Song XVII — XVIII (Ycnocuicatl — Song of Privation)
The manuscript heading on folio 12r is simply XVIII*, followed by the rubric* Ycnocuicatl — Song of Privation, or Orphan Song. The Nahuatl root icno- carries the weight of orphanhood, destitution, being without: without parents, without companions, without the nearness of God. This is the song of those who are left.
The song opens with an image of arrival — the speaker descends onto the flower-tree like a hummingbird — and almost immediately turns to grief. Named lords of Huexotzinco appear in the opening sections: Tecayehuatzin (the historical ruler who anchors Song XVI as well), Atecpanecatl, Yaomanatzin, Micohuatzin, Ayoquatzin. Their presence grounds the song in a specific political community — Huexotzinco, rival of Tenochtitlan, hemmed in by its enemies, its water-mountain locked and "showered with arrows" (§173). The grief is both personal and civic.
The philosophical center arrives in §§180–188: a series of direct challenges to the Giver of Life. Why do you shatter jade? Why do you destroy the painted book? For what do you know us? These are not prayers of submission but of accusation — the voice of the orphaned speaking to the God who orphaned them. The tone is close to the Book of Job: the speaker does not stop believing; he simply demands an answer.
The second movement (§§189–213) shifts toward acceptance and consolation. We are borrowed. We are only here a little while. Let privation end. The marigold arrives (§209) — cempohualxochitl, the twenty-flower — and the song closes on a note of instruction: do not grieve in orphanhood, it is through bitterness that we live.
Colonial syncretism is present throughout — Dios, tota Dios — but sits alongside the traditional theology of Ypalnemohuani (Giver of Life), Ycelteotl (Only God), Quenonamican (Place of No Return), and Ximohuayan (Place of Flaying). The song does not resolve the tension; it holds it.
Song XVII spans folios 12r through 14v, sections 170–227. Nahuatl source text accessed from the UNAM TEMOA digital platform (temoa.iib.unam.mx), CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Translated directly from Classical Nahuatl by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
I have come, arrived at the flower-tree,
upon its arms —
I am the hummingbird,
I drift and give myself freely,
that there I might delight:
sweet, fragrant on my lips.
ohuaya
He — God, Giver of Life —
with flowers we pray to you,
with flowers we bow down.
Here we delight you
beside the flower-drum,
Atecpanecatl, the holy.
ohuaya
The drum is sounded, sounded
within the spring house.
Your friends await you —
Yaomanatzin, Micohuatzin, Ayoquatzin.
The lords sigh with flowers.
ohuaya
They came tracking, they came afflicted —
the water and mountain of Huexotzinco,
in the thorn-land.
It is locked in,
showered with arrows,
in Huexotzinco.
ohuaya
The rattle, the turtle-drum resound —
there in the paper house of Huexotzinco.
There Tecayehuatzin keeps watch,
Lord Quecehuatl —
he plays his flute, he sings.
It is his home,
there in Huexotzinco.
ohuaya
Yaya papa ilili —
hear it!
Our Father God descends now,
his home is here.
The jaguar drum resounds,
the bell-rattle song rings out.
ohuaya ohuaya
Is it truly so?
The flower — for only a moment,
the quetzal garment spreads
within the book house.
So the earth and mountain are preserved,
so the Only God is preserved.
ohuaya
Flower-arrows blaze upward —
your jade house, your gold,
your book house.
There is your home,
O Only God.
And you, our friends —
come and hear the dream's words.
In the springtime
he makes us live:
the golden maize-ear adorns us,
the roseate spoonbill adorns us,
he necklaces us.
This we know.
Truly our hearts have been confirmed,
our friends.
ohuaya ohuaya
Only God, the Giver of Life —
only by him we live.
Your humble friends await you —
with songs they wander in grief,
with flowers.
They seek only sorrow,
they sadden themselves,
they ask this of you:
your glory, your honor.
ohuaya
I say it, I recall it —
yes, it is so:
privation.
With what will my heart be soothed?
With what will my longing end?
I, the Huexotzincan —
surely my father is still there,
surely my mother is still there.
She will yet await me,
she will yet console my heart.
But will I truly complete the journey?
Privation.
ohuaya
I go among others.
They rejoice, they delight —
here, our friends.
They have their fine cloths, their necklaces.
But I — I am poor.
I will find no joy,
nothing to lift my face toward,
here beside others.
ohuaya
Lordship turns away.
