Texts

Kunij walajtuya se nawataketza ipal Meshikal pal tamachtia ne Nawataketzalis, wan kenhayuk kinetuya kaj kipalewia iwan muchi ne tajtamachtiani. Né ninemik kashtuli tunal iwanmet. Né nechishmatijket ka naja niweli nitaketza Nawat, wan kwak nemik ukseseyuk senputzuat teya nechajkawket ma te niu.

Then a Nahuatl speaker from Mexico came to teach the language, and once more he wanted somebody to help him with the teachers. I was there with them for two weeks. There I was recognised for my knowledge of Nawat, and afterwards I got invited to all the meetings.

Padiush, Nan Tal, ka taja tikitak kwak ninesik, tikitak kwak nipejki niweya, kwak nimuchiwki takat. Mupanpa naja niwelik nikchiwa muchi tay niwelik tik ne tunal, ninemik wejwey takapiltzin, nechmunekiket pal nitekitik iwanmet. Panu sujsul tunal wan nimuchiwki chulet, kunij teya akaj nechneki kwak nikukuya, maya nuiknuwan, kenhayuk nechnekit pero ajsi keman teya akaj nechneki, nan nuiknuwan, ajsi se tunal ka naja nimiki, kunij nan nusiwaw nan nupilawan nechnekit, yawit nechmimat ken kimimat ne kupajsul tik ne kupajsultal, maya taja, Tunan Tal, ashta kwak timikit titechneki ka kunij tiktapua mumajmajkul pal titechnamiki. Yajika timetzilwitiat padiush, Tunan Tal!

Thank you, Mother Earth, because you saw when I was born, you saw when I began to grow, when I became an adult. Thanks to you I was able to do everything I did today, I had a long youth, I was needed for work. After many days I grew old, then nobody wants me when I am ill, only my brothers, they still love me but the day will come when nobody wants me, not even my brothers, the day will come when I die, then not even my wife and my children will want me, they will throw me out as they throw out rubbish, only you, Mother Earth, want us even when we die, for then you open your arms to receive us. For that I thank you, Mother Earth!

Trabajemos, que así se tiene con que comprar muchas cosas que nos hacen falta.

Nikitztuk mijmiak teya ka ne yajyankwik. Nikitztuk takamet, wejwey tejtechan, kojkojtik tejtepet, pajpatawak iwan wejweyak ajat, iwan ajanimales miak clases, ka wan ne nuish muchi nikita kan nimutalua.

He visto muchas cosas nuevas. He visto gentes, grandes caseríos, altas montañas, largos y anchos ríos y animales de todas clases, porque con mis ojos todo lo veo en mi carrera.

Sí, hijito querido: en aquellos lejos lugares para ti (dijo el padre del mundo), allá acabo de dejar muchos pequeñuelos que, como tú, desean venir conmigo, para acompañarme y conocerte en mi largo viaje, y para aprender muchas cosas que, sin salir no se pueden saber.

Tráigame de todo eso, siempre que estén sabrosos como acaba de decirme, que yo le pagaré su trabajo.

Le tienes miedo al trueno, a las enfermedades, a las serpientes y a todo lo que pueda acabar contigo?

Witz ka madrugada ne itzuntekun. Teya su welik musalua.

The head came in the morning; she was no longer able to attach herself.

He could no longer make it; he was going to die.

"But since I put chili on her, she no longer could."

She no longer gave the food to her grandchildren; she only ate together with her lover.

That's what my grandfather and grandmother told me, and big storms always come, but we never saw if one came to fall. So, today I am telling this to my friend so he can take this story with him as a remembrance.