Pre-Conquest Poetry

Before the Spanish arrived, the Aztecs had a long and vibrant poetry tradition. It reflected the social, cultural, political, and religious goings on at the time. The first poem describes Nezahualcoyotl’s journey in exile, and the second song is potentially a ghost song (a pre-conquest genre) with at least some parts that are pre-conquest.

Song Of The Flight (In Chololiztli Cuicatl)

Attributed to Nezahualcoyotl

In vain I was born. Ayahue.

In vain I left the house of God and came to earth. I am so wretched! Ohuaya, ohuaya.

I wish I’d never been born, truly that I’d never come to earth. That’s what I say. But what is there

to do? Do I have to live among the people? What then? Princes, tell me! Aya. Ohuaya ohuaya.

Do I have to stand on earth? What is my destiny? My heart suffers. I am unfortunate. You were

hardly my friend here on earth, Life Giver. Ohuaya ohuaya.

How to live—Aya—among the people? Does he who sustains and lifts men have no discretion?

Go, friends, live in peace, pass your life in calm! While I have to live stooped, with my head bent

down when I am among the people. Ohuaya ohuaya.

For this I cry—Yeehuya!—feeling desolate, abandoned among men on the earth. How do you

decide your heart—Yeehuya!—Life Giver? Already your anger is vanishing, your compassion

welling! Aya! I am at your side, God. Do you plan my death? Ohuaya ohuaya.

Is it true we take pleasure, we who live on earth? Is it certain that we live to enjoy ourselves on

earth? But we are all so filled with grief. Are bitterness and anguish the destiny of the people of

earth? Ohuaya ohuaya.

But do not anguish, my heart! Yeehuaya! Recall nothing now. In truth it hardly gains compassion

on this earth. Yeehuaya! Truly you have come to increase bitterness at your side, next to you, O

Life Giver. Yyao yyahue auhuayye oo huiya.

I only look for, I remember my friends. Perhaps they will come one more time, perhaps they will

return to life. Or only once do we perish, only one time here on earth? If our hearts did not suffer!

Next to, at your side, Life Giver. Yyao yyahue auhuayye oo huiya.

“Composed when he [Nezahuacoyotl] was fleeing the king of Azcapotzalco, either during his first flight in 1418, when he was 16, or during his second flight, around 1426, when he was 24. This is the earliest poem that may be dated (Curl, J. 2001).”

  • In Chololiztli Cuicatl

    O nen notlacatl. Ayahue!

    O nen nonquizaco teotl ichan in tlalticpac. Ninotolinia. Ohuaya ohuaya!

    In ma on nel nonquiz in ma on nel nontlacat ah niquitohua yece. Yeehuaya! Tien naiz anonohuaco tepilhuan? At teixco ninemi? Quen huel xon mimati. Aya Ohuaya ohuaya!

    Ye ya nonehuaz in tlalticpac? Ye ya tie in nolhuil? Zan nitoliniya tonehua noyollo tinocniuh in ayaxcan in tlalticpac ye nican. Ohuaya ohuaya.

    Quen in nemohua?Aya!?in tenahuac? Mach ilihuiztia nemia tehuic teyaconi. Aya! Nemi zan ihuiyan zan icemelia. In zan nonopechteca zan nitolotinemi a in tenahuac. Ohuaya ohuaya.

    Zan ye ica nichoca?Yeehuaya!?nicnotlamati no nicnocahualoc in tenahuac tlalticpac. Quen quinequi noyollo?Yeehuaya!?ipal nemohuani? Ma oc melel on quiza a icnopillotl. Huiya! Ma oc timalihui? Aya!?monahuac titeotl. At ya nech miquitlani? Ohuaya ohuaya.

    Azomo ye nelli tipaqui ti ya nemi tlalticpac? Ah ca za tinemi ihuan ti hual paqui in tlalticpac. Ah ca mochi ihui titotolinia. Ah ca no chichic teopouhqui tenahuac ye nican. Ohuaya ohuaya.

    Ma xi icnotlamati noyollo. Yeehuaya! Maca oc tie xic yococa. Yeehuaya! Ye nelli in ayaxcan nicnopiltihua in tlalticpac. Ye nelli cococ ye otimalihuico in motloc monahuac in ipal nemohua. Yyao yyahue ahuayye oo Huiya.