Friendship turns away.
Nobility —
it comes from elsewhere.
I want it, I long for it,
here on earth.
Nothing from which to be glad,
nothing to lift my face toward,
here beside others.
O Near-One, O Nigh-One —
we honor you here.
We have nothing to bring beside you,
O Giver of Life.
Only by means of flowers you know us.
We only wilt —
your friends.
Likewise —
you shatter the quetzal-obsidian.
Likewise you destroy the painted book.
Everything goes there —
only to Mictlan,
where we all perish together.
For what do you know us, Only God?
Thus we live,
thus is our place of perishing.
We travel toward destruction,
we humans —
whither shall we go?
For this I weep —
even as you grow weary,
Giver of Life.
Jade shatters,
quetzal breaks.
Do you mock us?
You count us as nothing,
you destroy us here.
It is your creation, you spread it —
your enclosure, your food,
O Giver of Life.
No one anywhere speaks of it:
we stand beside you
in privation,
beseeching.
Jade-bud sprouts,
quetzal-blossom opens —
yet your heart, O Giver of Life,
no one speaks of it.
We stand beside you
in privation.
A little while you live, each in your place.
Enjoy yourselves —
for only a little while
we are borrowed.
Only so long
are people honored.
No one is truly your friend.
For only a little while
things are lent between us —
your beautiful flower,
the yellow flower.
All that blooms
upon your mat, your throne —
nobility,
within the plain,
within lordship and kingship —
it is braided together:
your war-flower,
the yellow flower.
It is truly nothing
that we speak here,
O Giver of Life.
Only like a dream
we rise from sleep,
what we say on earth.
To no one do we truly speak it here.
And yet — jade fragments
are placed in our hands,
O Giver of Life.
With flower-necklaces we beseech,
we are asked.
Yet nobility,
eagle-nature, jaguar-nature —
to no one do we truly speak it here.
O Giver of Life —
he laughs.
It is a dream,
our sleeping.
Our friend's heart is confirmed:
truly God laughs.
Let us humbly rejoice
within the spring house,
in the house of paintings.
The Giver of Life causes us to live.
He already knows, he already says it —
how we die,
we humans.
No one, no one, no one
truly lives here.
In vain I was born,
in vain I came out here —
you who are on earth.
I suffer.
Even if I came out, even if I were born —
what did I deserve?
I went there, O nobles.
Let me walk before people —
how can one know oneself?
I will set out — that is my lot.
I only suffer, I will be in pain.
My heart alone —
my friend,
that which has never yet been
here on earth.
How does one live among others?
Can one really live carelessly?
You who walk before people —
only slowly, only truly alone,
where I bow down.
I walk bowed among others.
Do not grieve, my heart.
Do not imagine anything more.
It is never truly privation on earth —
truly it is bitter pain,
but by this you will be honored
near you, beside you,
O Giver of Life.
I only seek them, I remember them —
our friends.
Will they come again?
Will they yet come to live?
No — we perish once,
only once, here on earth.
Let no heart suffer
beside you, near you,
O Giver of Life.
For this reason alone I weep,
I grieve.
I was abandoned among others, on earth.
How does your heart want it,
O Giver of Life?
Let grief come out —
privation.
Let me yet be honored beside you,
O God,
you who demand death from me.
Perhaps we do not live happily on earth —
truly we are only friends,
so that joy might come
here on earth.
Truly, likewise, we all suffer.
Truly, likewise, we are poor in spirit,
here beside others.
Only within the sky
you create your words —
God alone.
How shall we want it?
Will you grow weary here?
You will spread your fame,
your glory,
here on earth.
How shall we want it?
No one is truly your friend,
O Giver of Life.
Our friends — you see it,
your jaguar.
Where shall we truly go?
We are afflicted here,
O nobles.
Though our grief is in vain —
he who hates us,
he who puts us to death —
let us have courage.
We will all go there,
to the Place of No Return.
Let me walk before your face —
I only wander in suffering
before God the Giver of Life.
He only gives it to us,
he only takes it from us —
his fame, his glory,
here on earth.
Still, be wholly steadfast —
I must leave you,
our friends, our nobles.
People — no one can truly stand
before the Giver of Life,
God alone.
He only gives to us,
he only takes from us —
his fame, his glory,
here on earth.
Still, be steadfast —
I must leave you,
our friends, our nobles.
