Texts

—Kia, nikan tikpiat se tuikaw ka yaja weli taketza Nawat. Su te ankinekit techishtiliat, kunij kia welit antaketzat iwan, wan su amejemet kinekit mumachtiat, welit anwitzet pal annemit tuwan.

“Yes, we have a brother here who can speak Nawat. If you don’t take him away from here, then you can talk to him, and if you want to learn you may come and study with us.”

“Call him over, I want to speak to him.”

—Ka naja niknekiskia ma shiwi timusenpua nikan iwan tumajmanujwan wan shikinmachti taketzat Nawat. Tiawit timetztashtawat pal metzti ume tzunti tumin. Ken tina? Nemi yek?

“Because I’d like you to come and join our brethren here and teach them to speak Nawat. We’ll pay you 200 colones a month. Well, what do you say?”

Kwak se siwat kiwetzi yek kinutza. Wan su te kineki, kunij yawi ka tayua, wan ne kan kuchi ajsi kinapalua wan kichiwa ma isiwaw.

When he fancied a woman he called to her. If she wasn’t interested, then he would come at night to where she was sleeping to hold her and make her his wife.

Pejkia ne shupan! Pejkia wetzi ne at! Muchi ne jaral yawi mulini wan ne tal yawia shushuknajkisa. Ne takwalmet yawita kipiat itakwal, yawit mutaliat tumawak wan te yawit kiseliat mayan. Yajika ne tushupan yaja techtakwaltia muchi tay tinemit ijpak ne tal, wan kichiwa ka tuweyka mutetzilnajkisa, tumawaya wan weya. Yajika, kaj kenka Tiut? ka yaja techtuktia ne at; kituktia ne shalnaj ejekat pal tikijiukwit; ne tunal pal techtawilua ne tal kan tiktaliat tujtukshi pal weyat ne kwajkwawit pal tikutunat wan iwan yaja tiketzat ne tukal kan tinemit; nusan ne kan nemit ne tukujkunew, kan te techmaka ne tunal, kan tesu tisekmikit. Yajika kaj weliskia kichiwa tay Tiut kichiwa tuwan?

Winter has begun! The rain has begun to fall! All the fields will sprout and the land will turn green. The animals will have their food, they will grow fat and will not go hungry. Therefore our winter feeds us all who are upon the earth, and makes our body grow full, healthy and strong. Therefore, who is like unto God? for he sends us rain; he sends us air to breathe; the sun to cast light on the earth on which we tread so that the trees will grow and we can cut wood with which to build our homes where we live; where our children also live, where we shelter from the sun, where we do not feel the cold. Therefore who else could do what God does for us?

The ant, when there are other animals about that can eat it, does not go out to look for food. It waits until nightfall to start going out to look for its food.

An tikitakan ne tzilintuk. Yaja panu muchi ne tunalku takwika. Yajika kwak witz ne shupan miki ipal sesek wan mayan.

Now let’s look at the cicada. It spends the whole summer singing. So when winter arrives, it dies of cold and hunger.

Tay techmachtia ne tutut, ma tejemet tikchiwakan iwan tupijpilawan. Ne tutut, yaja se tamachtiani, ka techmachtia ken weli mupewa tiktemuat ne tutakwal pal te tikseliat mayan.

What the bird teaches us, let us do with our children. The bird is a teacher indeed, for it teaches us how we should start looking for our own food in order not to go hungry.

At the foot of a hill where the flowers grow, I saw a girl carrying water.

And with this my song ends here where we meet, don’t forget, dark one, I carry you in my heart.

Ini nutechan Witzapan. Tik ne nutechan ninestuk. Nin kan munutza ne Nawat ka nemia pal muelkawa.

This is my village, Witzapan. In my village I was born. Here is spoken Nawat, which has nearly been forgotten.

This is my village, Witzapan, I cannot forget it, and our stream the Apantepet where I used to go bathing.

And with this I take my leave to sing my song, to remember my village here on this occasion.