A Nāhuatl hymn for All Saints’ Day

 

FIRST PSALM

In āxcān pàpāqui, motlamachtia in tonāntzin Sancta Iglesia, inic quinmolhuiquīxtilīlia in ītlazòhuān Dios, in Sanctomê, ic pàpācōhua in nōhuiyān cemānāhuac.
Today our mother Holy Church rejoices and is glad, as she celebrates the feast of the beloved of God, the saints, at which the whole world rejoices.

In yèhuāntin Romatlācâ, in oc tlateōtōcâ, cencâ miyaccān ōtēpēuhquê, ōquiyāōcuīquê in tlàtòcāyōtl: auh in tēteô nōhuiyān nōtzaloyâ, ōquimmomāltìquê, ō nō quimmoteōtiquê.
The people of Rome, when they were still pagan, conquered very many lands and seized kingship through war, and they would call upon the gods of every land — they had taken them as captives; they honored them also as gods.

Centetl huēi teōpan ōquiquetzquê in Roma, ōquitōcāyōtìquê Pantheon: cencâ huēi, yahualtic, auh zan tetzopqui: oncān ōquintlālìquê in īxquichtin tēteô, in ōquimānquê.
They built a great temple at Rome, and they named it the Pantheon. It was very large, round, and was vaulted: there they placed all the gods that they had conquered.

Huel nepantlà in quiquetzquê in īnteōuh in ītōcā Iupiter, huēi teōtlàtòcāicpalli īpan ōquitlālìquê: auh in īxquichtin tēteô, quiyahualòtimancâ, caltechtli quitīocatimancâ, iuhquin mā ic quimahuiztilìtimancâ in īnteōuh Iupiter.
Right in the middle, they set up their god whose name was Jupiter; they put a great sacred throne there for him. And all the gods spread out around him, they spread along the walls, as if they were spreading out in fear of their god Jupiter.

Ic ōquinēzcāyōtìquê, ca chicāhuac in īnteōuh, ca huēi: yèīca ca huel ōquinpalēhuî, inic ōquimmomācehualtìquê in nōhuiyān cemānāhuac tlācâ.
By this they signified that their god was strong, that he was great; for he had helped them make the people of the whole world their subjects.

Auh in occequintin, in nōhuiyān cemānāhuac tēteô, in ōmāltiquê, in īnteōuh in Romatlācâ, ō nō quimmomācehualtî, àhuel ōquimmāquīxtìquê in īmmācpa in Romanos, in quinneltōcayâ, in quintlayecōltiāyâ.
But the others, the gods of all the earth, were captives; the god of the Roman people had likewise made the gods his subjects, and they had been unable to save those who believed in them, those who served them, from the hands of the Romans.

 

SECOND PSALM

Auh in ìcuāc in Sant Pedro, in Sant Pablo, ōquicalaquìquê in tlaneltōquiliztli in ōmpa Roma: in yèhuāntin Romatlācâ, īhuiyān ōtlachixquê, ōmozcalìquê, ōquīximatquêin īnnetlapolōltīliz.
But when St. Peter and St. Paul brought the faith to Rome, the Romans listened to them in peace, they were brought to life, they acknowledged their sins.

Auh in oncān piyalōyâ in tēteô, in oncān quinpachòticatca in īnteōuh in Romanos, ītōcāyōcān Pantheon, ītech ōquimopōhuilìquê in Dios, ōquintlàtlapānquê, ōquinipòpolòquê in īmīxiptlàhuān in tēteô, huel ōquimatquê, ca tlātlācatecolô.
And they dedicated to God the gods that were there, that were dominated by the god of the Romans in the place called Pantheon; they smashed, they destroyed the images* of the gods, for they knew that they were demons.
* Here and in the next lines “image” is ixiptla, the word for those who impersonated the gods at Aztec festivals.

Oncān ōquiquezquê in īxiptlàtzin Sancta Maria, īhuān in īmīxiptlàhuān in īxquichtin in Martyresmê: in āxcān motēnēhua Sancta Maria ad Martyres: oncān ilhuiquīxtilīlô in īxquichtin in Sanctosmê, in cecēxiuhtica.
There they erected an image of St. Mary, and images of all the martyrs. Today it is called Sancta Maria ad Martyres; the feast of All Saints is celebrated there every year.