Wherever you hear it, your heart suffers.
Truly call out to us!
Look upon us!
Thus you live here
before the Giver of Life.
May you never die.
May you live here always,
on earth.
And I say it —
only a little while,
only like a young maize flower
have we come to open on earth.
We only wither,
our friends.
May privation end.
May your grief come out here.
What shall we eat, our friends?
With what shall we be cheered?
Where does our song come alive?
Where is our drum born?
It will be like tender maize —
it opens, it goes opening on earth.
For this I weep.
No one remains who will leave us orphaned —
on earth, where the road rises
toward Mictlan, toward the Place of Descent,
toward the Place of Flaying.
Is there truly yet living in the Place of No Return?
Does our heart truly believe it?
Only in the bundle, in the mat-chest,
the Giver of Life hides and wraps things.
Shall I see them there?
Shall I look into their faces —
my mother, my father?
Will they give me their song, their word?
I seek it —
where none remain who have left us orphaned.
Flower has arrived —
let them be wrapped in it,
let there be abundance, O nobles.
It comes fully fragrant,
it comes glimmering.
Only in spring
it comes into my hands:
the twenty-flower, the marigold.
Flower has arrived at the mountain-side.
Within the turquoise house
I sing.
Within the jewel house
I speak.
I am only a singer.
Still compose yourselves, still remember:
the Place of No Return —
its home is there.
Truly we are going there,
to the Place of Flaying.
We are only common people.
Our spirit will go before him —
God alone will know it.
What are you composing,
what are you remembering, our friends?
Do not compose for yourselves —
from within us comes the beautiful flower.
Only like sorrow itself,
the Giver of Life.
We create everything,
we remember everything —
we grieve here.
It has happened to the nobles —
bitterness happened,
in spiritual poverty they were taught by God.
Come, my friend —
what are you composing,
what are you remembering,
always on earth?
Only here.
Do not grieve in privation.
This I already know:
it is through bitterness,
through spiritual poverty,
that we live
always on earth.
It has arrived here —
his grief, his bitterness,
the Giver of Life.
Within it we live.
Let them be wept for —
the eagles, the jaguars.
Here we will perish.
No one will remain.
Reflect on it,
O nobles, O Huexotzinca —
even if it be jade,
even if it be gold,
it will go there too,
where one is flayed,
to the Place of No Return.
No one will remain.
I weep, I come in privation.
I recall them —
the jades, the precious turquoises
you hid away,
you wrapped up,
O Only God.
With what will our heart be consoled?
For what will our grief end?
I only suffer in vain.
If your flower is true,
if your beautiful song is true —
will Ayocuantzin come again?
Shall I see him once more?
Shall I call to him once more
beside the drum?
We lift our songs, our flowers —
the songs of Only God.
By these, friendship is drawn tight.
You offer us to the community.
So declares Tochihuitzin.
So declares Coyolchiuhqui:
We have come to rise from sleep,
we have only come to dream.
It is not true, it is not true
that we have come to live
on earth.
We have come to become
spring grass —
it sprouts, it freshens,
our heart,
our flower,
our flesh.
Some bloom,
and some wither.
So Tochihuitzin declared it.
Only his word,
only his striving
will shine.
He mocks us,
he plays with us here.
No one, no one
can speak his word to him —
the Giver of Life.
Though it were Huemac —
Lord Tezozomoc is praised,
the man-owl.
Thus alone he went —
Cuetzpal, Ozomatzin,
Lord Tlachquiehuitl,
descended among the ancients
on earth.
No one can.
No one can.
Let the earth truly stand —
let the mountain truly rise.
So says Ayocuan,
he alone — Cuetzpaltzin.
In Tlaxcala, in Huexotzinco —
let the popcorn flower,
the cacao flower
be given.
May the earth truly endure.
I am drunk.
I weep.
I grieve in want.
I know it.
I say it.
I remember it —
may I never die,
may I never perish.
Where there is no dying,
where there is life —
let me go there.
May I never die,
may I never perish.
With your joy
you adorn yourselves,
O nobles —
White Eagle, Petlacalcatl.
Newly you have brought them:
burning shield-flowers.
It is made solid
by Xayacamach.
Truly, privation
will increase in the Place of No Return.
Does anyone want to go,
O nobles?
Do you want to see
where one lives among those who know you?
Only grief is his flower,
his song.
Let us yet delight —
Petlacalcatl, White Eagle.
