Nezahualcóyotl (1402-1472)
Náhuatl Poem #1: "Stand up"

NÁHUATL VERSION

Ma zan moquetzacan, nicnihuan!
In icnoque on cate in tepilhuan,
non Nezahualcoyotzin,
ni cuicanitl,
tzontecochotzin.
Xocon cui moxochiuh ihuan in mecacehuaz.
Ma ica xi mototi!
Zan tehuan nopiltzin,
zan ye ti Yoyontzin.
Ma xocon cua in cacahuatl,
in cacahuaxcochitl,
ma ya on ihua in!
Ma ya netotilo,
ma necuicatilo!
Ah nican tochan,
ah nican tinemizque,
tonyaz ye yuhcan.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Stand up, good friends!
The princes are helpless,
I am Nezahualcóyotl,
I am the singer,
I am the parrot with the large head.
Hurry, pick up your flowers and your fan.
Take them and go dancing!
You are my son,
You are Yoyontzin.
Hurry, pick up your cocoa beans,
the flower of the cacao plant.
Hurry, drink it down!
Let the dance begin,
let the dialogue of the songs begin!
Our house is not here,
we shall not live here,
you, in any case, will have to march away.

Translated by William Little. Gainesville, Florida, Santa Fe Community College, 2008.