, 10. 
 
 Ce, adj. and art. One, a, an. 
 
 Cece, or Cecen, adj. Each, every. 
 
 Cecemelquixtia, v. To come forth wholly, perfectly. I, i. 
 
 Cecemeltia, v. re/. To rejoice, to feel glad. 
 
 Cecemeltic, adj. Complete, whole, entire. 
 
 Cecemmana, v. To disperse, to scatter. 
 
 Cehuia, 7'. To rest, to repose. 
 
 Cel. Sole only. 
 
 Celia, V. I. To receive, to obtain. 2. To blossom, to bloom. 
 
 Cemanahuatl, «. The world, the universe. 
 
 Cemelle, adv. With peace or joy. Usually with a negative aic 
 cetnelle, never peacefully. XV, 18; XVI, i. 
 
 Cemilhuiltilia, v. To detain one for a day. 
 
 Cemilhuitl, n. One day. 
 
 Cen, adv. Forever, for always ; cenyauh, to go forever, to die. 
 
 Cenca, adv. Very much, exceedingly. 
 
 Cenci, adv. Elsewhere. 
 
 Cenquixtia, v. To select from, to pick from, 
 
 CentzontlatoUi, n. The mocking bird. Tardus polyglothis ; lit. , 
 "the myriad-voiced." 
 
 Centzontli, adj. fium. Four hundred, used for any large num- 
 ber. 
 
152 VOCABULARY. 
 
 Cepanoa, v. To unite, to join togetlier. 
 
 Chalchiuhitl, n. The Mexican jade or green stone ; emerald 
 
 Jig., green ; precious. 
 Chane, n. Inhabitant or resident of a place. 
 Chantli, n. A dwelling, a residence ; in conip., chau. 
 Chia, V. To wait, to expect. 
 
 Chialoni, n. That which is awaited or expected. 
 Chicahuac, adj. Strong, powerful. 
 Chichia, v. i. To make bitter. 2. To obey. XIII, 9. 
 Chichina, t'. To snuff up, imbibe, or suck up, especially the 
 
 odors of burning incense, through a tube. VH, 4; X\TI, 10. 
 Chichinaquiliztli, n. Torment, pain, suffering. 
 Chihua, v. To make, to do, to happen ; chihua in noyollo, my 
 
 heart is troubled, I am pained. 
 Chimalli, n. The native shield or buckler. VI, 4. 
 Chitoni, v. To sparkle, to glitter. 
 Chitonia, v. To gain, to realize a profit. V, 4. 
 Chittolini, v. To bow down, to sink. 
 Choca, V. To cry (of animals and man). 
 Ciahui, v. To fatigue one's self, to tire. 
 
 Cihuacoatl, ;/. A magistrate of high rank ; ///., " woman serpent." 
 Cihuatl, ;/. A woman. 
 Citlalin, n. A star. 
 Co, pos//>os. In, from. 
 Coa, or Cohua, v. To buy, to purchase. 
 Cochitia, v. To sleep. 
 Cocoa, z'. To pain, to give pain. 
 Cocolia, V. To hate. 
 Cocoya, z'. To be sick. 
 Cohuatl, or Coatl, ;/. A serpent ; a guest ; a twin ; the navel ; a 
 
 spade. 
 CohuayotI, «. Buying, purchasing. V, 2. 
 Colli, ;/. Ancestor, forefather. 
 Coloa, z'. To twist, to turn, to bend. 
 Comoni, z'. To crackle (of a fire); to be turlnilent (of people). 
 
 XXIV. 
 Con, prou. Some one ; comp. of c and on. 
 Copa, postpos. By, toward. 
 Copalli, ;/. Resin, gum copal. 
 Coyoua. r. To cry, to yell. XIII, 7. 
 Coyohuacan, n. Tlie place of wolves. XIII, 10. 
 
 I 
 
VOCABULARY. 153 
 
 Coyoltototl, n. The coyol bird, Piranq;a hepatica. 
 
 Coyotl, //. Tlie coyote, the Mexican wolf. 
 
 Cozcatia, v. To deck with golden chains. IV, 4. 
 
 Cozcatl, n. Jewel, precious stone ; a string of such ; a chain or 
 
 collar. 
 Cuecuexantia, v. To gather in the folds of the robe. 
 Cuecueya, v. To move to and fro. XXI, 9. 
 Cuepa, V. To turn, to return, to bring back. 
 Cueponi, v. To blossom, to bud, to bloom. 
 Cuetlani, :/. To wilt, to perish. XV, 15. 
 Cuetzpalti, v. To act as a glutton, to revel in. XVII, 5. 
 Cuexantli, n. Gown, robe, petticoat. 
 Cui, V. To take, to gather, to collect. 
 Cuica, n. A song, a poem. 
 Cuicani, n. A singer, a poet. 
 
 Cuicoyan, n. A place for singing. See note to p. 10. 
 Cuihua, V. Pass, of cui, q. v. 
 Cuilia, V. Rev. of cui, q. v. 
 Cuiloa, V. To paint, to write. 
 Cuiltonoa, v. To be rich ; to rejoice greatly ; to enrich or cause 
 
 joy. XV, 6. 
 Cuitlatl, n. Excrement, dung. 
 Cuix, adv. An interrogative particle. 
 
 Ecacehuaztli, n. A fan. 
 
 Ehecatl, n. Wind, air. 
 
 Ehecayo, adj. Full of wind, stormy. 
 
 Ehua, V. To lift up, especially to raise the voice in singing. 
 
 Elchiquihuitl, 71. The breast, the stomach. 
 
 Elchiquiuheua, v. To fatigue, to tire. VI, 5. 
 
 Elcicihuiliztli, 71. A sigh, a groan. 
 
 Elehuia, v. To desire ardently, to covet. 
 
 Ellaquahua, v. To animate, to inspire. 
 
 Ellelaci, v. To suffer great pain. 
 
 EUelli, «. Suffering, pain. 
 
 Ellelquixtia, v. To cause joy, to make glad. 
 
 Elleltia, v. Ref.,\o regret, to repent, to abstain ; act., to prevent, 
 
 to hinder, to impede, to cause pain. 
 Epoalli, adj. num. Sixty 
 Eztli, n. Blood. 
 K 
 
154 VOCABULARY. • ' 
 
 Huahuaqui, v. To dry up, to wither wholly. VIII, i. 
 
 Hual, adv. Hither, toward this place. 
 
 Huallauh, v. irreg. To come hither. 
 
 Yi\i.3.n, postpos. In company with; also, a plural termination. 
 
 Huapalcalli, n. Houses of planks. See XVIII, i. 
 
 Huaqui, v. To dry up, to wither. 
 
 Huecapan, adj. Lofty. 
 
 Huecatlan, adj. Deep, profound. 
 
 Huehuetl, «. A drum. See page 22. 
 
 Huehuetzi, v.freq. To fall often. 
 
 Hueiyotl, ;/. Greatness, grandeur. 
 
 Huel, adv. Well, good, pleasant. 
 
 Huelic, adj. Sweet, pleasant, fragrant. 
 
 Huelmana, v. To make smooth, or even ; to polish, to burnish. 
 
 Huetzcani, ;/. A jester, a laugher. XXI. i. 
 
 Huetzi, V. To fall. 
 
 Huetztoc, V. To be stretched out, to be in bed. 
 
 Huey, adj. Great, large. 
 
 Hueyatlan, n. Place of increase, from hueya, to grow greater. 
 
 "i^ysxz, postpos. Toward, against. 
 
 Huica, V. To accompany ; to carry off; to govern, to rule, to 
 
 direct. 
 Huihuica, v. To follow in crowds, or often. 
 Huihuitequi, v. To gather, to pluck. 
 
 Huilohuayan, n. Bourne, goal, terminus ; from hiiiloa, all go. 
 Huipana, v. To put in order, to arrange. 
 Huitomi, v. To split, to fall. XVI 11, 4. 
 
 Huitz, v. To come. ^ 
 
 Huitzitzicatin, n. The humming bird. I, i. 
 Huitzitzihn, n. The humming bird, Trochilus. 
 Huitzli, 71. A thorn, especially of the maguey. I 
 
 Huitztlan, n. The south ; huitztlainpa, from or to the south. 
 
 I, V. Pret. oic. To drink. 
 
 Itpron. His, her, its, their. 
 
 Ic, cotij. For, since, because; prep. With, towards, by, in; 
 adv. Where ? when ? zan ic, as soon as, often, only, on pur- 
 pose. 
 
 lea., posi. With him, her, it, etc. 
 
 lea, adv. Sometimes, occasionally. 
 
 Icac, V. To stand upright. 
 
VOCABULARY. 155 
 
 Icahuaca, :'. To sing (of birds). 
 
 Icali, :'. To war, to fight. VI, 5. 
 
 Icauhtli, n. Younger brother. VII, 2. 
 
 Icelia, :'. To incite another, to devote one's self to. 
 
 Icnelia, :-. To do good, to benefit. 
 
 Icniuhtli, //. A friend, a companion ; toctiihuan, our friends. 
 
 Icnopillahuelilocati, v. To be ungrateful. 
 
 Icnotlamachtia, v. To excite compassion. 
 
 lcTp3iC, postpos. Upon, over. 
 
 Ihuan, coiij. And, also. 
 
 Ihui, adv. Of this kind, in this way. 
 
 Ihuinti, V. To intoxicate, to make drunk. 
 
 Ihuitl, n. Feather, plumage. 
 
 Ilacatziui, v. To twist, to twine. 
 
 Ilacatzoa, v. To twine around, to wind about. X\ 2. 
 
 Ilcahua, v. To forget. 
 
 Ilhuia, z\ To speak, to say, to tell. 
 
 Ilhuicatl, n. Heaven, the sky. 
 
 Ilnamiquilia, v. To remember, to call to mind. 
 
 Ilpia, V. To bind, to fasten. 
 
 Im. See in. 
 
 Imati, V. To be skillful or wise ; to prepare or arrange some- 
 thing skillfully. 
 
 In, art. and pron. He, they, the, which, etc. ; in ma oc, mean- 
 while ; /« ic, so that, in order that. 
 
 Inaya, v. To confer, to hide. X, 2. 
 
 Inecui, v. To smell something, to perceive an odor. IV, 6. 
 
 Inic, adv. For, in order that, after that. 
 
 Inin, pron. These, they. 
 
 Iniquac, conj. When. 
 
 Inne, conj. But. 
 
 Inoc, adv. While, during. 
 
 Inon, pro7t. Those. 
 
 Intla, conj. If. 
 
 Intlacamo, adv. Unless, if not. 
 
 Ipalnemoani, «. A name of God. See III, i, note. 
 
 Ipampa, adv. Because. 
 
 Ipotoctli, ;/. Smoke, vapor, exhalation. 
 