Ic ōmotlanāhuatilî in huēi teōpixqui, in ītōcā catca Bonifacio: inic nōhuiyān cemānāhuac ilhuiquīxtilīlōzquê in īxquichtin Sanctomê, in īpan īcemilhuiyōc in mētztli Noviembre, auh ca ye āxcān.
For a great bishop, whose name was Boniface, declared that all over the world the feast of All Saints should be celebrated on the First of November, and so it is today.

Īhuān nō motlanāhuatilî, inic nōhuiyān cemānāhuac piyalōz: īhuān ōquimotlālīlî tlatlātlauhtīlōni: inic tlatlāuhtīlōz in Dios, īhuān in īxquichtin Sanctomê.
And he also declared that it should be observed all over the world, and he composed a prayer to God and to all the Saints.

Auh in āxcān, in ītlatlālīltzin, in Sancta Iglesia ic quimotlātlauhtīlia in Totēucyo Dios, īhuān quimmoyēctēnēhuilia in ītlazòhuān, in Sanctomê.
And today, by his command, Holy Church prays to the Lord our God, and praises his beloved, the saints.

THIRD PSALM

In ìcuāc in huēi teōpan, in ītōcāyōcān catca Pantheon, ītechtzinco ōquipōuhquê in Romatlācâ in Totēucyo Dios, cencâ ōpàpācōhuac, ōnetlamachtīlōc, ōtlayēctēnēhualōc.
When the Roman people had dedicated the great temple that was called Pantheon to the Lord our God, there was much rejoicing, there was gladness, there was praise.

In yèhuāntzin in Totēucyo Dios, huēi īteōtlàtòcāicpaltzin īpan motlālìtzinoa, zan īceltzin quinmopachilhuìtica in ilhuicac onoquê, in tlālticpac onoquê: īhuān in mictlān onoquê, zan huel īceltzin Teōtl tlàtoāni: Tētàtzin, Tēpiltzin, Spiritu Sancto.
It is he, the Lord our God, who sits on the great sacred throne. He alone dominates those who are in in heaven, those who are on earth, and those who are in hell; God alone is king: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Auh inic mahuiztīlīlōni, niman ye tlatoquilia in īnāntzin Dios Sancta Maria, mochipa ichpōchtli, mācihui in àmo teōtl, inic īnāntzin Dios, cencâ tlazòtlalōni, mahuiztīlīlōni.
And next in order to be honored is St. Mary, the Mother of God, ever-virgin. Although she is not a god, since she is the Mother of God she is very lovable, very worthy of honor.

Niman ye mahuiztīlīlô, yēctēnēhualô in īxquichtin Angelomê: ca īpilhuān ītlàtòcāyōhuān in Totēucyo Dios, ilhuicatl ìltic ōchīhualōquê, ōhuapāhualōquê.
Next all the angels are honored, are praised, for they are the princes of the kingdom of the Lord our God; they were made, they were brought up, in heaven.

Niman yèhuāntin, cencâ yēctēnēhualōnî in Prophetasmê, in Patriarchasmê: huel ītlazòhuān in Dios, in tlālticpac ōnenquê: oc cencâ yèhuātl in īmmiyāhuayo in Sant Ioan Baptista.
Next are the Prophets and the Patriarchs, very worthy of praise: they are God’s beloved who have lived on earth, and foremost among them is St. John the Baptist.

Yèhuāntin cencâ mahuiztīlīlōnî, yēctēnēhualōnî in īxquichtin Apostolos, īmezzōtica quinelhuayōtìquê, quitlācatilìquê in Sancta Iglesia.
All the Apostles are very worthy of honor, of praise: who founded, who gave birth to Holy Church through their blood.

FOURTH PSALM

In amèhuāntin in annoSanctohuān, in oc annemî, in oc annacayòquê, huel ōammìcalquê: auh in amèhuāntin, cencâ anyēctēnēhualōnî, anMartyres, in īpampa tlaneltoquiliztli ōanmicquê, iuh motlàtōltia in Dios.
You are my saints who are still living, who still have flesh: you have fought well. And you are martyrs, highly worthy of praise, who died for the faith, as God commanded.

