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Folio 2 verso

Folio 2 verso

Libro duodécimo, capítulo 1, folio 2 verso

Translations and Transcriptions

Spanish Translation

[Translation of the Nahuatl into Spanish by Fr. Bernardino de Sahagún; transcription of the Spanish (left-hand column) by James Lockhart:] [f. 2v.] La quinta señal o pronostico fue, que se leuanto la mar de Mexico: con grandes olas parecia que heruia sin hazer ayre ninguno la qual nūca se suele leuantar, sin gran vieto llegaron las olas muy lexos y entraron entre las casas, algunas casas cayeron, fue grande el espanto de todos por ver, que sin ayre se auia de tal manera ēbrauecido el agua.  La sesta señal o pronostico es que se oya, en el ayre de noche, vna voz de muger: que dezia. O hijos mios, ya nos perdemos: algunas vezes dezia. O hijos mios donde os lleuare.  La septima señal o pronostico es que los cazadores de las aues del agua, cazaron vna aue parda, del tanmaño* de vna grulla: y luego fueron a mostrar a Motecuçoma que estaua en vna sala que llamauan Tlillancalmecac, era despues de mediodia tenia  ----------  *TANMANO.  For "tamaño." The insertion of a syllable-final n is rarer in this text than the omission of one, but in Nahuatl writing in general it is a very common phenomenon. Some cases in this text have to do with the confusion between verbal singulars and plurals. Henceforth, inserted n will not be noted. 

English Translation

[Translation of the Nahuatl (right-hand column) by James Lockhart:] The fifth omen was that the water [of the lake] boiled up; it was not the wind that caused it. It bubbled and made exploding sounds, rising high in the air. It reached the foundations of the houses; it flooded them, and they collapsed. This is the great lake that extends around us here in Mexico. The sixth omen was that many times a woman would be heard going along weeping and shouting. She cried out loudly at night, saying, “Oh my children, we are about to go forever.” Sometimes she said, “Oh my children, where am I to take you?” The seventh omen was that once the water folk were hunting or snaring and caught an ash-colored bird, like a crane. Then they went to the Tlillan calmecac to show it to Moteucçoma; the sun was inclining, it was still full day. On top of its head was something like [Translation of the Spanish (left-hand column) by James Lockhart:] The fifth sign or omen was that the sea [lake] of Mexico rose up with great waves. It seemed to boil, although there was no wind and it ordinarily never rises without strong winds. The waves reached a great distance and came in among the houses, shaking their foundations, and some houses fell. Great was the fright of all to see that without wind the water should have become so wild. The sixth sign or omen is that in the night air the voice of a woman was heard, saying, "O my children, we are about to be lost." Sometimes she said, "O my children, where am I to take you?" The seventh sign or omen is that the hunters of waterfowl caught a dark bird the size of a crane, and then they went to show it to Moteucçoma, who was in a hall that they called Tlillan calmecac. This was after midday.

Analytic Transcription

[Transcription of the Nahuatl (right-hand column) by James Lockhart:] [f. 2v.] Inic macuiltetl tetzavitl: poçon in atl, amoiehecatl quipoçonalti, iuhquin momomoloca, iuhquin xixittemomoloca, cenca veca in ia, inic macoquetz: auhin calli tzitzintla cacic, auh capapachiuh, xixitin in calli: iehoatl in vei atl totlan mani nican mexico. Inic chiquacentlamantli tetzavitl: miecpa cioatl cacoia chocatiuh, tzatzitiuh, ioaltica cenca tzatzi; quitotinemi. No nopilhoantzitzin, ie ic çan ie tonvi: in quenmanian quitoa. No nopilhoantzitzin, campa namechnoviquiliz. Inic chicuntlamantli tetzavitl: ceppa tlatlamaia, manoço tlamatlaviaia in atlaca; centetl cacique tototlnextic, iuhquin tocuilcoiotl: nimā quittitito in Motecuçoma, tlillan, calmecac: ommotzcalo* in tonatiuh, oc tlaca, iuhq’n --------- *OMMOTZCALO. Forms related to itzcalli have the meaning “high” as well as “sideways, inclined.”