 Itauhcayotl, n. Fame, honor. XVII, 14. 
 
 Ithua, V. To see. for itta. XV, 6. 
 
 Itia, V. I. To drink; to cause to drink. 2. To suit, to fit. 
 
156 VOCABULARY. 
 
 Itic, posfpos. Within, inside of. 
 
 Itlani, V. To ask, to solicit, to demand. 
 
 Itoa, V. To say, to speak, to tell. 
 
 Itonaliztli, ;/. Sweat ; fig., hard work. VI, 5. 
 
 Itotia, n. To dance in the native fashion. 
 
 Itotiliztli, n. Dance. 
 
 Itta, V. To see, to behold. 
 
 Ittitia, V. To show, to make evident. 
 
 Itzmolini, v. To be born, to sprout, to grow. XX, 4. 
 
 Itztapalli, n. Paving stone. XV, S. 
 
 Itztoc, V. To watch, to keep awake, to wait for. XVII, 12. 
 
 Ixamayo, adj. Known, recognized. XIII, 2. 
 
 Ixayotl. n. A tear (from the eyes). 
 
 Ixcuitia, V. To take example. 
 
 Iximachoca, n. The knowledge of a person. 
 
 Iximati, v. To know personally. 
 
 Ixitia, V, To awake, to arouse. 
 
 Ixpan, postpos. Before the face of, in presence of. 
 
 Ixquich, adv. As many as. 
 
 Ixtia, V. To face a person, especially the enemy ; to watch- 
 
 Ixtlahuatl, n. Open field, savanna, desert. 
 
 \-&.\.\z.x\, postpos. Before the face of. 
 
 Ixtli, n. Face, visage ; eye. 
 
 Iza, V. To awaken, to arouse. 
 
 Izcali, V. To arise, to rise up. 
 
 Izhuatl, n. A leaf of a,tree, etc. 
 
 Izhuayo, adj. Leafy, with leaves. 
 
 Izqui, adj., pi. izquintin. As many, so many, all ; izqui in quezqui, 
 
 as many as. 
 Iztac, adj. White. 
 Iztlacahuia, v. To deceive, to cheat. 
 Iztlacoa, V. To search for; ref., to take counsel. 
 
 Ma, adv. Sign of optative, subjunctive and vetative ; ma oc, yet 
 
 a while. 
 Maca, V. To give, to present. 
 Ma ca, 7ieg. Do not. 
 Macaic, adv. Never. 
 
 Macazo tlein, jteg. No matter, for all tliat. VI, 2. 
 Macehuallotl, «. Servitude, slavery. 
 Maceualti, v. defect. To merit ; to be happy. 
 
VOCABULARY. 157 
 
 Macehualtia, v. i. nifio, to make another a vassal, to reduce to 
 vassalage; fiite, to give vassals to one; nita, to impose a 
 penance on one. 
 Mach, adv. An intensive particle. 
 Machtia, v. To cause to know, to teach, to learn. 
 Maciui, adv. Although, granted that. XVII, 13. 
 Macquaitl, n. The native sword. VI, 4. 
 Macuele, adv. Would that — sign of the optative. 
 Mahaca, adv. Not, no. 
 Mahui, :•. To fear, to have fear. 
 Mahuizti, v. To be esteemed, to be honored. 
 Maitl, ;/. The hand, the arm. In comp. via, as noma, my hand. 
 Malacachoa, v. To twine, to fold. XVI, 4. 
 Malhuia, v. To regale, to treat well, to take care of. 
 Malina, v. To twine, to wreathe. 
 Malintiuh, v. To twine, to twist, to enwreathe. 
 Mamalia, :'. To carry. 
 
 Mamalli, v. To enter, to penetrate. XII, 4. 
 Mamana, :'. To arrange a feast, to set in order. XV, 15. 
 Mamani, v. See Mani. 
 Mana, v. To offer offerings. XVII, 3. 
 Manca, :-. Imp. of JMani. 
 
 Manen, neg. That not, that it does not happen, etc. 
 Mani, v. To be (of broad or wide things); to be stretched out. 
 Manozo, adv. Or, if. 
 
 Maquiztli, n. A bracelet or other ornament of the arm. Ill, 5. 
 Mati, z'. To know. J?e/., to think, to reRect; gui-maii rioyo//o, 
 I presume, I doubt ; nonno-mati, I attach myself to a person 
 or thing. 
 Matiloa, v. To anoint, to rub. 
 Mazo, adv. Although. 
 Meya, :■. To flow, to trickle. 
 Miahuatototl, n. A bird. IV, 2. 
 Micohuani, adj. Mortal, deadly. 
 Miec, adv. Much, many. 
 Milli, 11. Cultivated field. 
 Miqui, v. To die, to kill. 
 Miquitlani, v. To desire death. X, i. 
 y\.\\z,pron. Thee, to thee. 
 
 Mixitl, n. A narcotic plant. See tlapatl. IX, 2. 
 Mixtecomatl, n. A dark night, a dark place. Ill, 4- 
 
158 VOCABULARY. 
 
 Mizquitl, n. The mesquite. XV, i. 
 
 Mo, pron. i. Thy, thine; 2. Pron. ref. 3 sing., he, him, they, 
 
 them. 
 Mochi, adj. All. 
 Mochipa, adv. Always. 
 
 Moliniani, n. One who moves, or agitates. XVI, 3. 
 Momolotza, v. To cause to foam, to cut to pieces. XII, 3. 
 Motelchiuh, 71. The governor of Tenochtitlan. XIII, S.— See 
 
 telcliilnia. 
 Motla, r-. To throw, to fall. I, i. 
 Motlali, adj. Seated, placed, in repose. 
 Moyaua, v. To conquer ; to become cloudy or troubled (of 
 
 water) ; to talk about ; to boast. 
 Moztla, adv. To-morrow. 
 
 \i\&\m3iZ, postpos. Toward, by, along, near to. 
 
 Nahui, adj. man. Four. 
 
 Nalquixtia, v. To cause to penetrate, causative of nalqiiiza, to 
 
 penetrate. 
 Nananquilia, v. To answer, to reply to. 
 Nantli, ;;. Mother, tonan, our mother, etc. 
 Nauhcampa, adv. In four directions, to four places. 
 li&,pron. Reflexive pronoun 3d person in verbal substantives 
 
 and impersonal verbs. 
 Ne,pron. for nehuatl. I, me. 
 Necaliztli, n. Battle, combat. 
 Nech,/>rc«. ]\Ie, to me. 
 Nechca, adv. There, down there ; like the French la-bas ; oc ye 
 
 iicchca, formerly, once. 
 Neci, V. To appear, to show one's self or others. 
 Neco, V. Pass, of negui, q. v. 
 Nectia, v. To desire, to wish for. 
 NecuiltonoUi, n. Riches, possessions. 
 Neicaloloyan, ;/. The field of battle. 
 
 Neiximachoyan, ;/. A place where one is taught. XIII, i. 
 Nel, adv. Hut. 
 
 Nelhuayotl, n. A root ; Jig., principle, foundation, essence. 
 Nelihui, adv. It is thus, even thus ; viazo nelihui, though it be 
 
 thus. 
 Nelli, adv. Truly, verily. 
 Neloa, V. To mingle, to shake, to beat. 
 
VOCABULARY. 159 
 
 Neltia, --. To verify, to make true. 
 
 Nemactia, :-, i. To receive, to obtain. 2. To give, to grant. 
 
 Nemayan, adv. In the course of the year. XII, 3. 
 
 Nemi, r. To live, to dwell, to walk. 
 
 Nemoa, v. impers. To live, to dwell. 
 
 Nen, adv. Vainly, in vain. 
 
 Nenchiua, v. To do in vain, 
 
 Nenectia, v. To obtain by effort. XII, 4. 
 
 Neneliuhtica, adj. Mixed up, mingled together. 
 
 Neneloa, v. To mix, to mingle. 
 
 Nenepanoa, v.freq. To mix, to mingle. XVII, i. 
 
 Nenequi, v. To act tyrannically; to feign; to covet. XI, 7. 
 
 Nennemi, v. To wander about. 
 
 Nenonotzalcuicatl, ;/. A song of exhortation. 
 
 Nentaci, :■. To fail, to come to naught. XVII, 13, 14. 
 
 Nentlamachtia, v. ref. To afflict one's self, to torment one's self. 
 
 Nentlamati, v. To be afflicted, disconsolate. 
 
 Nepa, adv. Here, there. Ye nepa, a little further, beyond. XXI, 
 
 6. Oc nepa, further on. 
 Nepaniui, v. To join, to unite. 
 Nepantla, posfpos. In the midst of. 
 Nepapan, adj. Various, diverse, different. 
 Nepohualoyan, 11. The place where one is reckoned, read, or 
 
 counted. VI, 2. 
 Negni, v. To wish, to desire. 
 Netlamachtiliztli, n. Riches, property. 
 Netlamachtiloyan, ;/. A prosperous place. IV, 6 ; VII, 4. 
 Netlanehuihuia, v. To have an abundance of all things. XXVI, i. 
 Netotiliztli, ;/. Dance, dancing. 
 Netotiloyan, jt. Place of dancing. 
 m, pro?!. pej'S. I. Before a vowel, «. 
 Nican, adj. Here, hither. 
 
 Nihui, adz'. From no-i'/iut, thus, of the same manner. XVIII, 3. 
 Niman, adv. Soon, promptly. 
 Nino, pron. ref. I myself. 
 Nipa, adv. Here, in this part, there. 
 No, rto':'. Also, like, ^/c'j/^/i, in the same way, thus. Pron.lly^ 
 
 mine. 
 Noca, pron. For me, for my sake, by me. 
 Nohuan, />;'(?«. With me. 
 Nohuiampa, adv. In all directions, on all sides. 
 
160 VOCABULARY. 
 
 Nohuian, adv. Everywhere, on all sides. 
 
 Nonoyan, «. Place of residence. V, 2. 
 
 Nonotza, v. To consult, to take counsel, to reflect. 
 
 Notza, V. To call some one. 
 
 Nozan, adv. Even yet, and yet, to this day. 
 
 Obispo, «. Bishop. Span. XIX, 4. 
 
 Oc, adv. Yet, again ; oc achi, yet a little ; oc achi ic, yet more, 
 
 comparative; oc pe, first, foremost. 
 Ocelotl, «. The tiger; a warrior so called. See note to I, 5. 
 Ocoxochitl, n. A fragrant mountain flower. Ill, 2. 
 Octicatl, 71. See note to VII, i. 
 
 Octli, n. The native wine from the maguey. In comp., oc. 
 Ohuaga, hiterj. Oh ! alas ! 
 Ohui. adj. Difficult, dangerous. 
 