Niman yèhuāntin, cencâ yēctēnēhualōnî in īxquichtin Confessoresmê, in Doctoresmê, yēcnemiliztica ōquimohuellamachtīlìquê in Totēucyo Dios, nicān tlālticpac.
Next, highly worthy of praise, are all the confessors and doctors, who by living rightly were well-pleasing to the Lord our God here on earth.

Àmo zan ye īxquich in ītlazòhuān Dios ilnāmicô, in yēctēnēhualô in āxcān: ca oc cencâ miyaquintin, niman àmo tlapōhualtin in nōhuiyān cemānāhuac nepāpan tlācâ, in ilhuicatl ìtic onoquê.
And those are not all the beloved of God who are remembered, who are praised, today: for there are many more, people of all kinds, without number, all over the world, who are in heaven.

Timitztotlātlauhtīliâ in tèhuāntzin tiJesu Christo in titotēmāquīxtìcātzin; mā xitēchmomānahuīli in timomācehualhuān.
We pray to you, Jesus Christ our savior; defend us who are your subjects.

Mā xicmonequilti, inic mīxpantzinco topan motlàtōltīz in motlazònāntzin, in mochipa ichpōchtli, in Sancta Maria.
Grant that in your presence your beloved mother, the ever-virgin St. Mary, might intercede on our behalf.

Auh in amèhuāntin in amAngelomê, mā xitēchmomānahuīlīquî in ītechpa in àcualli in àyēctli, in ōticchīuhquê: auh inic àmo occequin ticchīhuazquê.
And you angels, come to defend us from the evil, the wrong that we have done, that we may not do it again.

FIFTH PSALM

In amèhuāntin in anProphetasmê, in amApostolosmê tamēchtotlātlauhtīliâ, inic topan anmotlàtōltīzque, inic huel titomāquīxtīzquê.
To you, prophets and Apostles, we pray that you intercede for us that we may be saved.

In amèhuāntin in anMartyresmê, in anConfessoresmê, mā topampa xicmotlātlauhtīlīcān in Dios, mā amotlatlātlauhtiliztica xitēchmohuīquilīcān in ilhuicac.
O you martyrs and confessors, pray to God for us; bring us to heaven by your prayers.

In amèhuāntin in amichpōpōchtin, īhuān in amīxquichtin in anyēcnēmilizèquê: auh in ammochintin in anSanctomê, mā xitēchmohuīcaltīlīcān, mā ītechtzinco xitēchmopachilhuīcān in Totēucyo Jesu Christo.
O you virgins and all you who have lived worthy lives, and all you saints, accompany us, incline towards us for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mā xiquimmìcuanīlīcān in àtlaneltocanî, mā xiquimmocāhualtīlīcān in tocuāxōch, inic īhuiyān tictotlayecōltīlīzquê in Totēucyo Jesu Christo.
Remove the unbelievers, cause them to leave our borders, so that we may serve our Lord Jesus Christ in peace.

Mā yēctēnēhualo, mā cahuānilo in Dios Tētàtzin, in aic tzīntic, in aic pēuh, in aic tzonquīzaz.
May God the Father be praised, be glorified, who is without start, without beginning, without end.

Mā īhuān cahuānilo, yēctēnēhualo in Dios Tēpiltzin, īhuān Spiritu Sancto: in huel quinēnehuilia in Tētàtzin, inic mocha īhueli, inic mochi quimomachītia, in zan huel cē Dios, cē tlàtoāni, in īmēyixtintzitzin.
May God the Son and the Holy Spirit be glorified, be praised along with him — they are equal to the Father, they are all-powerful, all knowing: the three of them are one God, one king.

Tezcatlipoca informs the Mexicans of their doom

In ic màtlāctli omēyi capitulo, oncān mìtoa in quēnin Motēuczōma quimihua occēquintin tētlachīhuiānimê inic quintlachīhuīzquiâ Españoles; īhuān in tlein òtlica īmpan mochīuh.
Chapter 13, in which it is said how Montezuma sent additional wizards to bewitch the Spanish; and what happened to them on the road.

Auh ye nō centlamantiquê tītlantin; yèhuān in tlaciuhquê, in nānāhualtin, īhuān tlētlenāmacaquê nō ic yàcâ, nō ic yàquê in tēnāmiquizquê.
And another group of messengers — diviners, shamans, and fire-priests — also had gone; they also went for an encounter.

