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.”

—Yawi nemi se congreso ipal ne Nawataketza. Nimetzilwia ka su tikneki, weli titechpalewia iwan muchi ne tajtamachtiani.

“There is going to be a conference about the Nawat language. I am telling you because if you like, you can come and help us with all the professors.”

and we also ask you never to abandon us for if you leave us Father Sun may kill us in his anger.

Ipal yaja tesu nemituya kal nemi tzaktuk. Yaja weli kalaki melka nemi tzaktuk.

For him no house was ever closed. He could get in even if the door was locked.

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.

Achtu ne tutut tapishua ne teksisti, nemanha kipachua ashta ma puni, wan puntuk kenhayuk kipachua. Wan pewa kitakwaltia ne shulut tutut ne inan ne tutuchin, ashta ma weya pal kitzkia iujumiyu wan weli patani pal kitemua itakwal.

First the bird lays the egg, then it sits on it until it hatches, and once it is hatched the mother of the baby bird continues to sit on it. She starts to feed the young bird, until it grows feathers and is able to fly to look for food.

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.