 Ohuicaloyan, n. A difficult or dangerous place. XXII, 7. 
 Ohuican, n. A difficult or dangerous place. 
 Ome, adj. Two. 
 Omitl, n. A bone. 
 Ompa, adv. Where. 
 On, adv. A euphonic particle, sometimes indicating action at a 
 
 distance, at other times generalizing the action of the verb. 
 Oncan, adv. There, thither. 
 Onoc, V. To be lying down. 
 Oppa, adv. A second time, twice. 
 Oquichtli, 71. A male, a man. 
 Otli, n. Path, road, way. 
 
 Otomitl, ;/. An Otomi ; a military officer so called. 
 Otoncuicatl, «. An Otomi song. II, i. 
 
 Pachiui noyollo, v. I am content, satisfied. IX, 2. 
 
 Pacqui, v. To please, to delight. 
 
 Pactli, ;;. Pleasure, joy. 
 
 "PaX, posfpos. By, by means of. 
 
 Pampa, postpos. For, because. 
 
 Pan, postpos. Upon ; apan, upon the water. 
 
 Papalotl, 71. The butterfly. 
 
 Papaqui, v. To cause great joy. 
 
 Patiuhtli.w. Price, wages, reward. 
 
 Patlahuac, adj. Large, spacious. 
 
 Patlani, v. To fly. 
 
\ VOCABULARY. IGl 
 
 Pehua, 7'. Pret., openh, to begin, to commence. 
 
 Pepetlaca, :-. To shine, to glitter. 
 
 Pepetlaquiltia, v. To cause to shine. 
 
 Petlacoatl, n. The scolopender, the centipede. XVII, 24. 
 
 Petlatl, >!. A mat, a rug (of reeds or flags) ; Jig., power, au- 
 
 tliority. 
 Petlatotlin, n. A rush suitable to make mats. XXI, 10. 
 Petlaua, v. To polish, to rub to brightness. 
 Peuhcayotl, n. Beginning, commencement. 
 Pilihui, V. To fasten to, to mingle with. XXL 
 Pilihuitl, «, Beloved child. XII, 3. 
 Pilli, n. Son, daughter, child. A noble, a chief, a ruler, a lord. 
 
 Tepilhuan, the children, the young people. Nopiltzin, my lord. 
 Piloa, V. To hang down, to suspend. 
 Piltihua, :-. To be a boy, to be young. 
 Pipixaui, v. To snow, to rain heavily. 
 Pixaui, V. To snow, to rain. 
 
 Pochotl, n. The ceiba tree; fig., protector, chief. 
 Poctli, ;/. Smoke, vapor, fog, mist. 
 Poloa, :•. To destroy ; to perish. 
 Popoloa, V. Freq. o{ poloa. 
 
 Popoyauhtiuh, v. To leave a glorious memory. XXI, 5. 
 Poxahua, v. To work the soil, to labor. 
 Poyaua, v. To color, to dye. XVII, 21. 
 Poyaui, :■. To become clear, to clear off. 
 Poyomatl, ;/. A flower like the rose. IV, 6. 
 Pozoni, V. To boil, to seethe ; fig., to be angry. 
 
 Qua, V. To eat. 
 
 Quahtla, n. Forest, woods. 
 
 Quahuitl, ;/. A tree ; a stick ; fig., chastisement. 
 
 Quaitl, n. Head, top, summit. 
 
 Qualani, v. To anger, to irritate. 
 
 Qualli, adj. Good, pleasant. 
 
 Quatlapana, v. To break one's head ; to suffer much. 
 
 Quauhtli, n. The eagle; a warrior so called ; bravery, distinc- 
 tion. I, 5. 
 
 Quemach, adv. Is it possible! 
 
 Quemmach amique, rcl. Those who are happy, the happy ones. 
 IX, 2. 
 
 Quenami, adv. As, the same as. 
 
162 VOCABULARY. 
 
 Quenami can, adv. As there, the same as there, sometimes with 
 
 ofi euphonic inserted, queno7iami. 
 Quenin, adj. How, how much. 
 
 Quennel, adv. What is to be done ? What remedy ? 
 Quennonamican. See under quetiami. 
 Quequentia, v. To clothe, to attire. 
 
 Quetza, v. Nino, to rise up ; to unite with ; to aid ; nife, to lift up. 
 Quetzalli, ;/. A beautiful feather; Jig., something precious or 
 
 beautiful. 
 Quetzaltototl, n. A bird ; Trogon pavoninus. 
 Quexquich, pron. So many as, how much. 
 Qui, proH. rcl. He, her, it, they, them. 
 Quiauatl, ;/. Entrance, door. XVII, i8. 
 Quiauitl, ;/. Rain, a shower. 
 
 Quimiloa, y. To wrap up, to clothe, to shroud the dead. XI, 6. 
 Q\x\n,profi.rel. They, then. 
 Quiquinaca, :-. To groan, to buzz, etc. 
 Quiquizoa, v. To ring bells. IV, 3. 
 Quiza, V. To go forth, to emerge. 
 Quizqui, adj. Separated, divided. 
 Quiztiquiza, v. To go forth hastily. XXII. 
 
 Tapalcayoa, v. To be full of potsherds and broken bits. XV, 16. 
 
 Tatli, ;/. and v. See p. 19. 
 
 Te, pron. pers. 1. Thou. 2. Pron. rel. indef. Somebody. 
 
 Teahuiaca, adj. Pleasing, agreeable. 
 
 Teca, pron. Of some one ; te and ca. 
 
 Teca, V. To stretch out, to sleep ; to concern one's self with. 
 
 Moteca, they unite together. 
 Tech, posfpos. In, upon, from. Pron. Us. 
 Tecocolia, ;/. A hated person, an enemy. 
 Tecomapiloa, n. A musical instrument. See p. 23. 
 Tecpilli, ;/. Nobleman, lord. 
 
 Tecpillotl, n. The nobility ; noble bearing, courtesy. 
 T&hua-n, pron. i. We. 2. With some one. 
 Tehuatl,/);-t);/. Thou. 
 Teini, v. To break, to fracture. 
 Tel, conj. But, though. 
 Telchihua, :-. To detest, to hate, to curse. 
 Tema, :'. To place something somewhere. 
 Temachia, v. To have confidence in, to expect, to hope for. 
 
 i 
 
VOCABULARY. 1G3 
 
 Temt, r-. To be filled, replete ; to be stretched out. XXVI, 4. 
 
 Temiqui, :•. To dream. 
 
 Temo, V. To descend, to let fall. 
 
 Temoa, v. To search, to seek. 
 
 Tenamitl, ;/. A town; the wall of a town. 
 
 Tenauac, posf. With some one, near some one. 
 
 Tenmati, :■. To be idle, negligent, unfortunate. 
 
 Tenquixtia, v. To speak forth, to pronounce, to declare. 
 
 Tenyotl, n. Fame, honor. 
 
 Teoatl, ;/. Divine water. See VI, 4, note. 
 
 Teocuitla, «. Gold, of gold. 
 
 Teohua, ;/. A priest. XVII, 19. 
 
 Teoquechol, «. A bird of beautiful plumage. 
 
 Teotl, II. God, divinity. 
 
 Teoxihuitl, ;/. 'Turquoise ; Jig., relation, ruler, parent. 
 
 Tepacca, adj. Causing joy, pleasurable. 
 
 Tepeitic, n. Narrow valley, glade, glen. 
 
 Tepetl, ;/. A mountain, a hill. 
 
 Tepeua, v. To spread abroad, to scatter, to conquer. XV, 3. 
 
 Teponaztli, n. A drum. See p. 22. 
 
 Tepopoloani, v. To slay, to slaughter. 
 
 Tequani, ;/. A wild beast, a savage person. 
 
 Tequi, :'. To cut. 
 
 Tetecuica, v. To make a loud noise, to thunder. XX, 7. 
 
 Tetl, 71. A stone, a rock. In comp., te. 
 
 Tetlamachti, ;/. That which enriches, glorifies, or pleases. 
 
 Tetlaquauac, rt(^'. Hard or strong as stone. Comp. of /f// and 
 
 ilaquauac. 
 Tetozcatemo, v. To let fall or throw forth notes of singing. I, 2. 
 Tetzilacatl, ;/. A copper gong. XVII, 21. See p. 24. 
 Teuctli, ;/., pi. tetenctin. A noble, a ruler, a lord; in teteudin, 
 
 the lords, the great ones. 
 Teucyotl, «. Nobility, lordship. 
 Teuh, postpos. Like, similar to. 
 Teuhyotl, n. Divinity, divineness. 
 Teyolquima, adj. Pleasing, odorous, sweet. 
 Teyotl, ;;. Fame, honor. 
 
 Ti, pron. i. thou ; tivio, ref. ; tic, act. 2. we ; tito, ref ; tic, act. 
 Tilani, v. To draw out. 
 Tilini, v. To crowd, to press. XVII, 19. 
 Timaloa, v. To glorify, to e.xalt, to praise. 
 
164 
 
 VOCABULARY. 
 
 Timo, pron. ref. Thou thyself. 
 
 Tito, pron. ref. We ourselves. 
 
 Tizaitl, n. Chalk ; anything white ; an example or model. 
 
 Tizaoctli,;/. White wine. See VII, 2. 
 
 Tla, adv., for ititla, if; pron. ifidef., something, anything ; postpos. 
 
 in abundance. 
 Tlacace, interj. Expressing astonishment or admiration. XVII, 3. 
 Tlacaqui, v. To hear, to understand. 
 Tlacateuctli, w. A sovereign, a ruler. • 
 Tlacati, v. To be born. 
 Tlacatl, n. Creature, person. 
 TIacazo, adv. Truly, certainly. 
 Tlachia, v. To see, to look upon. 
 TIachihual, ;/. Creature, invention. 
 Tlachinolli, n. Battle, war ; from chinoa, to burn. 
 Tlacoa, v. To injure, to do evil, to sin. 
 Tlacochtli, «. The arrow. 
 Tlacocoa, v. To buy, to purchase. X, i. 
 Tlacohua, v. To buy, to purchase. 
 Tlacohua, v. To beat, to chastise. 
 Tlacotli, ;/. A servant, slave. 
 Tlacouia, v. To split, to splinter. 
 Tlacuiloa, v. To inscribe, to paint in, to write down. 
 TIaelehuiani, adj. Desirous of, anxious for. 
 Tlahuelli, ;/. Anger, ire. 
 TIahuica, w. Servant, page ; also, a native of the province of 
 
 Tlahuican. (See Index.) 
 TIailotlaqui, ;/. " Workers in filth ; " scum ; a term applied in 
 
 contempt. XIII, 8 ; XV, 12, 14. Also a proper name. (See 
 
 Ltd ex.) 
 Tlalaquia, v. To bury, to inter. 
 Tlalli, ;/. Earth, ground ; tlalticpac, on the earth. 
 Tlalnamiqui, v. To think of, to remember. 
 Tlalpiloni, n. An ornament for the head. VI, 4, from iipia. 
 Tlamachti, v. ref. To be rich, happy, prosperous. 
 TlamahuizoUi, ;/. Miracle, wonder. 
 