Auh aoccān huel mochīuhquê, aoccān huel tēittaquê, aocmo tlaīpantilìquê, aocmo tēīpantilìquê, aocmo onyehuatquê.
But they were not able to accomplish anything; they were not able to see anyone; they did not find anything, they did not find anyone, they were inadequate.

Zan ye cē tlahuānqui òtlica īca ommotzotzonatô, quimonāmictītô, īca ommīxtilquetzatô.
They only ran across, they only encountered a drunk man along the way, and they were disconcerted at the sight.

Inic quittaquê iuhquin chālcatl ic ōmochīuh, in ōchālcachìchīuh, mochālcanènecqui; iuhquin tlahuānqui, mihuincānènecqui.
They saw that he had made himself like a Chalcan, he was dressed as a Chalcan, he was feigning to be a Chalcan; he was as if drunk, he was feigning drunkenness.

Chicuēyi zacamecatl ic mēlilpî, quimmīxnāmictihuītz, īnyacac ìcatihuītz in Españoles.
His chest was bound with eight grass cords, and he came challenging them, he came standing before the front lines of the Spanish.

Auh zan īnca yehuac, quimilhuî: “Tlê nō mâ amāxtihuītzê in nicān? Tlein oc anquinequî?
And he rose up against them, saying: “What are you still doing here? What more do you want?

“Tlê nō mâ quichīhuaznequi in Motēuczōma? Cuix quin ōmīzcalî? Cuix quin āxcān ye momāuhtìcāpōl?
“What more does Montezuma want to do? Has he just now come to his senses? Has he just now become a great coward?

“Ca ōtlàtlacô, ca ōconcāhuilî in mācēhualli, ca ōtlācaīxpolô, tēca ōmocuāhuītec,* ca tēca ōmoquimilô, ca tēca ōmāhuiltî, ca tēca ōmocàcayāuh.”
“For he has sinned, he has abandoned the common folk, he has confounded people, he has not been coöperative with people, he has not been helpful to people, he has been wanton to people, he has been deceitful to people.”
* tēca mocuāhuītequi, tēca moquimiloa— lit, “he hits himself on the head with respect to people, he is shrouded with respect to people”: the first half of this phrase is given in dictionaries as an idiom for a lack of coöperation; the second half is obscure, but I take it as a parallelism “to be unhelpful”

Auh in ō iuh quittaquê īn, in ō iuh quicacquê ītlàtōl, oc nēn ītlān aquî,* in quimocnōtlātlauhtīliâ, quitlālīlìtihuetzquê īchiyal, ītlālmomoz, īzacapèpech.
And when they saw how it was, when they heard how his words were, they apply themselves in vain: they humbly implore him, they at once set up for him a shrine, an earthen mound, a litter of grass.
* From this line onwards, variation of tense becomes very common — the narrative leaps into the present to convey a more vivid image. I’ve translated this literally even at the risk of bad English style.

Zan niman aocmo ōmpa quihuālittac; tēl zan nēmpanca in ommotlālìca, in oncān oc nēn quitlālmomoztìcâ.
But he did not even look at them; in vain had the earthen mound they had erected been put there.

Zan ye iuhquin īcamac ommaquiquê.
It was as if they entered his mouth.*
* Idiom of obscure meaning — it presumably refers to him berating them.

Ye oncān quimàhua, quintequiāya, iuhquin motitītza* tlàtoa, quimilhuî: “Tlê zan nēn in nicān amìcatihuītzê?
He scolds them there, he was cutting at them, he speaks as if he is straining, and he said: “Why have you come here for nothing?
* In the dictionaries this word specifically refers to straining at stool.

“Aoquīc yez in Mēxìco, ye ic cemmaniyān. Nēpa xihuiyān, aocmo oncān.
“Mexico will never be again — nevermore. Go down; it is no longer there.

Tlā xommocuepacān, tlā xontlachiyacān in Mēxìco, tlein ye mochīhua, in iuh ye mochīhua.”
“Turn around, and behold Mexico: what is coming to pass there, how it is coming to pass.”