When will it be released —
the Only God,
the Giver of Life,
here?
He leads people with compassion,
he causes them to pass the day —
the Giver of Life,
God himself.
His beloved
has come down to his fellowship,
upon his mat.
When will it be released —
the Only God,
the Giver of Life,
here?
Colophon
Translated from Classical Nahuatl by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Sections 217–227 Nahuatl source text reconstructed from the TEMOA word-level annotation system for folio 14v; individual particles not visible in the annotation rendering may be absent from the source text block. The León-Portilla critical edition (UNAM, 2011) and Bierhorst 1985 consulted post-draft for structural verification only. All English independently derived.
🌲
Source Text: Song XVII — Sections 170–227 (Folios 12r–14v)
Classical Nahuatl source text from the Cantares Mexicanos manuscript, Biblioteca Nacional de México. Transcription accessed via the UNAM TEMOA digital platform (temoa.iib.unam.mx), CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Embedded scholarly footnote markers from the critical edition have been removed.
(XVIII — Ycnocuicatl)
[Section 170, folio 12r]
Oya nihualacic xochinquahuitl ymapan ayahue nixochihuitzil ninoyacahuilitica ynic nompactica tzopelic huelic noten ohuaya
[Section 171, folio 12r]
Yehuan Dios Ypalnemoani ye xochitica tontlatlauhtilo ya ye tontopechteca can timitzonahuiltia xochihuehuetitlan Atecpanecatl teutlia ohuaya etcetera
[Section 172, folio 12r]
Onpialo huehuetl ompialo ye oncan xopancalitec mitzonchia ye mocnihuan Yaomanatzin in Micohuatzin yn Ayoquatzin ye xochitica onelcicihui in teteuctin ohuaya etcetera
[Section 173, folio 12r]
Hualixtococ hualcocoliloya yn atl in tepetly Huexotzinco tzihuactlan tzaqualotoc in tlacochahuayotoc in Huexotzinco ya ohuaya
[Section 174, folio 12r]
Tetzilacatl ayotl cahuantoc aya amocal inmanica Huexotzinco ya yn oncan ontlapia in Tecayehuatzin Quecehuatl teuctli ontlapitza oncuica çan ca ye ichan ye Huexotzinco ya ohuaya
[Section 175, folio 12r]
Yaya papa ilili xontlacaquican ye hualtemoya in tota Dios can ca ye ichan ocelocacahuehuetl comontoc aya in tetzilacacuicatl oncahuantoc ye oncan ohuaya ohuaya
[Section 176, folio 12r]
Ach in iuhca a ayahue xochitl can çanitl i quetzalliia quemitl huilantoc ayahue amoxcalitec ynic onpialo tlalo yan tepetl ynic onpialo yn Icelteotl a ohuaya etcetera ay yao
[Section 177, folio 12r]
Xochimitletlehuatoc mochalchiuhcancacal noteocuitla amoxcacal anca ye mochan yn Icelteotl
[Section 178, folio 12r]
Auh tocnihuane tla xoconcaquican yn itlatol temictli ayahue xoxopantla technemitia in teocuitlaxilotl techonythuitia tlauhquecholelotl techoncozcatia in ticmati yeohuaya yeontla neltocato yiollo tocnihuan ohuaya ohuaya
[Section 179, folios 12r–12v]
Can yehuan Dios yn Ipalnemohua can tonnemi yehuayan ye mitzonchixtoque in mocnoicnihuan ye cuicatica onnentlamatoque ye xochitica yan can quitemohua mellel tlaycoltia mitzonyaitlanilia moyollio in tleyotl mahuizyotl aya ohua
[Section 180, folio 12v]
Niquittoa niquilnamiqui ye antla ye iuhqui icnopillotl tle yca cehuiz in noyollo tle yca polihuiz in notlayolol nihuexotzincatl mach oc onca ye nota mach oc onca ye nonan oc nechonnechixtiez oc nechonyollocehuiz auh yn amo niccentlamitinemiz a ycnopillotl ohuaya
[Section 181, folio 12v]
Nonteyhua paquihua aahuielo nican tocnihuan onca ye inquach yncozquiauh in nehua ninotolinia antle ic nonpactaz antle ic nahuixtehuaz tenahuac ye nican ohuaya
