Texts

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.

Kwak niweli, nikpalewia Alan wan Cecy. Nusan Carlos, melka yaja techanchanej, pero uksan mumachtia Nawataketza. Yejemet tesu nechtashtawat, ka inat ka yejemet tesu kipiat tumin pal nechtashtawat.

When I am able I help Alan and Cecy. Carlos too, although he is a local, but he is still studying Nawat. They don’t pay me, because they say that they don’t have money to pay me with.

Né nechishmatijket ka naja niweli taketza Nawat ka tik ne tiupan ipal Santa Catarina Masawat nitakwikak se takwikalis ka ina “Melka Kwak Taja Tinejnemi, Tesu Musel Tinemi”, wan kikakik ne Palej. Kunij inak:

There it became known that I could speak Nawat, because at the church in Santa Catarina Masahuát I sang a hymn that goes “Though You Walk, You Are Not Alone”, and the priest heard it. Then he said:

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.

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