Niman ic ōhuāllachixquê, ōhuāllachixtihuetzquê, in quihuālittâ ye tlatla in īxquich teōcalli, in calpōlli, in calmecatl, īhuān in īxquich Mēxìco calli.
Then they looked back, they glanced back, and they see all the temples, the wards, the schools, and all the houses of Mexico burning.

Īhuān iuhquin mâ ye cuēl nècalīhua.
And it is as if there is suddenly a battle.

Auh in ō iuh quittaquê in tlaciuhquê, iuhquin cānin yâ īnyōllo,* aocmo onnāhuatquê, iuhquin acâ itlâ quintolōltî.
And when the diviners saw how it was, their hearts sank, and they no longer spoke, as if someone had forced something into their throats.
* lit. “it was as if their hearts had gone somewhere”

Quìtòquê: “Inīn ca àmo totech monequiya in tiquittazquê; ca ye ītech monequiya quittaz in Motēuczōma in ōtiquittaquê.
And they said: “It was not necessary for us to see this; it was necessary that Montezuma see what we have seen.

“Ca àmo zan acâ, ca yèhuātl in Tēlpōchtli Tezcatlipōca.”
“For this is not just anyone; it is the Youth, Tezcatlipoca.”

Niman ic poliuh, aocmo quittaquê.
Then he disappeared and they saw him no more.

Auh in tītlantin aocmo tēnāmiquitô, aocmo tēhuīc quīzatô; zā oncān huālilōtquê in tlaciuhquê, in tlētlenāmacaquê, quinònōtzacô in Motēuczōma.
And the messengers no more sought an encounter, they did not move toward the enemy; the diviners and the fire priests went back and consulted with Montezuma.

Huālnepaniuhtiyàquê* in achto yàquê in [īhuān**] Tzihuacpopōcatzin.
And those who had first gone with Tzihuacpopocatzin joined them.
* Transcribing oalnepanjxtiaque.
** I feel that this phrase must be missing a “preposition,” since I don’t see how the singular personal name Tzihuacpopōcatzin can otherwise be construed with the plural verb yàquê “they went.”  Tzihuacpopocatzin was a nobleman who was sent to the Spanish by Montezuma, to impersonate the emperor, who had no desire to meet the Spanish in person. Informed by their native allies, the Spanish called Montezuma’s bluff and dismissed the “emperor” brusquely, increasing Montezuma’s fear of their knowledge and power.

Auh in ōàcicô yèhuāntin tītlantin, iuh quipōhuilìquê in Motēuczōma in iuh mochīuh, in iuh quittaquê.
And when those messengers arrived, they described for Montezuma what had happened, what they had seen.

In Motēuczōma, in ō iuh quittac, zā huāltolô, zā huāltolòtimotlālî, huālquechpilô, huālquechpilòtimotlālî, aocmo huālnāhuat, zan ontlanauhtimotlālî; huècāuhtica in iuhqui ontlapolô.
When Montezuma saw how it was, he bowed his head, he let his head bow, he lowered his head, he let his head fall, he no longer spoke, he sat like one on the brink of death; for a long time it was as if he had fainted.

Zā īxquich inic quinhuālnānquilî, quinhuālilhuî:
And this was all he replied to them, all he said to them:

“Quēn nel, mocēloquichtlé*? Ca ye ic toncatê, ca ye ōtictomacaquê.**
“What can be done, o men of valor! We are resigned to the situation in which we find ourselves.
* Correction for mocechtle 
** This expression is obscure. The Spanish gloss reads “ya estamos para perdernos, ya tenemos tragada la muerte.” But the Nāhuatl does not say this; literally it’s something like “it is thus that we exist; we have given it to ourselves.” Ōtictomacaquê, lit. “we have given it to ourselves,” is defined in some ancient dictionaries to mean “we have taken medicine,” but I follow Lockhart here in taking it as an expression of resignation, with the first clause serving as the object one has “given to oneself”: “This is the way we exist; we are resigned to it.” I’m confident in this reading since the verb nicnomaca takes an explicit object in the last line of Montezuma’s speech here.