[Section 182, folio 12v]
Momalinan teucyotl momalinan nicniuhyotl in tecpillotl aya ca oncan ca ompa huallaz noconnequi noconelehuia in tlalticpac antle ic nonpactaz antle ic nahuixtehuaz tenahuac ye nican
[Section 183, folio 12v]
Ti Tloque ti Nahuaque timitzahuiltia nican antle mocnopilhuia monahuac Ypalnemohua can ihui xochitl ypan titechmatia can toncuetlahui timocnihuan
[Section 184, folio 12v]
No iuhqui quetzalitztli ticxaxamania can no iuhquin tlacuilolli ticpopoloa ixquich ompa yahui çan no ye Mictlan can tocepanpoliuhyan
[Section 185, folio 12v]
Tle ypan titechmati Ycelteotl yhuin tiyolli yhuin ye topolihuian can tonpopolihuitihui timacehualti cannelpa tonyazque
[Section 186, folio 12v]
Can yeic nichoca yan ynic tontlatzihui Ypalnemohuani chalchihuitl tlapani quetzalli poztequi a timoquequeloa o antaque antle ypan titechmati titechpopolohua nican a
[Section 187, folio 12v]
Anca moneyocol ticmanaya motzaqual motlaqual yn Ipalnemoani ayac can quittoa monahuac ycnopillotica tontlatlanilo
[Section 188, folio 12v]
Chalchiuhitzmolintoc onquetzalcuepontoc achin moyollo Ypalnemoa ayac çan quittoa monahuac ycnopiltica
[Section 189, folio 12v]
Achin oncan yecan tinemi xonahuiacan yn çan cuel achic can ixquich cahuitl onmahuiztihua yn tlaca ayac nelli mocniuh in çan cuel achic onnetlanehuilo y iectli moxochiuh can cocahuic xochitl
[Section 190, folio 13r]
Yxquich in cueponi mopetlapan mocpal ypan in tecpillotl yn tlahuatl ytec in teucyotl tlatocayotl ye ic malinticac in moyaoxochiuh can cocahuic xochitl
[Section 191, folio 13r]
Ye antle nel o ticytohua nican Ypalnemohua can iuhquin temictli can toncochitlehua in tiquittoa tlalticpac ayac nellin tiquilhuiya nican
[Section 192, folio 13r]
Tlanel ye chalchihuitl tlamatelolli timaco Ypalnemoani xochicozcatica tontlatlanilo tonitlanililo ach in tecpillotl in quauhyotl oceloyotl ach ayac nellin tiquilhuia nican
[Section 193, folio 13r]
Yoyahue Ypalnemohuani moquequeloa ca temictli yn tocotoac yn tocniuh ontlaneltoca toyollo ye nelli moqueloa yehuan Dios
[Section 194, folio 13r]
Tla tonicnoahuiacan xopancalitec tlacuilolpan in technemitia Ypalnemohuani ye quimati ye conitoa ynic timiqui timacehualtin ayac ayac ayac nel on tinemi ye nican
[Section 195, folio 13r]
Onennontlacat onen nonquiçaco anqui ye nican in tlalticpac ninotolinia in manel nonquiz in manel nontlacat niquittoa tle naiz onohuacon tepilhuan ma teixco ninen in quen huel ximimati ye noyehuataz yeyantli nolhuil can ninotolinia tonehuaz can noyollo tinocniuih yn ayaxcan in tlalticpac ye nican
[Section 196, folio 13r]
Quenin nemoa in tenahuac mach ilihuiz tinemi teixco ninemi çan ihuian can ycel nelli yn can nonnopechteca çan nontolotinemi yn tenahuac
[Section 197, folio 13r]
Maca xicnotlamati noyollo macaoc tle xicyocoya ye nelli ayaxcan ycnopiltihua in tlalticpac ye nellin cococ yc ontimalihuiz yn motloc monahuac Ypalnemohua
[Section 198, folio 13r]
Çan niquintemohua niquimilnamiqui in tocnihuan cuix occepa huitze yn cuix oc nemiquihui ca cen tipolihui ça çe ye nican in tlalticpac macac cocoya yiollo ytloc ynahuac Ypalnemohua
[Section 199, folio 13r]
Çan yeica nichoca nicnotlamati nonicnocahualoc in tenahuac in tlalticpac quen connequin moyollo Ypalnemohuani maoc mellel onquiça ycnopillotl maoc ontimalihui monahuac ti Teotl yehuan Dios an tinechmiquitlani
[Section 200, folios 13r–13v]
