Critics Page
Iguanazul
Neskayo tlajtoltij
Tetlamanal tlajtol,
peualistli itech tepamimej,
satekitl yauejkika
kemi i machioyo texkali
ejekatemej tlen uetsij itech tepetl.
Stele of voices
Monument of word
genesis in the walls
so ancient
as a volute of rock
storm of pebbles falling from the mountain.
Izcaltitla
Tlakamej inon katej itech tleokoyal tepetl
moxijxipetsouaj ixpan tlikuil tlamatilistli
kikajkauaj ijtik tlapoyaual, tlachiualtij
nekaj se ixtololotl tentok ika ajsikamachilistli
Sejsenmej, itech ijtotilistli kiuiteki inakayo itech yolotlal,
kitlajtlanilia tototl i ajasuan tlapotiuij,
kineki i ixtololouan tlilikej mapachin
Kemantis tietoskej itlachialistli nahual
tlen majkoktinemi ik uarrankaj
iuan tikpiluaskej tleoli ijtik tokamak
pampa sektlakentis itech tliko tlikuisalotl.
Izcaltitla
In memory of Enedina Piña Cogco, who told me the stories of my father´s village.
Men from the taciturn hill
undress in front of a wisdom fire
lose their shapes in the dark
of a new vision full of habit
in the dark each one dances their bodies close to the heart of the land,
asking for the unfolded wings of birds,
wishing the dark eyes of a raccoon
Some day we will be the sight of nahual
who overflies the ravine
we´ll give birth corn through our mouths
to cover it up in the crackle of the wood stove.
Nahuatl translations: Sixto Cabrera González
English proofreading and translation: Mariluz Suáre.
Nochilistli
Miktlantekuhtli!
Itekuh Mikkeh!
Iaxka tlen amo kemanian oyahkeh:
xiktekawilli tlen inin ahwiak
iwan inin kuikalmeh
maahsikah kanin tika,
ompa Kanin Neiyanelistli.
Timoyawalowah
itech moneiyaneyawal,
tikpitza motekusis.
Ompa Miktlan!
Ompa tiawih!
Invocation
Mictlantekutli!
Lord of the dead!
Father of those who have never left!
Permit that this incense and chants
reach the place where you dwell:
The Mystery Region.
Spinning around the mystic circle,
we play your seashell.
To Mictlan!
There we go!
New nahuatl version of INVOCATION
Tìtulo: Nochilistli
Autor: Oswaldo Flavio Gálvez Castillo
The poems and tales are part of Nawatlahtolli Anthology, published by Iguanazul Cartonera.
Editor: Judith Santopietro
Nahuatl proofreading: Colectivo Xochitlahtolli
English proofreading and translation of authors index and glosary: Mariluz Suárez
All denominations of linguistic variants mentioned have their source in the Catalogue of the National Indigenous Languages from the Indigenous Languages Institute of Mexico.
Contributor
Judith SantopietroJUDITH SANTOPIETRO (Mexico, 1983). Poet and editor. National Poetry Award “Lázara Meldiú”: Mexico, 2014. Published in Yearbook of Mexican Poetry, Ed. Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico; Anthology of the Latin American Festival of Poetry New York City, USA, 2014; World Oral Literature Project, University of Cambridge, UK, 2009; and the book of poetry Palabras de Agua, Conaculta, Ivec and Praxis, Mexico, 2010. Santopietro recently spent two months in New York developing the cardboard publishing house Iguanazul, a project to revitalize indigenous languages among immigrant communities from Mexico.