“Cuix càcâ* tepētl tictotlècahuīzquê? Auh cuix ticholōzquê?
“Are there mountains that we should climb? And shall we flee?
* Reduplication of câ. There is some confusion about the meaning and pronunciation of this rare word. Bierhorst and Wimmer both have it as cacâ (without the saltillo on the first syllable); Carochi has it as càcâ, with two saltillos, which I accept since this seems to be the more normal form of reduplication. Bierhorst describes this verb simply as “the frequentative of câ,” whereas Wimmer says specificially that it is used “en parlant d’une pluralité des végétaux” — I take this use, referring to “plants all around,” as a special case of the normal frequentative sense. In the context of this speech, I take the phrase as referring to the existence of numerous mountains, or a mountain range, whether one takes it as a simple frequentative or as a metaphor comparing the mountains to lush, close-standing vegetation.

“Ca tiMēxìcâ; cuix nel àontīmalihuiz* in Mēxìcāyōtl?**
“We are Mexicans: shall the Mexican culture not go on being glorified?”
* Transcribing nella ontimaliviz. I interpret nella as nel â, “indeed not.” One could also take it as a misspelling of nellê “verily.” Regardless of how we read it, it represents Montezuma’s despair over the continuation of his empire. Tīmalihui is “to swell, to suppurate,” often used to refer to contagion or to the spreading of disease through society, but Bierhorst records that it can also mean “to be swelled up with praise.”
** Mēxìcāyōtl, lit. “Mexicanness” — the Aztecs’ name for their own civilization. Since it refers to the traditions and language more than to any government or territory, I’ve rendered it as “Mexican culture” at the risk of anachronism.

“Motolīnia in icnōhuēhuê, in icnōilamâ; auh in piltzintli, in aya quimati, cāmpa nehuīquilīlōzquê?
“The poor old men, the poor old women are suffering: and the children, who do not yet know anything — where will they be taken? 

“Quēn nel, quēn zan nel nēn? Quēn nozo nel? Cāmpa nel?
“What can be done, whatever can be done? Or what can be done? Where shall we go?

“Ca ye tictomacaticatê in zāzo tlein, in zāzo quēnamî in ticmahuizōzquê.”
“We are resigned to what we will behold, whatever it is, whatever it is like.”

From a prayer to Tezcatlipoca in time of plague

Tlācatlé, Totēucyōé, ā ca nellê āxcān ca ye yauh, ca ye polihui in mācēhualli.
O man! O our Lord! Verily now the commoner is going, is perishing.

Ca ye xaxamaca, ca ye īxpolihui in mācēhualli, in cuitlapilli, in àtlapalli.
The commoner — the tail, the wing* — is crumbling, is disappearing.
* A diphrasism that also means “the commoners.”

Ca ye xamāni, ca ye teīni in piltzintli, in conētzintli
The child, the offspring, is breaking, is shattering.

In ayāc quimomachītia in tlālli, in tapalcatl cololoa.
No one can see the earth, for pottery shards* are piling up.
* A commonplace for “mortal man.”

In tlālli īīxco câ, in cuahuic onoc, in cuauhtēntoc.
They* are on the face of the earth, they are lying on boards, they are lying stretched out on boards.
* In this and the next line, the singular is used to refer collectively to all those afflicted by the plague.

Ca ye īxpolihui in tlatquitl, in tlamāmālli, in cuāuhtli, in ōcelōtl, in huēhuê, in ilamâ, in īyōllòco cihuātl, in īyōllòco oquichtli, in īyōllòco tlàpalihui.
They are disappearing: the subjects,* the Eagle Knights, the Jaguar Knights, the old men, the old women, the grown** women, the grown men, and the strapping youths.
* Tlatquitl tlamāmālli. Literally “the possession, the burden” — a diphrasism for the people subject to rule.
** īyōllòco. Literally “in his/her heart,”  but the ancient lexicographers say this means something like “grown up.”

Ca ye īxpolihui in mātzin, in motepētzin.
Thy city is disappearing.

From the Florentine Codex, VI.1 (1vf), a prayer to Tezcatlipoca in time of plague.

Occeppa iuhcan iez

Chapter 41 of Book VI of the Codex Florentinus records proverbs that were common among the Mexica. Towards the end of the book, we find the following — some Aztec folk wisdom intimating the eternal recurrence (original text in bold, corrected orthography in green):

Occepa iuhcan iez, occeppa iuh tlamaniz iniquin, incanin.
Oc ceppa iuhcān yez, oc ceppa iuh tlamaniz in īquin, in cānin.
Once again it will be as it is; once again it will be so arranged, sometime, somewhere.