Aço amo tipactinemi tlalticpac anca çan titocnihuan ynic hualpaquihua tlalticpac anca noch ihuin titotolinia anca noch ihuin teopohui tenahuac ye nican
[Section 201, folio 13v]
Çan ca ilhuicatl ytec oncan ticyoyocoya motlatol can yehuan Dios quenin toconnequiz mach titlatzihuiz ye nican tic ynayaz in motenyo in momahuiço tlalticpac ye nican quenin toconnequiz
[Section 202, folio 13v]
Ayac huel icniuh Ypalnemohuani antocnihuan anquihta amocelotl cannelpa toyazque titlacocohua ye nican antepilhuan
[Section 203, folio 13v]
Yn ma onnentlamati techcocolia in techmictiani ximotlapalocan moch onpa toyazque Quenonamican
[Section 204, folio 13v]
Ma mixco ninen can ninotolinitinemi yn ixpan Ypalnemoan yehuan Dios çan techoncuilia çan techonyquanilia yn itleyo ymahuiço tlalticpac ye nican oc xonmocenmatica namechocauhtehuaz yn antocnihuan yn antepilhuan
[Section 205, folio 13v]
Yn tlaca ayac huel ixpa yn Ipalnemohua can yhuian Dios can techoncuilia can techonyquanilia yn itleyo ymahuiço tlalticpac ye nican oc xonmocenmatican namechoncauhtehuaz yn antocnihuan yn antepilhuan
[Section 206, folio 13v]
Yn can ticcac ticocohua moyollo huel xitechonithua xitechoniztlaco yhuin tinemi nican ixpan Ypalnemohua macaic ximiqui ma cemicac nican xinemi tlalticpac
[Section 207, folio 13v]
Auh y nehua niquittoa e can achic çan iuhquin eloxochitl ypan titomatico in tlalticpac can toncuetlahui antocnihuan maoc ompolihui ycnopillotl maoc amelel quiça ye nican
[Section 208, folios 13v–14r]
Tleyn tiquazque antoncnihuan tle yca tahuiazque canon i yolin tocuic canin tlacati tohuehueuh xilotiz oncacamatiquiuh in tlalticpac yca nichoca ayac onteca techicnocauhque tlalticpac can yhcac yn ohtli Mictlan yn Temoayan ca Ximohuayan cuix oc nelli nemohua Quenonamican cuix ontlaneltoca toyollo çan topco petlaacalco ontetlatia ontequimiloa Ypalnemohuani cuix oncan niquimitaz ymixco nontlachiaz nonan nota in cuix nechalmacazque in cuic intlatol nocontemohua ayacon teca techicnocauhque
[Section 209, folio 14r]
Yecoc xochitl man nequimilolo man necuiltonolo antepilhuan Huelixtihuitz cuecueyontihuitz çanyo xopan nomaciucatihuitz cempohualxochitl yecoc xochitl tepetitech
[Section 210, folio 14r]
Yn çan xiuhcalitic noncuica maquizcalitic niontlatoa çan nicuicanitl
[Section 211, folio 14r]
Oc xoconyocoyacan xiquilnamiquican in Quenonamican ompa ye ichan aya nelli ye tonyahui yn ompa Ximoa çan timacehualti anca toyolia ixpan ye onyaz quiximatiz çan yehuan Dios
[Section 212, folio 14r]
Tleyn anquiyocoyan tlein anquilnamiqui antocnihuan macatle xicyocoyacan totech onquica in yectli xochitl çan iuhqui yellel in Ipalnemohua çan mochi ticyocoya mochi tiquilnamiqui ticnotlamati ye nican
[Section 213, folio 14r]
Mochiuh in tepilhuan mochiuh in cococ teopouhtica nezcaltilo yehuan Dios ma xihualan tinocniuh tlein ticyocoya tlein tiquilnamiqui mochipan tlalticpac çanio nican maca xitlaocoya ycnopillotl in ye nicmati cococ yca teopouhtica titonemitia nochipan tlalticpac
[Section 214, folio 14r]
Oacico ye nican yn ielel ytlaocol Ypalnemoa ye itic onnemia ma onnechoquililo in quauhtli ocelotl ye nican can tipopolihuizque ayac mocahuaz
[Section 215, folio 14r]
Xicyocoyacan antepilhuan ahuexotzinca manel ye chalchihuitl manel teocuitlatl no ye ompa yaz in canin Ximohua Quenonamican ayac mohuaz
[Section 216, folios 14r–14v]
