Song XVIII — XIX (Huehue cuicatl — Ancient Song of the Lords)

The manuscript heading on folio 15r is simply XIX*, followed by the rubric* Huehue cuicatl yn nepapaquilizcuic tlatoque — Ancient Song, the Various Songs of Joy for the Lords. The title delivers on its promise: this is a song of celebration, one of the most formally diverse in the Cantares corpus.

The opening sections (§§228–231) are among the most explicitly cosmological in the entire collection. The song begins in Tamoanchan — the Nahua paradise of first creation, the primordial flower-tree where human beings were made and called into being. The claim is not decorative: song itself descends from the creation event. We were made in Tamoanchan, wrapped in lordly speech by the Giver of Life; therefore song is our substance, not merely our entertainment.

The middle sections bring named singers and lords into the ceremonial circle: Çacatimaltzin, Tochihuitzin, Motenehuatzin, Coyolchiuhqui, Moquihuitzin. The colonial world intrudes as it does throughout the Cantares — a bishop sings in the cave-house (§234); Saint Francis speaks and Fray Pedro instructs (§246). The singer does not resist; he incorporates the new authorities into the same ceremony that contains the Giver of Life, the flower-cord, and the drums. Colonial insertion and traditional theology occupy the same breath.

The final movement (§§248–253) shifts completely in register: a series of comic mock-portraits of famous lords of the Triple Alliance period — Nezahualpilli of Texcoco, Axayacatl of Tenochtitlan, Totoquihuaztli of Tlacopan, and Tezozomoc. These are not insults; they are a recognized genre of festive address — elaborate physical caricatures delivered with affectionate excess, the mock-praise of great men at their own courts. The teasing diminutive suffixes (-pil, -ton) and compound descriptors for physical oddities are Nahuatl court comedy. Some of these lords were long dead by the time the song was written down; the portraits are also an act of cultural memory.

Song XVIII spans folios 15r–16r, sections 228–253. The folio rhythmic markers Titico titico titico and Toco toco toti / Coto coto coto appear as percussion notation at folio openings and are reproduced here as found. 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.

Titico titico titico

The flower-tree stands in Tamoanchan,
in the home of God.
There we were made, there we were called —
with lordly speech he wraps us,
he alone, our God,
the Giver of Life.

Like gold I breathe it,
like jade I shape it —
our beautiful song.
Like turquoise he wraps us again and again.
Here in Tamoanchan,
home of God the Giver of Life —
come and rejoice here,
in this springtime, in the spring house.

Your abundance, your grace —
live well, O Giver of Life!
You who are upon the earth:
we shake ourselves, we scatter ourselves here.
Your home is here, your house is here.
How do we live upon the earth?
On your mat, on your glorious seat —
no one merely says it beside you;
in poverty we look up to you,
in poverty we seek you.

For this alone you are looked up to,
awaited —
your house awaiting.
Only the Giver of Life keeps you:
Xiuhtzin, Coyolchiuhqui,
Smoking-Turquoise, Moquihuitzin —
no one merely says it beside you;
in poverty we look up to you.

Songs come alive, flowers bloom —
O you nobles!
I am Çacatimaltzin,
Tochihuitzin —
from there the flower-cord comes.

The drum sways, the rattle sways
for the Giver of Life.
The book lies spread open,
your song drawn tight at the drum.
Motenehuatzin shakes like a tree
in the flower-war —
delighting the Only God.

That person — the bishop — sings
in the cave-house.
The flower-drum rolls and thunders.

What manner of thing rises here?
Where will you see it, you seek it —
the flower-cord swings it.
Has its song truly crossed over?
By this you grieve, Motecuhzoma.

In the flower-courtyard
I scatter your grief.
In the flower-courtyard
I scatter your grief.
With my turquoise crook-staff
I come advancing as a lord,
adorned to the hair.

Toco toco toti
Coto coto coto

With earrings, with a flower-necklace,
I scatter the bright flower —
I scatter the bright flower.
With my turquoise crook-staff
I come advancing as a lord,
adorned to the hair.

Perhaps you are angry on that side?
Perhaps you are angry on this side?
Quick — open it with the flower-cord!
In all four directions —
truly my heart is bound there,
my heart.
What will you do?