    Zan niquintemohua?Aya!?niquilnamiqui in tocnihuan. Cuix oc ceppa huitze in cuix oc nemiquihui? Zan cen ti ya polihuia zan cen ye nican in tlalticpac. Maca cocoya inyollo itloc inahuac in ipal nemohua. Yyao yyahue ahuayye oo Huiya.

Source: Bierhorst, J. (2009). Ballads of the Lords of New Spain: The Codex Romances de los Senores de la Nueva Espana. #36 (21r-22v).

Mexican Piece (Mexicayotl)

Drum Cadence: toco tico tocoti tocoti tocoti etc.

At Coatepec, where the turquoise columns stand, there stood

a plume house. And how was that city abandoned? The

Mexicans, the old ones, coming forth, knew Chapultepec,

here! And so you’ve arrived, O Tolnahuacatl, O Tozcuecuex!

Who, alas, knows Chow that city was abandoned? The

Mexicans, the old ones, coming forth, knew Chapultepec, here!

And so you’ve arrived, O Tolnahuacatl, O Tozcuecuex!

O ama iye! It isn’t true that Mexicans are singing him. Their

source is where? The sky, where Life Giver sings! Hui xahue!

Weep “Where will His vassal be undone?”

And what is His gift? And what is His food? O Mexican! O

Axoloa! Where the chalk flood lies, His hearts are weeping:

“Where will His vassal be undone?”

The shields were reversed at Little Rocky. And as we stirred,

we Mexicans, Colhuacan was abandoned. Weeping, His

vassals—all!—now stand in the water.

O princes! Lords! And as we stirred, we Mexicans, Colhuacan

was abandoned. Weeping, His vassals—all!—now stand in the

water.

I, a Mexican, I. Ocelopan, say: How fortunate can they be, over

there, these lords Acolnahuacatl and Tezozomoc? Will their

songs be good? Those princes of Azcapotzalco!

When I’ve gone away to the Place Unknown, O you princes

that are mine, O dweller at the Palace, O Acacitli, then the war

will end where you are, then the blaze will stir where we are!

For a moment let them be on guard at Azcapotzalco!

  • Mexicayotl

    Chuatepec xiuhtlaqutetzalla ymanican quetzalcalli onicaca aya que ye cahualoc atl in tepetl in oncan a ye quihualmatque in mexica in huehuetque yecc nican chapoltepec ica tacico oo tolnahuacatl ye tozcuecuex yia ohuia.

    Ancoc yohuayan in ae ya imatia que ye cahualoc Atl yn tepetl Et

    O amaihiec ayoc nello on quittoa Mexica aya can innelhuayo in ilh. in canon in tlatoa ipalnemoani huuxahuee xiyachocaca cam polihuiz ymacehual? yyao ohuiya.

    Tlein quimaceuh huee tle icoconcauh a in Mexicatl Axoloa ye tiçaatl imanca choca yioliol cam polihuiz ymacehual Et.

    Y chimalli cuecuepaloc y ye tepantonco yyehuaya ocahualoc in colihuaca yca tolinque ye tiMexica choquiztlehua y yeehuaya ye cem atl mania ymacehual yyao ohuiya.

    Yn pipiltin toteuchuan ay yeehuaya ocahualoc Et.

    Yn nicayaihtoa ye niMexicatl nocelopa quẽmach vel onca ay ye motlamacehuia in teteuctin Acolnahuacatl teçoçomoctli at quẽmanian a in yectla intlatol yn azcapotzalca pipilta yio ohuiya Et

    Yquac in onia quenonamican yn anNopilhua tepanecatl ye y ocacihtli ãmopan tzopiz yaoyotl topan miliniz ye tlachinolli o oohua yee maçocachica ontlapia y ye yazcapotzalco yyo ohuiya.

Source: John Bierhorst (1985). Cantares Mexicanos: Songs of the Aztecs. (Song #54, Folio 37).

Refrences

Bierhorst, J. (2009). Ballads of the Lords of New Spain: The Codex Romances de los Senores de la Nueva Espana. University of Texas Press. https://doi.org/10.7560/718524

Bierhorst, J. (1985). Cantares Mexicanos: Songs of the Aztecs. mexika.org

Curl, J. (2001). Ancient American POETS. Bilingual Review / La Revista Bilingüe, 26(2/3), iii–163. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25745755