¶ Intlein mochioaia cenca ie vecauh, inaiocmo mochioa:
In tlein mochīhuaya cencâ ye huècāuh, in ayocmo mochīhua;
Whatever used to happen very long ago, no longer happens,

auh occeppa mochioaz, occeppa iuh tlamaniz, iniuhtlamanca ievecauh:
auh oc ceppa mochīhuaz, oc ceppa iuh tlamaniz, in iuh tlamanca ye huècāuh;
and it will again happen, it will again be arranged, just as it had been arranged very long ago;

iniehoantin, inaxcan nemi, occeppa nemizque, iezque.
in yèhuāntin, in āxcān nemî, oc ceppa nemizquê, yezquê.
those who are living today will live, will be again.

In his translation the good Fr. Sahagún allows himself to get a little upset, and to editorialize a bit:

Lo que es, tornará a ser; y lo que fue, otra vez será.

¶ Esta proposición es de Platón, y el diablo la enseñó acá, porque es errónea, es falsísima, es contra la fé; la cual quiere decir, las cosas que fueron tornarán a ser como fueron en los tiempos pasados, y las cosas que son ahora serán otra vez: de manera que según este error los que ahora viven tornarán a vivir, y como está ahora el mundo, tornará a ser de la misma manera, lo cual es falsísimo y heretiquísimo.

Īcelīlōcātzin in Dios Īnāntzin – In ic ōme psalmo

2.1. Yèhuāntzin huēyi tlàtoāni, cenquīzcātlamatini in Iesu Christo, inic huel īxê, in nacacê inic mīxtīliāni, auh inic tlamahuiztīliāni,* cencâ quipanahuia in Salomon.
That great king, the perfect sage Jesus Christ, has much more understanding than Solomon, and is much more respectful and shows much more honor to others.
* Repeats the language from 1.2 above.

2.2 In ìcuāc ōmotlècahuî† in īchāntzinco in ilhuicac, in yèhuāntzin in huēyi tlàtoāni in Iesu Christo, ōquimocuīlî in ītlàtòcāyōtzin, in ōmpa ilhuicac Hierusalem.
When the great king Jesus Christ ascended to his home in heaven, he took possession of his kingdom, which is the heavenly Jerusalem.

2.3 Auh ītlazònāntzin in Sancta Maria, mochipa ichpōchtli, oc ōmoquēzquixiuhtīlî* in nicān tlālticpac.
And his beloved mother, St. Mary ever-virgin, remained a few years longer here on earth.
* quēzquixiuhtia, “to spend a few years”

2.4. Auh in ìcuāc ye momiquilīz,* inic ōmpa mohuīcaz in ilhuicac Hierusalem inic īhuāntzinco motlàtòcātīlīz in ītlazòconētzin,
2.5. Huēyi tlamahuizōlli in īpantzinco quimochīhuilî in ītlazòconētzin Iesus, tlamahuizōltica ōquimmocentālīlî in Apostolomê, in cemānāhuac tēmachtìtinencâ.**
And when she was about to die, so that she might go to the heavenly Jerusalem to reign alongside her beloved son,
Her beloved son Jesus worked a great miracle for her; he miraculously assembled the Apostles, who had gone about the world preaching.
* Future tense used for an imminent action in the past.
** Pluperfect of tēmachtìtinemi, “to go about preaching”; from tēmachtia “to teach people”

2.6. Oc iuh ēyilhuitl momiquilīz,* ōquimotlàpalhuìco† in Sant Gabriel, ilhuicac zōyātl quihuālmotquilīlî.
Three days before she was to die, St. Gabriel came and greeted her, bringing palms from Heaven.
* Oc iuh + an expression of time is used to indicate the interval intervening before something happens.

2.7. Quimolhuilî: Cihuāpillé, ōtzonquīz in motequitzin, in motlācòyōtzin:* quimonequiltia in motlazòconētzin, in ticmocuilīz in motlàtòcāyōtzin; huīptla mitzhuālmānilīz in motlazòconētzin.
He said: O Lady! Your work, your duty is finished. Your beloved son desires you to accept your kingdom. The day after tomorrow, your beloved son will come for you.
* Tlācòyōtl, lit. “servitude,” but that’s not a word an angel would use in English for the work of the Mother of God.