 Tlamatillolli,;/. Ointment; anything rubbed in the hands. XI, 9. 
 Tlamatqui, adj. Skillful, adroit. 
 Tlamattica, adj. Calm, tranquil. 
 Tlamelauhcayotl, w. A plain or direct song. II, i. 
 Tlami, v. To end, to finish, to come to an end. 
 
VOCABULARY. 165 
 
 Tlamomoyaua, :-. To scatter, to destroy. XV, 21. 
 
 Tlan, posfpos. Near to, among, at. 
 
 Tlaneci, v. To dawn, to become day. Ye tlaneci, the day breaks. 
 
 Tlanehuia, v. Nicno. To revel, to indulge one's self in. XXI, 8. 
 
 Tlaneltoca, v. To believe in, to have faitli in. 
 
 Tlania, v. To recover one's self, to return within one's self. 
 
 Tlaniicza, v. To abase, to humble. IX, 3. 
 
 Tlantia, v. To terminate, to end. 
 
 Tlaocol, adj. Sad, melancholy, pitiful, merciful. 
 
 Tlaocolia, v. To be sad, etc. 
 
 Tlaocoltzatzia, v. To cry aloud with grief. I, 3. 
 
 TIapalhuia, v.,rel. To be brilliant or happy; act., to salute a 
 
 person ; to paint something. 
 Tlapalli, ;/.and at^'. Colored; dyed; red. 
 Tlapaloa, v. To salute, to greet. 
 Tlapanahuia, adj. Surpassing, superior, excellent ; used to form 
 
 superlatives. 
 Tlapani, v. To dye, to color. XVII, 10. 
 Tlapapalli, adj. Striped, in stripes. 
 Tlapatl, n. The castor-oil plant ; the phrase viixitl tlapatl means 
 
 stupor, intoxication. IX, 2. 
 Tlapepetlani, v. To sparkle, to shine forth. 
 Tlapitza, v. Yr.pitza, to play the flute. XVII, 26. 
 Tlaqualli, ;/. Food, eatables. 
 Tlaquauac, adj. Strong, hard. 
 Tlaquauh, adj. Strongly, forcibly. 
 Tlaquilla, adj. Stopped up, filled. XX, 4, 
 Tlaquilqui, n. One who plasters, a mason. XXI, i. 
 Tlatemmati, v. To suffer afflictions. 
 Tlatenehua, v. To promise. 
 Tlathui, V. To dawn, to become light. 
 Tlatia, v. i. To hide, to conceal ; 2. to burn, to set on fire. 
 Tlatlamantitica, adj. Divided, separated. 
 Tlatlatoa, v. To speak much or frequently. XVII, 11. 
 Tlatlauhtia, v. To pray. XVI, 3. 
 Tlatoani, n. Ruler, lord. 
 
 Tlatocayotl, ;/. The quality of governing or ruling. 
 Tlatolli, 71. Word, speech, order. 
 Tlatzihui, v. To neglect, to be negligent ; to be abandoned, to 
 
 lie fallow ; to leave, to withdraw. 
 Tlauantli, 71. Vase, cup. XXVI, 4. 
 
166 VOCABULARY. 
 
 Tlauhquechol, n. A bird, the red heron, Platalea ajaja. 
 Tlauillotl, «. Clearness, hght. X, i. 
 Tlaxillotia, v. To arrange, sustain, support. IX, 4. 
 Tlaxixinia, v. To disperse, to destroy. 
 Tlayaua, v. To make an encircling figure in dancing. 
 TlayaualoUi, adj. Encircled, surrounded. XXI, 6. 
 Tlaylotlaqui, ;/. See XIII, 8. 
 
 Tlayocolia, v. To make, to form, to invent. XIV. 
 Tlayocoyalli, n. Creature, invention. 
 Tlaza, V. To throw away ; fig., to reject, to despise. 
 Tlazotla, v. To love, to like. 
 Tie, pro?i. int. and rel. What ? That. 
 Tleahua, ^^ To set on fire, to fire. 
 Tlein, pron., int. and I'el. What ? That. 
 Tleinmach, adv. Why ? For what reason ? 
 Tlenamactli, ;/. Incense burned to the gods. Ill, i. 
 Tlepetztic, a(7)'. Shining like fire, //^//./^/^-//c XV, 26. 
 Tletl, n. Fire. 
 
 Tleymach, adv. Why ? Wherefore ? 
 Tleyotl, n. Fame, honor. 
 
 Tlezannen, adv. To what good ? Cui bono ? 
 Tliliuhqui, adj. Black, brown. 
 Tliliui, V. To blacken, to paint black. XII, 6. 
 Tloc, postpos. With, near to. 
 
 Tloque nahuaque, ;/. A name of divinity. See I, 6, note. 
 To, proH. posses. Our, ours. 
 Toca, V. To follow. 
 
 Toci, n. " Our ancestress," a divinity so called. 
 Toco, V. Impers. of toca. 
 Tohuan, pron. With us. 
 Tolinia, v. To be poor, to be unfortunate. 
 
 Tolquatectitlan, ti. The place where the head is bowed for lus- 
 tration. Ill, I. 
 Toma, V. To loosen, to untie, to open. XVII, 3. 
 Tomahuac, adj. Great, heavy, large. 
 Tonacati, v. To be prosperous or fertile. 
 Tonacatlalli, ;/. Rich or fertile land. 
 Tonameyo, adj. Shining like the sun, glittering. 
 Tonameyotl, n. Ray of the sun, light, brilliancy. 
 Tonatiuh, n. The sun. 
 Toneua, v. To suffer pain ; nitc, to infiict pain. 
 
VOCABULARY. 1G7 
 
 Toquichpohuan, n. Our equals. I, 3. 
 
 Tototl, ;/. A bird, generic term. 
 
 Tozmilini, adj. Sweet voiced. XXI, 3. 
 
 Toznenetl, ;/. A parrot, Psittaais signaius. 
 
 Tozquitl, //. The singing voice, p. 21. 
 
 Tzalan, postpos. Among, amid. 
 
 Tzatzia, v. To shout, to cry aloud. 
 
 Tzauhqui, v. To spin. XVII, 22. 
 
 Tzetzehui, v. To rain, to snow ; fig., to pour down. 
 
 Tzihuac, ;/. A species of bush. XV, i. 
 
 Tzimiquiliztli, n. Slaughter, death. XVI, 5. 
 
 Tzinitzcan, ;/. A bird, Trogon Mexicanus. 
 
 Tzitzilini, ;/. A bell. 
 
 Tzotzona, v. To strike the drum. 
 
 Uallauh, :'. To come. See huallaiih. 
 
 Uitz, V. To come. 
 
 Ulli, ;/. Caoutchouc. See p. 22. 
 
 Xahua, v. To paint one's self, to array one's self in the ancient 
 
 manner. XXIV, i. 
 Xamani, v. To break, to crack. 
 Xaxamatza, v. To cut in pieces, to break into bits. 
 Xayacatl, ;/. Face, mask. 
 Xelihui, v. To divide, to distribute. 
 Xexeloa, v. To divide, to distribute. 
 Xilotl, ;/. Ear of green corn. 
 Xiloxochitl, ;/. The flower of maize. XVII, 10. 
 Ximoayan, ;/. A place of departed souls. See I, 8. 
 Ximohuayan, n. Place of departed spirits. VIII, i. 
 Xiuhtototl, n. A bird, Guiaca cerulea. 
 Xiuitl, ;/. A leaf, plant ; year ; anything green. 
 Xochicalli, n. A house for flowers, or adorned witli tliem. 
 Xochimecatl, ;/. A rope or garland of flowers. 
 Xochimicohuayan, n. See XVI, 3, note. 
 Xochitecatl, ;/. See XXV, 7, note. 
 Xochitl, //. A flower, a rose. 
 Xochiyaotl, 71. Flower-war. See XVI, 4, note. 
 Xocomiqui, v. To intoxicate, to become drunk. 
 Xocoya, v. To grow sour. XIII, 4. 
 Xopaleuac, ;/. Something very green. 
 
168 VOCABULARY. 
 
 Xopan, «. The springtime. 
 
 Xotla, V. To blossom, to flower; to warm, to inflame; to cue, 
 
 to scratch, to saw. 
 Xoxoctic, adj. Green ; blue. XVI, 6. 
 Xoyacaltitlan, «. The house or place of decay. Ill, i. 
 
 Y. Abbrev. for ihuafi, and in, q. v. 
 
 Ya, adv. Already, thus; same as ye; v., to suit, to fit. Part. 
 
 euphonic or expletive. See note to XVII, 3. 
 Y&n, postpos. Suftix signifying place. 
 Yancuic, adj. New, fresh, recent. 
 Yancuican, adv. Newly, recently. 
 Yaotl, n. War, battle. 
 Yaoyotl, ;/. Warfare. 
 
 Yaqui, adj. Departed, gone, left for a place. 
 Yauh, v., irreg. To go. 
 Ye, adv. Already, thus ; ye no ceppa, a second time ; ye ic, 
 
 already, it is already. 
 '^Q,pron. He, those, etc. 
 Ye, adj. num. Three. 
 Yece, adv. But. 
 Yecen, adv. Finally, at last. 
 Yecnemi, v. To live righteously. 
 Yecoa, v. To do, to finish, to conclude. 
 Yectenehua, v. To bless, to speak well of. 
 Yectli, adj. Good, worthy, noble. 
 Yehuatl, />;-£»«. He, she, it. YX.yehuan, yehuaiitin. 
 Yehuia, v. To beg, to ask charity. 
 Yeppa yuhqui. Formerly, it was there. VII, 2. 
 Yhuintia. See ifminti. 
 
 Yocatl, n. Goods, possessions ; noyocauh, my property. XV, 26. 
 Yocaua, n. Master, possessor, owner. 
 Yocolia, v. To form, to make. 
 Yocoya, c'. To make, to invent, to create. 
 Yohuatli, n. Night, darkness. 
 Yolahuia, v. To rejoice greatly. 
 Yolciahuia, v. To please one's self, to make glad. 
 Yolcuecuechoa, v. To make tiie heart tremble. IV, 6. 
 Yolehua, v. To excite, to animate. 
 Yolihuayan, ;/. A place of living. Ill, 5. 
 Yollo, adj. Adroit, skillful ; also for iyollo, his heart. 
 
VOCABULARY. 1G9 
 
 YoUotl, V. Heart, mind, soul. 
 Yolnonotza, v. See note to I, i. 
 Yolpoxahua, v. To toil mentally. 
 Yuhqui, adv. As, like. 
 Yuhquimati, v. To understand, to realize. 
 