Who has come, who has arrived
in the cave-house?
Flowers scatter —
it must be a lord who passes
giving out flowers,
entering like a hollow reed,
the hummingbird on his back,
going rattling —
to the home of God,
slender-fingered, vine-rooted,
spinning round:
the son of Motecuhzoma.

O my housemates!
Quick — begin!
Quick — sing!
I will hear the song
of Motecuhzoma's son —
he twists at the knee,
neck-adorned,
wooden-rumped,
drum-backed,
like one famished at the belly,
flute-voiced at the breast,
heart-twisting,
striped down the middle,
hook-nosed —
no, truly you were not that, child!
No, truly you were not that!

Only by flute-song
the elders call you —
son of Motecuhzoma —
crested-head,
flower-cord swinging at your neck.
No, truly you were not that!

I am the singer, you are elders —
who will complete it?
The word of the Only God,
his book, his painting:
the song, the drum, the teponaztle,
the bell-rattle, the turtle-shell, the shaker —
it blooms, the yellow flower,
it leaves flower on earth.
Where will you go?
Where will you reach?
Where will you live?

Seat yourselves, my grandchildren!
Seat yourselves, my grandchildren!
Like a bishop —
there are countless millions —
do their words and their hearts
spiral and twist in their robes?

Who will be seen?
Who will look into the flower-cave-house,
into the painted book-house,
where you stand stubborn —
the garrulous-lipped, the garrulous-tongued?
Let them not see it!
My grandchild will complete it,
my grandchild will make it happen.

Where did God make me?
Where did God create me?
Flower-wrapped,
flower-mat-rolled,
spiraling, twisting,
already covered in quetzal feathers —
within my heart,
I, the singer.

Saint Francis speaks.
Fray Pedro instructs me,
I the singer —
only there in the cave-house:
the word of God.
I speak it.
It already stands there
laughing at me,
shaming me.
Let my grandchild rise,
let him say his clever words,
let it cheer my grandchild.

Who will know it?
Who will truly see it —
my heart, I the singer?
Perhaps I cannot lift it,
perhaps I cannot speak it.
It already stands there
laughing at me,
shaming me.
Let my grandchild rise.

My housemates, my drum —
let them ask after you:
who is his equal?
Nezahualpilli —
swaying at the flower-drum,
twisted in the water-fashion,
each one settling in place
on his flower-days.
Some do not reach it —
some do not reach it.

Could it be that lord —
Nezahualpilli himself?
Yellow-headed,
reed-striped on the crown,
little-twisted —
full-sky-colored and crooked!
And I also mock you,
lord Axayacatl —
round-wooded,
thorny-backed hill,
wrinkle-eyed,
cracked and rattling,
beard-covered face,
great old nose —
who knows what manner of person?

You are like a mantocotzotl —
go away!
The cormorant calls at you —
long-necked, great-nosed,
thin-lipped,
each limb banging against the next.
Our friends —
weeping!
Listen to it!

I sing it well —
let Totoquihuaztli dance!
Thick-lipped,
bold and unweeping —
nose-flute, conch, coyote —
like a tooth!

Flower-drum-elders,
I come to look —
no, not like that,
Totoquihuaztli!
Chest muddy and cracked,
face wrapped in herbs —
who knows what manner of person!

The flower-tree stands there
in full bloom —
there stands that crooked one:
little Tezozomoc,
heron-shaped and rough-faced.
After all this time,
from the lower end of Tenochtitlan —
little maize-popcorn-pressed:
little Tezozomoc!

Colophon

Translated from Classical Nahuatl by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. The compound mock-descriptors in §§248–253 contain rare and hapax lexical formations; translations are based on word-element analysis and are treated as approximate. The term mantocotzotl (§250) is left in Nahuatl as its precise referent is uncertain. All English independently derived from Classical Nahuatl. No existing English translation was consulted during the translation process.

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Source Text: Song XVIII — Sections 228–253 (Folios 15r–16r)

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.