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Spanish Translation

[Translation of the Nahuatl into Spanish by Fr. Bernardino de Sahagún; transcription of the Spanish (left-hand column) by James Lockhart:] [f. 2v.] La quinta señal o pronostico fue, que se leuanto la mar de Mexico: con grandes olas parecia que heruia sin hazer ayre ninguno la qual nūca se suele leuantar, sin gran vieto llegaron las olas muy lexos y entraron entre las casas, algunas casas cayeron, fue grande el espanto de todos por ver, que sin ayre se auia de tal manera ēbrauecido el agua.  La sesta señal o pronostico es que se oya, en el ayre de noche, vna voz de muger: que dezia. O hijos mios, ya nos perdemos: algunas vezes dezia. O hijos mios donde os lleuare.  La septima señal o pronostico es que los cazadores de las aues del agua, cazaron vna aue parda, del tanmaño* de vna grulla: y luego fueron a mostrar a Motecuçoma que estaua en vna sala que llamauan Tlillancalmecac, era despues de mediodia tenia  ----------  *TANMANO.  For "tamaño." The insertion of a syllable-final n is rarer in this text than the omission of one, but in Nahuatl writing in general it is a very common phenomenon. Some cases in this text have to do with the confusion between verbal singulars and plurals. Henceforth, inserted n will not be noted. 

English Translation

[Translation of the Nahuatl (right-hand column) by James Lockhart:] The fifth omen was that the water [of the lake] boiled up; it was not the wind that caused it. It bubbled and made exploding sounds, rising high in the air. It reached the foundations of the houses; it flooded them, and they collapsed. This is the great lake that extends around us here in Mexico. The sixth omen was that many times a woman would be heard going along weeping and shouting. She cried out loudly at night, saying, “Oh my children, we are about to go forever.” Sometimes she said, “Oh my children, where am I to take you?” The seventh omen was that once the water folk were hunting or snaring and caught an ash-colored bird, like a crane. Then they went to the Tlillan calmecac to show it to Moteucçoma; the sun was inclining, it was still full day. On top of its head was something like [Translation of the Spanish (left-hand column) by James Lockhart:] The fifth sign or omen was that the sea [lake] of Mexico rose up with great waves. It seemed to boil, although there was no wind and it ordinarily never rises without strong winds. The waves reached a great distance and came in among the houses, shaking their foundations, and some houses fell. Great was the fright of all to see that without wind the water should have become so wild. The sixth sign or omen is that in the night air the voice of a woman was heard, saying, "O my children, we are about to be lost." Sometimes she said, "O my children, where am I to take you?" The seventh sign or omen is that the hunters of waterfowl caught a dark bird the size of a crane, and then they went to show it to Moteucçoma, who was in a hall that they called Tlillan calmecac. This was after midday.

Analytic Transcription

[Transcription of the Nahuatl (right-hand column) by James Lockhart:] [f. 2v.] Inic macuiltetl tetzavitl: poçon in atl, amoiehecatl quipoçonalti, iuhquin momomoloca, iuhquin xixittemomoloca, cenca veca in ia, inic macoquetz: auhin calli tzitzintla cacic, auh capapachiuh, xixitin in calli: iehoatl in vei atl totlan mani nican mexico. Inic chiquacentlamantli tetzavitl: miecpa cioatl cacoia chocatiuh, tzatzitiuh, ioaltica cenca tzatzi; quitotinemi. No nopilhoantzitzin, ie ic çan ie tonvi: in quenmanian quitoa. No nopilhoantzitzin, campa namechnoviquiliz. Inic chicuntlamantli tetzavitl: ceppa tlatlamaia, manoço tlamatlaviaia in atlaca; centetl cacique tototlnextic, iuhquin tocuilcoiotl: nimā quittitito in Motecuçoma, tlillan, calmecac: ommotzcalo* in tonatiuh, oc tlaca, iuhq’n --------- *OMMOTZCALO. Forms related to itzcalli have the meaning “high” as well as “sideways, inclined.”

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