 Zacatl, n. Herbage, straw, hay. XXI, 5. 
 
 Zacuan, n. Feather of the zacuan bird ; fig., yellow ; prized. 
 
 Zacuan tototl, n. The zacuan bird, Oriolus dotninicensis. 
 
 Zan, adv. Only, but; zan ciiel, in a short time ; zaneti, perhaps ; 
 
 Zan lien, in vain. 
 Zancuel achic, adv. A moment, an instant ; often ; za7i ye, but 
 
 again, but quickly. 
 Za.nio, pro n. I alone, he or it alone. 
 Zoa, V. To pierce ; to spread out ; to open ; to sew ; to string 
 
 together; to put in order. 
 Zolin tototl, n. The quail. 
 Zoma, V. To become angry. 
 Zomale, adj. For comalli, vase, cup, XXVI, 4. 
 L 
 

 
INDEX 
 
 OF NAHUATL PROPER NAMES, WITH EXPLANATIONS. 
 
 AcALLAN, 105. "The place of 
 boats," from acalli, boat. An 
 ancient province at the mouth 
 of the Usumacinta river; but 
 the name was probably ap- 
 plied to other localities also. 
 
 AcATLAPAN, 41. A village 
 southeast of Chalco. From 
 acatia, a place of reeds, and 
 pan, in or at. 
 
 ACHALCHIUHTLANEXTIN, 46. 
 
 The first chief of the Toltecs ; 
 another form of chalchiiihto- 
 nac Both names mean "the 
 gleam of the precious jade." 
 Compare Torque mada, Mo7i- 
 arquia Indiana. Lib. III., 
 cap. 7 ; Orozco y Berra, Hisl. 
 Antigua de Mexico, To\\\. III., 
 p. 42. The date of the begin- 
 ning of his reign is put at a-d. 
 667 or 700. 
 
 Acolhuacan, 40, 91, 119. A 
 compound of atl, water, and 
 colhuacan, (q-v.) ="Colhua- 
 can by the water," the name 
 of the state of which Tetzcu- 
 co was the capital, in the val- 
 ley of Mexico. 
 
 AcoLMizTLAN,89, from 
 
 AcoLMiZTLi, 35. A name of 
 Nezahualcoyotl (see p. 35), 
 also of other warriors. 
 
 Anahuac, 125. From a//, water, 
 nahnac, by, = the land by the 
 water. The term was ap- 
 plied first to the land by the 
 lakes in the Valley of iMe.xico, 
 and later to that along both 
 the Gulf of Mexico and the 
 Pacific Ocean. 
 
 Atecpan, 77. " The royal resi- 
 dence by the water " {all, lec- 
 pan). I do not find this 
 
 locality mentioned else- 
 where. 
 
 Atlixco, 125. "Where the 
 water shows its face " {all, 
 ixlli, CO). A locality south- 
 east of Tezcuco, near the 
 lake, so called from a large 
 spring. See Motolinia, His- 
 toria de los Indios, Trat. Ill, 
 cap. 18. 
 
 Atloyantepetl, 85, 89, 91. 
 Perhaps iox allauanlepetl , "the 
 mountain that rules the 
 waters " But see note to 
 xiii, V. 6. 
 
 Atzalan, 114. "Amid the 
 waters " {all, Izalan). Per- 
 haps not a proper name; but 
 two villages in the present 
 State of Puebla are called 
 Atzala (see Orozco y Berra, 
 Ceografia de las Lenguas de 
 Mexico, pp. 212, 213). 
 
 AxAXACATZiN, 43. Probably 
 for axayacalzin, reverential of 
 axayacatl, the name of a 
 species of marsh fly. It was 
 also the name of the sixth 
 ruler of Mexico (flor. about 
 1500), and doubtless of other 
 distinguished persons. See 
 Ixtlilxochitl, Hisloria Chichi- 
 ineca,cap. 51. 
 
 AzcAPOTZALCo, 50, 51. An an- 
 cient town in the valley of 
 Mexico, once the capital city 
 of the Tepanecas (q. v.). The 
 word means " place of the 
 ant-hills," from azcapulzalli. 
 
 Aztecs, 25. A Nahuatl tribe 
 who derived their name from 
 their mythical ancient home, 
 Aztlan. The derivation is 
 obscure, but probably is from 
 
 171 
 
172 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 the same radical as iztac, 
 white, and, therefore, Father 
 Duran was right in transla- 
 ting Aztlan, "place of white- 
 ness," the reference being to 
 the East, whence the Aztecs 
 claim to have come. See 
 Duran, Historia de las Indias, 
 cap. II. 
 
 Cacamatl, 94, 95. The refer- 
 
 • ence appears to be to Caca- 
 niatzin (the Noble Sad One, 
 from cacamaua, fig. to be 
 sad), last ruler of Tezcuco, 
 son and successor, in 1516, of 
 Nezahualpilli. He was put 
 to death by Cortes. 
 
 Catocih, 89. A doubtful word, 
 which may not be a proper 
 name. 
 
 Chalco, 16, 69, 95. A town 
 and lake in the valley of 
 Mexico. The people were 
 Nahuas and subject to Mexi- 
 co. The word is probably 
 derived from Challi, with the 
 postpos. CO, meaning " at the 
 mouth" (of a river). See 
 Buschmann, Ueber die Az- 
 tekische7i Orlsnatnen, s. 689, 
 and comp. Codex Ramirez, 
 p. 18. 
 
 Chiapa, Chiapaneca, 70, 71. 
 The province and inhabitants 
 of Chiapas, in Southern Mex- 
 ico. There were colonies of 
 Nahuas in Chiapas, though 
 most of the natives spoke 
 other tongues. The deriva- 
 tion is probably from chia, a 
 mucilaginous seed highly es- 
 teemed in Mexico. 
 
 Chichimecatl or Chichi - 
 MEGS, 88, 89, 91, loi. A rude 
 hunting tribe, speaking Nah- 
 uatl, who settled, in early 
 times, in the valley of Mexi- 
 co. The name was said to 
 be derived from chichi, a 
 dog, on account of their de- 
 
 votion to hunting [Cod. Ra- 
 mirez). Others say it was 
 that of their first chieftain. 
 
 Chicomoztoc, 88, 89. " At the 
 seven caves," the name of the 
 mythical locality from which 
 the seven Nahuatl tribes de- 
 rived their origin. The Co- 
 dex Ramirez explains the 
 seven caves to mean the 
 seven houses or lineages 
 (totems) of which the nation 
 consisted. 
 
 Chililitli, 36. Name of a tow- 
 er of sacred import. It is 
 apparently a compound of 
 chia or chielia, to watch, and 
 tlilli, blackness, obscurity, 
 hence " a night w-atch-tow- 
 er." It was probably used 
 for the study of the sky at 
 night. 
 
 Chimalpopoca, 43. " The 
 smoking shield," from chi- 
 nialli, shield, andpopoca. The 
 name of several distinguished 
 warriors and rulers in an- 
 cient Mexico. 
 
 Cholula or Cholollan, 105. 
 Name of a celebrated ancient 
 state and city. From choloa, 
 with the probable meaning, 
 '' place of refuge," " place of 
 the fugitives." 
 
 CiHUAPAN, 41. Name of a war- 
 rior, otherwise unknown. 
 From cihuatl, woman, pan, 
 among, with. 
 
 CoATZiTEUCTLi, 89. A name 
 compound of coatzin, rever- 
 ential form of coatl, serpent, 
 and teucili, lord. 
 
 CoLHUA. A people of Nahuatl 
 affinity, who dwelt in ancient 
 times in the valley of Mexico. 
 See Colhuacan. 
 
 CoLHUACAN, 88, 89, 91. A town 
 in the valley of Mexico. In 
 spite of the arguments to the 
 contrary, I believe the C0I-. 
 hua were of Nahuatl lineage, 
 
INDEX. 
 
 173 
 
 and that the name is derived 
 from colli, ancestor ; colhua- 
 can, the residence of the an- 
 cestors ; with this significa- 
 tion, it was apphed to many 
 locahties. It must be distin- 
 guished from Acolhuacan. Its 
 ikonomatic symbol was a hill 
 bent over at the top, from 
 coloa, to bend. 
 
 CoLZ.\ZTLi, 39. Probably for 
 Coltzatztli, one who cries out 
 or calls to the ancestors {colli, 
 tzatzia). A chief whom I 
 have not found elsewhere 
 mentioned. 
 
 CoNAHUATZiN, 41. A warrior 
 not elsewhere mentioned. 
 By derivation it means 
 "noble son of the lord of the 
 water" {conetl, ahua, tzin). 
 
 CuETZPALTZiN, 89. A proper 
 name, from cuetzpalli, the 
 4th day of the month. 
 
 CuEXTLA, 33. A province of 
 ancient Mexico. See Tor- 
 quemada, Monarqiiia Indi- 
 ana. Lib. II, caps. 53, 56. 
 
 CuLTEPEC, 42. A village five 
 leagues from Tezcuco, at the 
 foot of the mountains. De- 
 riv., colli, ancestor, tepetl, 
 mountain or town, with post- 
 pos. c; " at the town of the 
 ancestors." 
 
 HUETLALPAN Or HUETLAPAL- 
 
 LAN, 89. The original seat 
 of the mythical Toltecs. The 
 name is a compound of hue, 
 old, and Tlapallan, q. v. 
 
 HuEXOTZiNCO, 50, 83, 91, 99, 
 113. An independent State 
 of ancient Anahuac, south of 
 Tlascala and west of Cholula. 
 The name means " at the 
 little willow woods," being a 
 diminutive from hiiexatla, 
 place of willows. 
 
 HuiTLALOTZiN, 89. From hu- 
 iilalloil, a species of bird, 
 
 with the reverential termina- 
 tion. Name of a warrior. 
 
 HuiTziLAPOCHTLi, 16. Tribal 
 god of the Me.xirans of Te- 
 nochtitlan. The name is usu- 
 ally derived from hititzitzi- 
 lin, humming bird, and 
 opochili, left {Cod. Ramirez, 
 p. 22), but more correctly from 
 huitztli, the south, iloa, to 
 turn, opochtli, the left hand, 
 " the left hand turned toward 
 the south," as this god di- 
 rected the wanderings of the 
 Mexicans southward. The 
 humming bird was used as 
 the "ikonomatic" symbol of 
 the name. 
 
 HuiTZiLiHuiTL, 89. "Hum- 
 ming-bird feather." Name of 
 an ancient ruler of Mexico, 
 and of other warriors. 
 