2.8. Niman quimomaquilî ilhuicac zōyātl, īnēzcā,* ca ōtēpēuh, ca ōquipēuh in tlācatecolōtl, īhuān cemānāhuac. Auh in yèhuāntzin in cihuāpilli, ic cencâ ōmocnēlīlmâ.**
Then he gave her palms from heaven as a sign that she had conquered: she had conquered the devil and the world. And that Lady gave great thanks.
* īnēzcā; lit. “its sign” — i.e., the sign of the clauses that follow, which function gramatically as the possessors of the sign.
** ōmocnēlīlmâ, reflexive preterite of icnēlīlmati, to be grateful to someone. From icnēlia, “to benefit,” and mati “to think.” (Its preterite is irregular in the same manner as that of mati). In the reflexive this verb means “to feel/express gratitude” without stating to whom.

 

Īcelīlōcātzin in Dios Īnāntzin – In ic cē psalmo

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin: First Psalm

1.1. In āxcān tlazòilnāmico in īcelīlōcātzin* in īnāntzin Dios in Sancta Maria, in ītōcā Assumpcion.
Today is the precious commemoration of the assumption of the mother of God, St. Mary, which is called Asunción.
* from celia — to receive as a guest

1.2. In tlālticpac tlàtòquê, in huel īxèquê, in huel nacazèquê,* cencâ mīxtīliâ,** īhuān cencâ tēmahuiztiliâ.
The kings of the earth, those who have much understanding, are respectful, and show great honor to others.
* lit. “they who have good eyes, they who have good ears.”
** Normally mīxtīlia would be “to think highly of oneself, to be vain” but this meaning seems unlikely here; my assumption is that it here merely duplicates the sense of tēmahuiztilia “to respect others”.

1.3. In yèhuātl in huēyi tlàtoāni Salomon, cencâ ōquimahuiztilî in īnāntzin, in ītōcā Bersabee.
That great king Solomon highly honored his mother, whose name was Bathsheba.

1.4. In ōquicuīc in ītlàtòcāyo* in yèhuātl Salomon, in īnāntzin ōmpa īpan calaquito** in huēyi tēucpan, in ītlàtòcāchāntzinco.
His mother received Solomon’s royal honors when she went into the great palace, into his royal house.
* quicui in tētlàtòcāyo, lit “to take someone’s kingship”; I’ve rendered it as “receive royal honors” since there is clearly no usurpation going on.
** the first of many directional verbs to occur in this song sequence (here, from calaqui, to enter). Hereafter directional verbs are marked with a dagger.

1.5. In ìcuāc īpan calaquito† in Bersabee, in ītlazòconētzin in Rey Salomon: in yèhuātl Salomon moquetz, quināmiquito† in īnāntzin, inic quimahuiztīlî.
When Bathsheba entered into the presence of her beloved child King Solomon, Solomon rose up and went to meet her, so that he might honor her.

1.6 Auh in ōquimonāmiquilî, quimotlazòtlàpalhuî.
And when he met her, he embraced her with love.

1.7. In ōconmotlàpalhuî, īmātitech cāntìyâ,* quimocalaquilî in īcalìtic, auh in tlàtoāni ītlàtòcāicpalpan** motlālî.
When he had greeted her, he took her by the hand, and led her into his house: and she sat on the king’s throne.
* Sahagún’s underspelling obscures that this is a compound verb — “he went, taking her.” (My first impulse was to read this as a causative of āna, but that verb takes its causative in ānaltia instead.)
** tlàtòcāicpalli, lit. “royal seat” — this Western image replaces the diphrasism “petlatl, icpalli” “the mat, the seat,” which is the traditional Mexican locution for royal authority

1.8. Auh īmāyauhcāmpa oc centetl ītlàtòcāicpal quiquetz in tlàtoāni, oncān ommotlālî* in īnāntzin.
And the king set up another throne at his right hand, where his mother went to sit.
* I read this as ommotlālî “she went to sit” rather than ōmotlālî “she has sat down,” mainly because the augmented perfect seems awkward in what is clearly a clause of result.