Texts

Senpa nipejki niajsi ka ne tiupan San Antonio ne nitamachtia Nawataketza, tik ne kojtantechan San Ramón. Ne palej kimakaket chupi tumin pal kinmaka ne tajtakamet pal kikuat abono ipal ne mil, wan né kishtij chupi pal nechtashtawa pal nitamachtia Nawat tik ne kojtantechan.

Then I started going to San Antonio church, in San Ramón, where I taught Nawat language. The priest received money to distribute to the men to buy fertilizer for their fields, and from that he set aside a small amount to pay me for teaching Nawat there.

Panuk ka nechilwijket ma niajsi ka Kulalmumachtiani pal nechishmatit. Kiunij panuk, pejki niajsi pal nechishmatit, wan kwak nechishmatket, ne nantzin Vicky de Amaya nechilwij:

Then they invited me to visit the Students’ Circle. So along I went, and when they met me, Mrs. Vicky de Amaya said to me:

Panuk ka nechilwijket ma niajsi ka Kulalmumachtiani pal nechishmatit. Kiunij panuk, pejki niajsi pal nechishmatit, wan kwak nechishmatket, ne nantzin Vicky de Amaya nechilwij:

Then they invited me to visit the Students’ Circle. So along I went, and when they met me, Mrs. Vicky de Amaya said to me:

Nechilwij ne tunal keman yawi muchiwa ne congreso pal naja niajsi. Wan kiunij kichiwket pal nechishmatit ne ishmatijket. Kitaket ka naja niweli nitaketza Nawat wan nusan nitawawasua. Anka yajika ka ne nawi congreso nechilwijket ka yawit nechmakat nutekiw.

She told me the date of the conference so that I would come. And that is how the specialists met me. They saw that I could speak Nawat and write it too. Maybe that is why they told me I would have work in four conferences.

In 1960 I started attending the Catholic Church.

We ask you, oh Tlaloc! when you see that Father Sun is very angry with us, to come and spray us so that he doesn’t kill us in his anger,

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!

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.