 HuiTZNAHCACATL, 91. A ruler 
 of Huexotlan (Clavigero); a 
 member of the Huitznahua, 
 residents of the quarters so 
 called in Tezcuco and Te- 
 nochtitlan ( Ixtlilxochi tl , 
 Hist. Chichimeca, cap. 38). 
 
 IXTLILXOCHITL, 35, 46, 89. A 
 
 ruler of Acolhuacan, father 
 of Nezahualcoyotl. Comp. 
 ixtli, face, tlilxochitl, tlie 
 vanilla (literally, the black 
 flower). 
 IzTACCOYOTL, 89, 93. "The 
 white wolf." Name of a war- 
 rior otherwise unknown. 
 
 Mexicans, 67, 83, 85, 87, 123, 
 125. See 
 
 Mexico, 83, 123. Name of the 
 town and state otherwise 
 called Tenochtitlan. Mcxitl 
 was one of the names of the 
 national god Huitzilopochtli, 
 and Mexico means " the place 
 of Mexitl," indicating that the 
 
174 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 city was originally called 
 from a fane of the god. 
 
 MiCTLAN, 95, 117, 119. The 
 Mexican Hades, literally," the 
 place of the dead." 
 
 Montezuma, 14, 41, 113. The 
 name of the ruler of Mexico 
 on the arrival of Cortes. The 
 proper form is Moteiihzoinat- 
 zin or Moiecuhzonatzin, and 
 the meaning, " he who is 
 angry in a noble manner." 
 (" sefior safiudo," Cod. Ram- 
 irez, p. 72 ; "qui se fache en 
 seigneur," Simeon, Diet, de 
 la Langue Nahuat/, s. v.). 
 
 MoQCiHuix, 33. The fourth 
 ruler of Tlatilolco. He as- 
 sumed the power in 1441, ac- 
 cording to some writers 
 (Rustamente, Tezcoco, en /os 
 Ultinios Tiempos de sus An- 
 tigiios Reyes, p. 269). Tiie 
 name probably means " He 
 who comes forth a freeman." 
 See Ixtlilxochitl, Historia 
 Chichinieca, caps. 36, 51. 
 
 Nacxitl Topiltzin, 105, 107. 
 NacxitI, "the four footed" 
 {nahui, ixitl), was the name 
 of one of the gods of the 
 merchants (Saiiagun, Hist, 
 de Niieva Espana, Lib. I, c. 
 19). In the song it is applied 
 to Quetzalcoatl, who was also 
 regarded as a guardian of 
 merchants. 
 
 Nahuatl (9, etc.). A term ap- 
 plied to the language other- 
 wise known as Aztec or 
 Mexican. As an adjective it 
 means " well-sounding," or, 
 pleasant to the ear. From 
 this, the term Nahua is used 
 collectively for all tribes who 
 spoke the Nahuatl tongue. 
 A'a/iuatt also means clever, 
 skillful, and the derivation is 
 probably from the root na, to 
 know. 
 
 Necaxecmitl, 46. Name of 
 uncertain meaning of a per- 
 son otherwise unknown. 
 
 Nezahualcoyotl, 35, 67, 119. 
 Chief of the Acolhuas, and 
 ruler in Tezcuco from 1427 
 to 1472, or thereabouts. He 
 was a distinguished patron 
 of the arts and a celebrated 
 poet. See p. 35, et seq. 
 
 Nezahualpilli, or Nezahu- 
 alpizintli, 14, 125. Ruler 
 of Acolhuacan, son of Neza- 
 hualcoyotl. His accession is 
 dated in 1470 or 1472. 
 
 NoNOHU.ALCo, 105, 125. Name 
 of one of the quarters of the 
 ancient city of Mexico ; also 
 of a mountain west of the 
 valley of Mexico. The deri- 
 vation is probably from orioe, 
 to lie down ; onohua, to sleep ; 
 onohuayan, a settled spot, an 
 inhabited place. The co is a 
 postposition. 
 
 Nopal or Nopaltzin, 46. 
 Ruler of Acolhuacan, a. d. 
 1260-1263, according to some 
 chronologies. The name is 
 from iwpalli, the cactus or 
 opuntia. 
 
 NopiLTZiN, 67, 91. "My son," 
 or " my lord," a term of def- 
 erence applied to superiors, 
 from pilli, which means son 
 and also lord, like the old 
 English child. Cf. Topiltzin. 
 
 Otomis, 16, 49, 58, 64, 71, 95. 
 A nation which inhabited a 
 portion of the valley of Mex- 
 ico and region adjacent, en- 
 tirely dissimilar in language 
 and appearance from the 
 Nahuas. The etymologies 
 suggested are unsatisfactory. 
 
 Popocatepetl, 46. "The 
 smoking mountain," the 
 name of a famous volcano 
 
INDEX. 
 
 175 
 
 rising from the valley of Mex- 
 ico. 
 
 POYAl'HTECATL, I05. A Volca- 
 
 no near Orizaba (Sahagun. 
 Hist, de Nueva Espana, Lib. 
 I, cap. 21). Derived from 
 poyaiia, to color, to brighten. 
 
 QUANTZINTECOMATZIN, 4I. A 
 
 warrior not otherwise known. 
 The name is a double rever- 
 ential, from quani, eater, and 
 teconiati, vase, " The noble 
 eater from the royal dish." 
 
 QVAUHQUECHOLLAN, 95. A 
 
 village and plain near the 
 southern base of Popocate- 
 petl. It means "the place of 
 the quechol woods," or the 
 trees among which quechol 
 birds are found. See Moto- 
 linia, Historia de los Indios, 
 Trat. Ill, cap. 18. 
 QuAUHxiLOTL, 89. Name of a 
 large tree, and applied to a 
 warrior, ruler of Iztapallocan, 
 whom Ixtlilxochitl, King of 
 Tezcuco, placed at the head 
 of his troops in his war with 
 Tezozomoc. See Clavigero, 
 Storia Antica di Messico, 
 Tom. I, p. 185. 
 
 QUETZALCOATL, 32, I43, 144. 
 
 See note on p. 143. 
 
 QuETZALMAMATZiN, 91. Name 
 of a warrior, "the noble one 
 of the beautiful hands" {qtiet- 
 za/li, 7na>na, pi. of niaitl, and 
 rev. term. tzm). Perhaps the 
 same as Quetzalmemalitzin, 
 ruler of Teotihuacan, men- 
 tioned by Ixtlilxochitl, His- 
 toria Chichnneca, cap. 35. 
 
 QuiAVHTZiN, 93. Name of a 
 warrior, "The noble rain" 
 [quiatiitl, tzin). 
 
 Tenochtitlan, 85. The cur- 
 rent name for the City of 
 Mexico; literally, "at the 
 stone-nopal," from tetl, stone, 
 
 nochtli, nopal, and postpos., 
 tlatt. The term refers to an 
 ancient tradition. 
 
 Tepanecas or Tecpanecas, 
 35. A powerful nation of 
 Nahuatl lineage, who dwelt 
 in the valley of Mexico. They 
 were destroyed in 1425 by the 
 Acolhuas and Mexicans, and 
 later the state of Tiacopan 
 was formed from their rem- 
 nants. Comp. probably from 
 iecpan,a. royal residence, with 
 the gentile termination. 
 
 Tepeyacac, Tepevacan, 93. 
 From tepef/, mountain, j-arrt/"/, 
 nose, point, and postpos , c. 
 I. A small mountain on 
 which the celebrated church 
 of the Virgin of Guadalupe 
 now stands. 2. A large town 
 and state subject to ancient 
 Mexico, now Tepeaca in the 
 province of Puebla. 
 
 Tetlapan Quetzanitzin, 68, 
 69. A ruler of Tlatilolco, con- 
 temporary of the conquest. 
 See Note to Song VI. ' 
 
 Tetzcoco, now Tezcuco, 14, 
 35, 36, 77- Capital city of 
 Acolhuacan, and residence 
 of Nezahualcoyotl. It has 
 been called "the Athens of 
 Anahuac." The derivation 
 of the name is from a plant 
 called tetzcuUi {Cod. Rami- 
 rez). 
 
 Tezozomoc, Tezozomoctli, 
 35. 39. 67, 88, 89. A ruler of 
 the Tepanecas, celebrated for 
 his warlike skill and severity. 
 His death is placed in the 
 year 1427. The name, like 
 Montezuma, is derived from 
 zonia, to be angry, in this 
 case from the reduplicated 
 frequentative form, zozoma. 
 
 TizATLAN, 103. "The place of 
 white varnish" {tizail), the 
 name of one of the four quar- 
 ters of the city ofTlascala. 
 
176 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Tlacomihuatzin, 93. "The 
 noble cousin of the lynx" 
 {t/aconiizt/i, lynx, hitan, post- 
 pos., denoting affinity, tzin, 
 reverential). The name of 
 a warrior. 
 
 Tlacopan, now Tacuba, 135. 
 A small state west of Mexi- 
 co and subject to it, built up 
 on the ruins of the ancient 
 Tepanecas. Comp. from tla- 
 cotli, a slave. 
 
 Tlahuican, 118. A Nahuatl 
 province south of the valley 
 of Mexico, so called from the 
 cinnabar, tlahtdtl, there ob- 
 tained (Buscimiann ; but the 
 Cod. Ramirez gives the 
 meaning" toward the earth," 
 from tlalli and hide). 
 
 Tlailotlacan, 140. One of 
 the seven divisions of the 
 city of Tezcuco (Ixtlilxochitl, 
 Hist. Chichiyneca, cap. 38). 
 
 Tlailotl.^qui, 84. Literally, 
 "workers in refuse," or 
 "scavengers." Said by M. 
 Aubin to have been a tribe 
 who settled in Tezcuco in 
 the reign of Quinantzin. The 
 term is apparently one of 
 contempt. 
 
 Tlalman.\lco, 42. A village 
 near the foot of the volcano 
 Pojjocatei^etl. Derived from 
 tlahnanalli, level ground, 
 witii postpos. CO. 
 
 Tlalnahuacatl, 89. "Dweller 
 on the land;" name of a 
 warrior. 
 
 Tlaloc, 45. God of rain and 
 the waters ; a famous divinity 
 among the ancient Mexicans. 
 The word means " stretched 
 on the earth," and the idol of 
 the god represented a man 
 extended on his back holding 
 a vase. 
 
 Tlapallan, 105. A mythical 
 land from which the Toltecs 
 were fabled to have come 
 
 and to which Quetzalcoatl 
 returned. The derivation is 
 from tlapalli, color, especially 
 red. 
 
 Tlatetolco, Tlatilulco, 33, 
 83, 85. A suburb of the an- 
 cient city of Mexico, founded 
 in 1338; from t late Hi, a 
 mound, ololoa, to make 
 round, the sense being " an 
 island." See Motolinia, His- 
 toria de los hidios, Trat. Ill, 
 cap. 7. 
 