(XIX — Huehue cuicatl yn nepapaquilizcuic tlatoque)

[Section 228, folio 15r]

Xochinquahuitl onicac in tamoan ychan Dios yecha oncan tiyocoloc tinahuatiloque teuctlatoltica techylacatzoa in çan yehuan toTeouh yn Ipaltinemi

[Section 229, folio 15r]

Yhui yn teocuitlatl in nicpitza nicchalchiuhtequi yectli tocuic yhuin teoxihuitl ic ninappa techilacatzohua nappa tamo tamoa ychan yehuan Dios Ypalnemohuani e xonahuiae nican xopanian xopancalitic

[Section 230, folio 15r]

Ye monecuiltonol moteicnelil huelon nemohua Ypalnemohuani Tlalticpacque timohuihuixoa y timotzetzeloa nican moqu i nochan moqu i nocal ymancan quemon in tlalticpac ynic ye nemohua mopetlapan momahuiçocan ayac çan quittoa monahuac tonteicnoytta tontemopepenia

[Section 231, folio 15r]

Ycan monoma in tehuatl tonteicnoytta mochiel ymanca mocal ymanca can mitzontlapielia Ypalnemoani Xiuhtzin in Coyolchiuhqui Xihuitl Popoca Moquihuitzin ayac çan quittoa monahuac tonteycnoitta

[Section 232, folio 15r]

Cuicatl ayolque xochitl ancueponque antepilhuan niÇacatimaltzin in Tochihuitzin ompa ye huitze xochimecatica

[Section 233, folio 15r]

Ça ye colinia yhuehueuh yayacach Ypalnemohuani amoxicuiliuhtoc anmocuic anquiçoçoa a huehuetitlan Motenehuatzin moquauhtzetzeloa xochiyaoyotica conahuiltia Ycelteotl

[Section 234, folio 15r]

Yehuan tlacatl obispon cuica oztocalitic mimilintoc in teponazxochihuehuetl comonticac

[Section 235, folio 15r]

Quenonmach in quehua can tiquittaz tictemoa xochimecatica quihuihuicon y cuix nepaniuh yayaticac ycuic yc anmococol Moteucçoma

[Section 236, folio 15r]

Xochiithuallin nicpoxahuacon namocohcol xochiythuallin nicpoxahuaco namocohcol xiuhchiquacoltica ye nitlacçatihuitz tzonco cahuilti

[Section 237, folios 15r–15v]

A ca nacochtica xochicozcatica nictzetzeloan tlahuilli xochitl nictzetzeloa tlahuilli xochitl xiuhchiquacoltica ye nitlacçatihuitz tzonco cahuilti

[Section 238, folio 15v]

At tiqualani in nipa ticac at tiqualani in nechcapa ticac tlacuel tla xictotoma xochimecatica nauhcampa ca cenca huel xihxilttomonilpitica noyollo noyollo quen anquichihuazque

[Section 239, folio 15v]

Aquin tlacatl oye'coc oztocaltic xochitl tzetzeliuhtoc tlacaço yehuatl in tlatoani yayaticacapiltlanitzayochi cahuazcacalacatinemi çan ca omicicuiltotopochpil ycuitlapan tetzelilacacuico Dios ychan tzontli ymapil canahuacan quatla'tlalhuayo tetehuilacachpil mamaçohua moteucçomapil

[Section 240, folio 15v]

An nocalihuan an tlacuel xompehuacan tlacuel xoncuicacan noconcaquiz ycuicayo motecuçomapil yxonehnecuil xoquechtlan tzinquauhcaxpil tzinteponpil can iuhquin tapizmiqui xillancapitz yolloylacatz omicicuiltecuicuilpil y yacachiquacolchicolpil ah annellin iuh toncatcapil ah annellin iuh toccatcapil

[Section 241, folio 15v]

Çan tlapitzalcopa mitzhualahua in huehuetque moteucçomapil in quatlatlaquacpil quaxochimecahuihuicon ticatcapil Ah anel iuh tocatcapil

[Section 242, folio 15v]

Nicuicanitl tihuehuetque ac yehuatl ye copoaz ytlatol Ycelteotl yn iamox yn itlacuilol in cuicatl huehuetl teponaztl tetzilacatl ayotl ye chicahuaztli cueponqui coçahuic xochitl cahuilia xochitl tlalticpac can tonyaz can taciz can tinemiz