Nichoca nihualicnotlamati y niquilnamiqui chalchihuitl tlaçoxihuitl yn otictlati yn otiquimilo Ycelteotl ach tle yca cuix in toyollo tle yca polihuiz in totlayocol çan ninentlama intla nel moxochiuh yn tlanel yectlin a mocuic mach oc mocuepaquiuh in Ayoquatzin cuix occepa niquittaz cuix occepa nicnotzaz in huehuetitlan
[Section 217, folio 14v]
Tocuic toxochiuh ticehua ycuic Ycelteotl onmoquechnahuatiuh icniuhyotl matitech mantiuh cohuayotl nicototehuac Tochihuitzin conitotehuac Coyolchiuhqui toncochitlehuaco tontemiquico ahnelli ahnelli tinemico tlalticpac
[Section 218, folio 14v]
Xoxopan xihuitl ypan tochihuaco hualcecelia hualitzmolini toyollo xochitl tonacayo cequi cueponi oncuetlahuia conitotehuac Tochihuitzin
[Section 219, folio 14v]
Çan itlatol çan iciehuiz ontlahuiz toca moquequeloa techahahuilohua nican ayac huelo ayac huelon quilhuiz itlatol Ypalnemoani
[Section 220, folio 14v]
Tel caço Huemac timalo Teçoçomoc teuctli tlacatecolotl ycoyauh Cuetzpal Oçomatlin teuctli Tlachquiehuitl çan ontemo huehueyotian tlalticpac ayac huelo ayac huelo
[Section 221, folio 14v]
Huel manin tlalli huel ica tepetl quihualitoa Ayoquan çan yehuan Cuetzpaltzin
[Section 222, folio 14v]
Tlaxcallan Huexotzinco izquixochitl cacahuaxochitl onnemahmaco huel mani tlalla
[Section 223, folio 14v]
Nihuinti nichoca nicnotlamati nicmati niquittoa nic ilnamiqui macaic nimiqui macaic nipolihui
[Section 224, folio 14v]
Can ahmicohua can ontepetihua oncan niauhmaca nimiqui maca nipolihui
[Section 225, folio 14v]
Anmonecuiltonol anmonmoquimiloa antepilhuan Quauhtli Iztac petlacalcatl yanquitlatzihuiliti chimalli xochitl totonqui etic mochiuhtoc Xayacamachan
[Section 226, folio 14v]
Anca icnopillotl ontitimaliuhtaz Quenonamican anca ayaznequi antepilhuan amontlachiaznequi ompa nemohua amachcahuan çan yellel ytlaocol ixochiuh icuic tonahuiacan petlacalcatl Quauhtli Iztac quenman tlacahuaz Icelteotl Ipaltinemi nican
[Section 227, folio 14v]
Teicnohuica teicnocemilhuitiltia Ipaltinemi yehuan Dios anqui ycococauh ontemocniuhtia ypetlapan quenman tlacahuaz Icelteotl Ipaltinemi nican
Source Colophon
Source text from the Cantares Mexicanos manuscript, Biblioteca Nacional de México, sixteenth century. Transcription accessed via the UNAM TEMOA digital platform (temoa.iib.unam.mx). The manuscript transcription is made available by the Instituto de Investigaciones Bibliográficas, UNAM, under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. Reproduced for non-commercial archival use under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Critical edition: Miguel León-Portilla et al., Cantares Mexicanos, 3 vols. (México: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México / Instituto de Investigaciones Históricas, 2011). Song XVII carries manuscript heading XVIII (Ycnocuicatl), spanning folios 12r–14v, sections 170–227. This translation is complete. Song XIX (manuscript heading XIX, Huehue cuicatl) begins at folio 15r with section 228. Sections 217–227 Nahuatl source text reconstructed from the TEMOA word-level annotation system for folio 14v; individual particles not rendered in the annotation display may be absent.
Footnote-style reference numbers appearing in the UNAM TEMOA transcription (e.g., ccxi, ccxxv) are León-Portilla critical apparatus annotations and have been silently removed from the source text as presented here.
Bierhorst 1985 (Cantares Mexicanos: Songs of the Aztecs, Stanford University Press) consulted post-draft for structural orientation only. All English is independently derived from the Classical Nahuatl. No Bierhorst phrasing was adopted.
🌲