 Tlaxcallan, now Tlascala, 
 89, 93, 103. " The place of 
 bread," from tlaxcalli, bread. 
 Site of a warlike tribe of Na- 
 huatl descent, east of the 
 valley of Mexico. 
 
 Tlatzin, 46. Chief of a town 
 of the Chichimecs, situated 
 on Lake Chalco. He flour- 
 ished toward the close of the 
 14th century. From tlatli, a 
 falcon. 
 
 ToCHiN, 89. From tochtli, 
 rabbit ; name of the brother 
 of the Tezcucan ruler Quin- 
 antzin, and of many other 
 personages. 
 
 TOLLAN, or TULAN, 46, I05, 
 
 107. The ancient mythical 
 capital of the Toltecs. The 
 common derivation from to- 
 lin, a rush, is erroneous. 
 The name is a syncopated 
 form of to?iatlan, " the place 
 of the sun." 
 
 ToLTEC, properly Toltecatl, 
 46, III. An inhabitant of 
 Tollan. The Toltecs were a 
 mythical people, whose civil- 
 ization was supposed to have 
 preceded tiiat of the Aztecs. 
 
 TopiLTZiN, 46, 105. " Our son" 
 or " Our lord " (see Nopil- 
 tzin). The term was espe- 
 cially applied to Quetzal- 
 coatl, q. V. See Orozco y 
 Berra, Hist.Antig. de Mexico, 
 Tom. Ill, p. 54. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 177 
 
 ToTOQUiLHUATLi, 41. From to- 
 toquilia, to act as agent or 
 lieutenant. Ruler of Tlaco- 
 pan. The verse of the song 
 in which this name occurs is 
 given in the original Nahuatl 
 by Ixtlilxociiitl, who says it 
 was very popular throughout 
 New Spain. See his Hisioria 
 Chichiineca, cap. 32. 
 
 XiCALANCO, 107. A locality 
 on the borders of the prov- 
 ince Tabasco. The people 
 spoke Nahuatl. Deriv. xi- 
 calli, gourd or jar, and post- 
 
 pOS. CO. 
 XlCOMATZINTLAMATA, 34. 
 
 Name of a warrior not other- 
 wise known. The compound 
 seems to mean "skillful with 
 angry hand " [xicoa, maitl, 
 tiaynati). 
 XicoNTECATL, 103. Name of 
 several distinguished Tlas- 
 calan warriors, lords of Tiz- 
 atlan. See Clavigero, Hist. 
 Aiitica di 3Iessico, Tom. Ill, 
 pp. 38 and 40, One was a 
 favorite of Nezahualcoyotl. 
 See Ixtlilxochitl, Hisioria 
 Chichimeca, cap. 40. 
 
 XlUHTEUCTLI, 15. The god of 
 
 fire, literally," the lord of ihe 
 year," or "of the foliage." 
 
 XiUHTZAL, 46. A queen of an- 
 cient Tollan, said by Clavi- 
 gero to have ruled from A. 
 D. 979 to 984. Other writers 
 give tlie name more correctly 
 Xiuhtlaltziji, "Lady of the 
 Green Fields," and place her 
 death in 987. (Orozco y 
 Berra, Hist. Antig. de Mex- 
 ico, Tom. Ill, p. 45.) 
 
 XoLOTL, 46. An early if not 
 the first king of the Chichi- 
 mecs. His death occurred 
 in 1232. 
 
 YoHUALLATONOC, 89. "Shining 
 at night." Name of a war- 
 rior. 
 
 Yopico, 22. A division of the 
 ancient city of IMexico, con- 
 taining a temple of this name. 
 The word means "the place 
 of the tearing out of hearts" 
 {jo//to/,pi, co), from the form 
 of sacrifice there carried out. 
 
 YovoNTZiN, 35, 40, 66, 67. A 
 name of Nezahualcoyotl. 
 See p. 35. 
 
LIBRARY 
 
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 of all the native chronicles of ancient Mexico. 
 
 IV. PROSE AND POETRY FROM THE NAHUATL.— 
 A selection of extracts from Nahuatl writers, in prose and verse, 
 from MSS. or extremely rare books, illustrating the development 
 of the language and the psychology of the nation. 
 
 V. LEGENDS OF THE MICMACS.— A collection of legends 
 and tales in the Micmac tongue, composed by natives, with literal 
 translations and a comparative study of Algonkin folk-lore. 
 
 VI. THE BOOKS OF CHILAN- BALAM.— The sacred 
 volume of the modern Mayas, one of the most remarkable com- 
 positions of the native American mind. 
 
 These and other works of a similar character will be issued 
 from time to time, if sufficient interest in the series is manifested by 
 students of this branch, by libraries and private collectors, to meet 
 the cost of publishing them. 
 
 Up to the present time this has scarcely been the case; and the 
 editor feels that he has, perhaps, undertaken a task which should 
 be that of a Society rather than a private individual ; but he 
 hopes the result of this appeal will enable him to continue the 
 enterprise. 
 
In order to show the estimate which has been phiced by critics 
 and Schorrs upon this series, so far as issued, the editor permits 
 
 himself to quote the following : — 
 
 OPINIONS AND PRESS NOTICES. 
 
 " It is to be hoped that the InJian publications which Dr. Brintoii is issuing will meet 
 with a wide circle of readers, and that others besides scholars of this department will 
 interest themselves to aid the work he has so vigorously and successfully begun. To 
 his call on 'learned societies, enlightened governments, liberal institutions, and indi- 
 viduals throughout the world ' to help preserve the native American literature, there 
 should be many Americans, at least, to respond." — Prof. C. H. Toy, in the American 
 Journal of Philolosy. Vol. V. 
 
 " The efforts of Dr. Brinton shcjuld be welcomed by all antiquarian students, for they 
 are not only original contributions, but are presented in a readable .ind interesting 
 manner." — The American Antiquarian. Vol. VI. 
 
 " Scholars everj'where should vie with each other in encouraging this laudable enter- 
 prise of Dr. Brinton. There are many specimens of aboriginal literary skill extant, 
 which should be included in this library, as they are almost inaccessible at present."— 
 The Kansas City Review, Aug., 1885. 
 
 •' Around the ' red man ' native to America, there clusters an ever deepening interest, 
 and the desire to know more concerning him increases every day. Such books <as those 
 which Dr. Brinton has given to the public are well adapted to meet these require- 
 ments."— r/j? Chauiauguan, Oct., 1S85. 
 
 "We must repeat our thanks to Dr. Brinton for this excellent series, and again 
 express our sincere wishes for its success. To the antiquary, philologist and ethnolo- 
 gist these volumes are of the highest interest; and we hope that their publication will be 
 continued until all available material is exhausted." — Notes and Queries, London, 
 May, 1S86. 
 
 Die Denkmaler, aus denen wir unsere Kenntnisse der friiheren Zustande der ameri- 
 kanischen Volker schopfen konnen, reichen bekanntlich nicht weit zuriick und sind 
 mitunter hochst unzuverlassig. Was unsere Vorfahren, befangen von einer beschrankten 
 und verkehrten Weltanschauung, versaumt haben, namlich die sparlichen Ueberreste 
 der literarischen Production der amerikanischen Aboriginer zu sarameln, jene Versiium- 
 niss nach Kraften gutzumachen, dies ist der Zweck einer von dem bekannten Amerikan- 
 isten D.\NiEL G. Bkinton in Philadelphia unternommenen Publication 
 
 Brinto.n-'s Library muss in ihrer soliden Ausfiihrung als ein Quellenwerk ersten 
 Ranges bezeichnet werden.— Prof. Friedrich Miiller, of Vienna, in the Miltheil. der 
 Wiener Anthropol. Gesell. 
 
 " On ne peut que remercier le savant professeur de Philadelphie pour cette cxcellente 
 edition. L'oeuvre qu'il a entreprise et qu'il mene si activement, aura certaincment pour 
 resultat de repandre aux Etats-Unis le gout des etudes historiques Americaines. M. 
 Brinton aura ainsi rendu un signale service i I'ethnographie et i l'archa;ologie du 
 nouveau continent."— Desire Charnay, in the Hevue d^ Ethnographie, 1884. 
 
 "We hope that Dr. Brinton will receive every encouragement in his labors to dis- 
 close to Americans these literary antiquities of the Continent. He eminently deserves 
 it, both by the character of his undertaking and the quality of his work."— 7"<4f Ameri- 
 can (Philadelphia). 
 
 3 
 
In 1885 the Socicte Americaine de France decreed the 
 bestowal of a medal upon the editor of this series, in the 
 following terms : — 
 
 "\]nt Medailie de la Socii/i Americaine d'apres une composition nou- 
 velle de M. le statuaire H6gel, i M. le Docteur Daniel G. Brinton, i Phil- 
 adelphie, d616gue general de 1' Alliance Scientifique Universelle pour les 
 Etats-Unis, qui, dans ces derniers temps, s'est placd par ses nombreux et 
 savants travaux au premier rang des Am^ricanistes du Nouveau Monde." — 
 Rapport Annuel sur les Recompenses et Encouragements, Paris, 1S85. 
 
 The following list of the numbers of the library already issued 
 will acquaint the reader with the character of each. All are printed 
 in uniform style, on heavy laid paper, of the best quality, and are 
 bound in cloth only. Each work can be had separately for the 
 price affixed. 
 
 No. I. THE CHRONICLES OF THE MAYAS. 
 
 Edited by DANIEL G. BRINTON, M.D. 279 pages. Cloth, uncut, $5.00. ($3.00 
 when a complete set Is ordered). 
 
 This volume contains five brief chronicles in the Maya language 
 of Yucatan, written shortly after the conquest, and carrying the 
 history of that people back many centuries. To these is added a 
 history of the Conquest, written in his native tongue, by a Maya 
 Chief, in 1562. The texts are preceded by an introduction on the 
 history of the Mayas; their language, calendar, numerical system, 
 etc.; and a vocabulary is added at the close. 
 
 " Dr. Brinton's work upon the history of the M.iyas of Yucatan, is a most import.int 
 contribution to the literature of American antiquities. Comparative linguists, as well as 
 archaiologists, will find a new and very interesting subject of study in these remains." — 
 The {London) Saturday Review. 
 
 " Jede Chronik wird im Originaltext, in englischer Uebersetzung und mit erkliirenden 
 Noten mitgetheilt. Diese Chroniken setzen mis in den Stand, die Geschichte des Maya- 
 Stammcs eine geraume Zeit hinter die Epoche der Eroberung des Landes durch die 
 Spanier zuriick zu verfolgen." — Prof. Friedrich Miiller in the Mitt, der Wiener 
 Anthrop. Cesell. 
 
