The Annals of the CakchiquelsArana Xajilá, Francisco Hernández
History
The Annals of the Cakchiquels
Arana Xajilá, Francisco Hernández
Cakchikel Indians; Cakchikel literature; Guatemala -- History -- To 1821
15. Then we arrived at the sea coast. There were gathered together
the warriors of all the seven villages at the sea. A great number
perished, devoured by sorrow. “There is no means of passing, nor is
it told of any one who has passed the sea,” said all the warriors
of the seven villages. “Who can, who will find means to pass the
sea? In thee alone, my brother, in thee alone have we hope,” said
they all. We said to them, “You may go on; you may be first. Who
will find the means of crossing, while we are here?” All of us
spoke thus, and then all of them said: “Have pity on us, our
brother, since we are all stretched on the shore of the ocean
without seeing our hills and plains. As soon as we were asleep, we
were conquered, we the two oldest sons, we the chiefs and guides of
the warriors of the seven villages, oh my brother. Would that we
had passed, and could see the burdens given us by our mothers and
fathers, oh my brother!” So they spoke. At that time the Quiche
nation had increased. Our ancestors, Gagavitz and Zactecauh, said:
“We said to them, ‘we suffer also, our brother, we do not live
stretched out on the shore of the ocean, where we cannot see our
mountains where they are, as you say, oh you warriors, you people
of the seven villages. We shall pass over at once. Thus we spoke;
and soon all of them rejoiced.’”
16. Xa[c]a hun chi caka chee ka [c]hamey ok xoh pe xi[c]o ka[c]amape chu
chi Tullan, quere[c]a ka binaam vi Cakchiquel vinak ri, yxka[c]ahol,
quecha can ri [t]a[t]avitz, Çactecauh. Xa[c]a ru xe ka [c]hamey
xuto[t]beh oc çanayi chupam palouh; cani[c]a x[c]ok pi tah palouh ruma
çanayi, haxi [c]atzin viri cakachee xka[c]ampe chu chii Tullan. Xa chuvi
cholo chic çanayi xoh i[c]o vipe; haok x[t]ahar can ru xe palouh ru vi
palouh. Cani [c]a xequicot conohel, ok x[c]i[c,]et çanayi chupam palouh,
cani [c]a xepixaban quij, [c]a chi la ko oyobem vi ki, chuvi nabey huyu,
chiri komolo viki, xe cha, xavi[c]a xere ka cholanem ok xohpe pa Tullan.
16. Now there was a red tree, our staff, which we had taken in
passing from the gate of Tulan, and therefore we are called the
Cakchiquel people, oh our sons, said Gagavitz and Zactecauh. The
root of this, our staff, was pushed into the sand of the sea, and
soon the sea was separated from the sand, and for this the red tree
served which we brought from Tulan. Soon the sand was as a line,
and we passed out; it became wide above the sea and below the sea.
Then all rejoiced, when they saw sand in the sea, and many
counseled together. “There indeed is our hope, we must gather
together on these first lands,” they said; “here only can we
arrange ourselves since leaving Tulan.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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