[Section 243, folio 15v]

Ximotlalican noxhuihuane xonmotlalican noxhuihuane ma iuhquin obispo can ca centzonxiquipilli cuix huimolintoc momamalintoc xincue moliuhtimani yn intlatol i yehua yiollo

[Section 244, folio 15v]

Ac onmottiz ac ontlachiaz xochioztocalco amoxtlacuilolcalitic can ticac tlatlatahque ahn echuelitoa chicoteneque chicotlatoque manenquittocan ye conpoaz ye conchihuaz noxhuiuhtzin

[Section 245, folio 16r]

Can o Dios nechiuhca can o Dios nechyocoxca xochiquimiliuhticac xochpetlaylacatz huimoliuhtoc momamalintoc ye onquetzalpachiuhticac nitic noyollo nicuicanitl

[Section 246, folio 16r]

San Francisco ontlatoa fray Pedro ye nechnahuatia nicuicanitl çan can ye oncan oztocalitic yehuan Dios ytlatol nic ytoa ca ya ycac çan noca huetzca nechpinahuia noxhuiuhtzin ma ye hualmoquetza ma quitto ychicotlatol ma ye ic cahuilti noxhuiuhtzin

[Section 247, folio 16r]

Ac onmatiz no huel quittaz noyollo nicuicanitl at aiuhquin nic ehuaz nic yttoaz ca ya ycac çan noca huetzca nechpinahuia noxhuiuhtzin ma ye hualmoquetza

[Section 248, folio 16r]

Nocaltic nohuehue ma mitztlatlani ac ipatiuh Neçahualpilli elteponazcuecueliuh ye xochihuehuetl yc atlacnecuilpil ceceyaca netlatlalolo in ixochiilhuan cequi aonteaci cequi aonteaci

[Section 249, folio 16r]

Ach anca yehuatl in tlatoani Neçahualpilli quacozpil quaxacaliantecuicuil ylacatztepilin quappacemixtlapalnecuilpil No nimitzahua in tlatoani in tAxayaca in quamimilpol in quauhuitzoctepol ixcocotzahual cacatzactepol tentzonpachpol mahuehueyacapol ac ço mach iuhquin tlacatl

[Section 250, folio 16r]

Ça ye tiquineuh in mantocotzotl xiyeni in ma tlatlachcuitl çan ca yehuatl acacalotl mitztlatzcilhui quechuehueyacapol ye tenpitzacpol ypan tetepo cecen maapol in tocnihuan ie yechoc xicaquican

[Section 251, folio 16r]

Nihuelcuica ya ma mitoti Totoquihuaz in tennopaltitilac ahmo tlaahua pehualpol in yacatlapitzalteuccizcoyopol ye iuhqui in tlan

[Section 252, folio 16r]

Xochhuehuetque nichualitta a'mon iuh Totoquihuazpol elmoçoquillacacatzacpol ixquatolehexoquimilpol ac ço mach iuhquin tlacatl

[Section 253, folio 16r]

Ca xoilacaxochiquahuitl neh ceponticac oncan ycac y y yehua xohuicollin Teçoçomocton queztepoloco texoloxomolli quencahuitica in Tenochtitlantzincapitz eloizquipa'patzacpil Teçoçomocton

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 XVIII carries manuscript heading XIX (Huehue cuicatl yn nepapaquilizcuic tlatoque — Ancient Song, the Various Songs of Joy for the Lords), spanning folios 15r–16r, sections 228–253. This translation is complete. Song XIX (manuscript heading XX, Melahuac cuicatl — True Song) begins at folio 16v with section 254. The folio rhythmic markers (Titico titico titico / Toco toco toti / Coto coto coto) appear as section-zero entries at folios 15r and 15v (percussion notation); they are reproduced in the translation body as found. Footnote-style reference numbers appearing in the UNAM TEMOA transcription (e.g., ccxlv, cclv) are León-Portilla critical apparatus annotations and have been silently removed from the source text as presented here.

No existing English translation was consulted during the translation process. All English independently derived from Classical Nahuatl.

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