 4 
 
" The author treats in a learned introduction of the name Maya, of the linguistic 
 family designated by this word, of the origin of the tribe so-called, of their hieroglyphic 
 books, and of the modern monuments of their literature. * * • The capital piece in 
 the volume is the chronicle of Chicxulub, written by Nakuk Pcch, in 1562. Here we 
 have to do with an instructed and intelligent man, a Cacique deeply concerned in the 
 great events of which his country was the theatre on the arrival of the Spaniards, who 
 relates facts of which he was an eye witness. * * * In publishing these chronicles, 
 and this interesting record of a native chieftain, the editor has rendered an important 
 service to history." — Revue d'Ethnographie, 1SS4. 
 
 No. II. THE IROQUOIS BOOK OF RITES. 
 
 Edited by HORATIO HALE. 222 pages. Cloth, uncut, $3.00. 
 
 This work contains, in the Mohawk and Onondaga Languages, 
 the speeches, songs and rituals with which a deceased chief was 
 lamented and his successor installed in office. It may be said to 
 throw a distinct light on the authentic history of Northern America 
 to a date fifty years earlier than the era of Columbus. The Intro- 
 duction treats of the ethnology and history of the Huron-Iroquois. 
 A map, notes and a glossary complete the work. 
 
 " Mr. Hale's book is likely to make an epoch in North American Indian historj', 
 giving, as it does, a. clearer insight than we have had before into the political constitu- 
 tion and fortunes, and the personal character of the famous ' Six Nations,' who played 
 so prominent a part in the land before and during the Revolutionary War." — American 
 Journal 0/ Philology. Vol. V. 
 
 " This work may be said to open a field of Indian research new to ethnologists. * * 
 These precious relics of antiquity are concise in their wording, and full of meaning. 
 * * * The additions made by Mr. Hale are almost as valuable as the text them- 
 selves." — The Nation, New York, September 13, 1883. 
 
 " The reputation of the author added to this fascinating title, will insure its favorable 
 reception, not only by ethnologists, but also, the reading public. * * * A remarkable 
 discovery, and indisputably of great ethnological value. * * * A book which is as 
 suggestive as this must bear good Uu\t."—Scieitce, August 31, 1883. 
 
 " The book is one of great ethnological value, in the light it casts on the political and 
 social life, as well as the character and capacity, of the people with whom it originated." 
 — Popular Science Monthly, November, 1883. 
 
 " It is full of instructive hints, particularly as bearing on the state of so-called sav.ages 
 before they are brought in contact with so-called civilized men. Such evidence is, from 
 the nature of the case, very difficult to obtain, and therefore all the more valuable."— 
 Prof. F. Max MuUer. 
 
 " It is a philosophical and masterly treatise on the Iroquois league and the cognate 
 tribes, their relations, language, mental characteristics and polity, such as we have never 
 had of any nation of this Continent." — Dr. J. Gilmary Shea. 
 
 5 
 
No. III. THE COMEDY-BALLET OF GUEGUENCE. 
 
 Edited by DANIEL G. BRINTON, M.D. 146 pages. Cloth, uncut, $2.50. 
 A curious and unique specimen of the native comic dances, 
 with dialogues, called bailes, formerly common in Central America. 
 It is in the mixed Nahuatl-Spanish jargon of Nicaragua, and 
 shows distinctive features of native authorship. The introduction 
 treats of the ethnology of Nicaragua, and the local dialects, musi- 
 cal instruments, and dramatic representations. A map and a 
 number of illustrations are added. 
 
 " Critics and Scholars are bound to recognize the value of this curious book." — The 
 {^London) Saturday Re^'iew. 
 
 " We have here a work of careful research. Nothing seems to be lacking which the 
 interests of this new field of study demand." — The Boston Universalist Quarterly. 
 
 " The GiiegUence is the only specimen now known of the native American comedy. 
 The character of the principal figure is a marked type of that peculiar kind of humor 
 preferred by the native mind. This original production, with its valuable notes, should 
 attract attention and awake an intelligent interest." — The Universalist Quarterly, 
 18S4. 
 
 No. IV. A MIGRATION LEGEND of the CREEK INDIANS. 
 
 By A. S. 6ATSCHET. 251 pages. Cloth, uncut, $3.00. 
 
 This learned work offers a complete survey of the ethnology of 
 the native tribes of the Gulf States. The strange myth or legend 
 told to Gov. Oglethorpe, in 1732, by the Creeks, is given in the 
 original, with an Introduction and Commentary. 
 
 " Mr. Gatschet's book is devoted to the early history and traditions of the tribes that 
 inhabited the watershed of the north shore of the Gulf of JMexico.-especially the Maskoki 
 family, the most important member of which was the Creek Nation. The first part 
 treats of tlie ethnic and linguistic groups of this region, the second part of the Kasi'hta 
 form of the migration-legend. A second volume is to give the Hitchiti version, the 
 notes .and vocabulary. Mr. G.atschet has put into convenient shape a good deal of infor- 
 mation respecting these tribes, and seems to have proceeded cautiously in the use of his 
 authorities. He leaves undecided the question whether the Creeks crossed the Missis- 
 sippi going eastward in their migration. His remarks on the mytholog}', though brief, 
 are judicious. The linguistic remarks also are brief. The author thinks that the 
 parent Maskoki language cannot now be reconstructed ; at most a comparative grammar 
 of the existing dialects might be written, and he points out what these dialects have in 
 common, so far as can be m.ide out from published accounts." — American Journal 0/ 
 Philology. 
 
 6 
 
No. V. THE LENAPE AND THEIR LEGENDS. 
 
 By Dr. DANIEL G. BRINTON. Cloth, uncut, $3.00. 
 
 Contains the complete text and symbols, 184 in number, of the 
 Walam Olum or Red Score of the Delaware Indians, with the 
 full original text, and a new translation, notes and vocabulary, 
 A lengthy introduction treats of the Lenapc or Delawares, their 
 history, customs, myths, language, etc., with numerous references 
 to other tribes of the great Algonkin stock. 
 
 " The editor, as might be expected from his well-known attainments, has illuminated 
 this Indian narrative with a great wealth of illustration, historical, ethnological, and lin- 
 guistic, set forth in a clear and attractive style. The recent history of the Delawares, 
 their religious belief, their customs and language, are carefully explained, so far as is 
 necessary for an understanding of the original work. .Altogether, the volume may be 
 fairly said to form one of the most important and interesting contributions to American 
 archaeology and ethnology that have appeared for many years. "^ — The {Neiv York) 
 Critic. 
 
 " Dr. Brinton's wide reading and industrious research enable him to present us with 
 useful materials, among which, if employed with due caution, the ' Walam Olum ' must 
 certainly be reckoned. The historical introductions are also valuable, especially as early 
 Americana, copiously quoted here, are very scarce, and so expensive as often to be out 
 of the reach of the student." — The London Saturday Re^'iew. 
 
 "Dr. D. G. Brinton's latest contribution (No. V) to the Library of Aboriginal 
 American Literature is not less valuable than its predecessors. It gives many legends 
 of the Lenapes and redeems from oblivion an aboriginal chronicle which has long been 
 looked upon askance by Americanists and denounced, by not a few, as a forgery of the 
 eccentric Raiinesque." * * * The Kansas City Review, l8SS- 
 
 No. VI. THE ANNALS OF THE CAKCHIQUELS. 
 
 Edited by DANIEL G. BRINTON, M.D. 234 pages. Cloth, uncut, $3.00. 
 The original text, written about 1562, by a member of the reign- 
 ing family, with a translation, introduction, notes and vocabulary. 
 This may be considered one of the most important historical 
 documents relating to the pre-Columbian period. 
 
 " Dr. Brinton's volume is one of those complete and satisfying treatises, marked by 
 careful research, clear exposition, and judicious comment, to which he has accustomed 
 his readers. The translation bears every mark of painstaking fidelity ; and the intro- 
 d ..ction, notes and vocabulary supply all the aids that a student will need. It is to be 
 hoped that the present work will be followed by the Popol Vuh of the Quiches— that 
 remarkable record to which Brasseur's fanciful interpretations gave special notoriety, 
 and which, uiuier Dr. Brinton's recension, will assume its proper place and permanent 
 value." — The (New York Critic. 
 
 7 
 
Dr. Brinton has added another interesting book to his editions of American texts. 
 The Cakchiquels occupied a ponion of the area of the present State of Guatemala. The 
 annals here published are from the pen of one of their own authors, a member of a dis- 
 tinguished family. He describes the early history of his people and the arrival of the 
 Castilians, with the events that followed their conquest. These are not very remarkable, 
 but they serve to give a picture of the times. 
 
 The editor has prefixed an index in which he discusses the ethnological position of the 
 Cakchiquels; their culture; their capital city; computation of time; personal and 
 family names ; tribal subdivisions ; terms of affinity and salutations ; titles and social 
 castes ; religious notions and language. The people, like the Mayas and Aztecs, were 
 agriculturists and builders. They had the art of picture-writing, but the editor leaves it 
 undecided whether their system was derived from that of the Mexicans or that of the 
 Mayas. Their literature consisted of poems and dramas. The form of government was a 
 limited monarchy, the regal power being divided between two families, to one of which 
 belonged the author of the Annals. — TVjtr American Journal of Philology. 
 
 No. VII. ANCIENT NAHUATL POETRY. 
 
 Edited by D. G. BRINTON, M D. 176 pages. Cloth, uncut, $3.00. 
 In this volume twenty-seven songs in the original Nahuatl are 
 presented, with translation, notes, vocabulary, etc. Many of them 
 date from before the conquest, and none later than the sixteenth 
 century. They have remained wholly unpublished and untrans- 
 lated ; several are attributed to the famous royal poet, Nezahual- 
 coyotl. The introduction describes the ancient poetry of the 
 Nahuas in all its bearings. 
 
 Contents. — Introduction ; the National Love of Poetry among the Azteca ; the 
 Poet and his Work ; the Themes and Classes of the Songs ; Prosody of the Songs ; 
 Vocal Delivery of the Songs; the Instrumental Accompaniment; the Preservation of 
 the Ancient Songs ; The LX Songs of the King Nezahualcoyotl ; the History of the 
 present Collection. 
 
 XXVII Ancient Nahuatl Poems, with English Translation. 
 
 Notes, Grammatical and Historical, upon the Native Text. 
 
 Vocabulary. Index of Nahuatl Proper Names, with Analysis. 
 
 In spite of the patient researches of Boturini. von Humboldt, Lord Kingsborough and 
 others devoted to the preservation of the literature of the ancient Mexicans, not a single 
 song of an authentic character has ever been published in the native tongue. Prescott, 
 in his History of the Conquest of Mexico, Mlihlenpfordt, and later, H. H. Bancroft, 
 have offered incorrect translations or imitations of these interesting productions ; but 
 in this volume, for the first time, the genuine originals are printed, with a coherent 
 English version. 
 
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