* *

"Here begins a song called a plain song of Huexotzinco as it was
recited by the lords of Huexotzinco. These songs are divided into
three classes, the songs of the nobles or of the eagles, the flower
songs, and the songs of destitution. (Directions follow for beating
the drum in unison with the voices.) This song was sung at the house
of Don Diego de Leon, Governor of Azcapotzalco; he who beat the drum
was Don Francisco Placido; in the year of the resurrection of our
Lord Jesus Christ 1551."

* * * * *

This assigns beyond doubt the song in question to the first half of
the sixteenth century, and we may therefore take its phraseology as a
type of the Nahuatl poetry shortly after the Conquest. It is also
stated to be a native composition, and from its contents, it was
clearly composed by one of the converts to the Christian faith.

ANCIENT NAHUATL POEMS.

I.

_CUICAPEUHCAYOTL._

I.

_SONG AT THE BEGINNING._

1. Ninoyolnonotza, campa nicuiz yectli, ahuiaca xochitl:--Ac
nitlatlaniz? Manozo yehuatl nictlatlani in quetzal huitzitziltin, in
chalchiuh huitzitzicatzin; manozo ye nictlatlani in zaquan papalotl;
ca yehuantin in machiz, ommati, campa cueponi in yectli ahuiac
xochitl, tla nitlahuihuiltequi in nican acxoyatzinitzcanquauhtla,
manoze nitlahuihuiltequi in tlauhquecholxochiquauhtla; oncan
huihuitolihui ahuach tonameyotoc in oncan mocehcemelquixtia; azo
oncan niquimittaz intla onechittitique; nocuexanco nictemaz ic
niquintlapaloz in tepilhuan, ic niquimellelquixtiz in teteuctin.

1. I am wondering where I may gather some pretty, sweet flowers. Whom
shall I ask? Suppose that I ask the brilliant humming-bird, the
emerald trembler; suppose that I ask the yellow butterfly; they will
tell me, they know, where bloom the pretty, sweet flowers, whether I
may gather them here in the laurel woods where dwell the tzinitzcan
birds, or whether I may gather them in the flowery forests where the
tlauquechol lives. There they may be plucked sparkling with dew,
there they come forth in perfection. Perhaps there I shall see them
if they have appeared; I shall place them in the folds of my garment,
and with them I shall greet the children, I shall make glad the
nobles.

2. Tlacazo nican nemi, ye nicaqui in ixochicuicatzin yuhqui tepetl
quinnananquilia; tlacazo itlan in meyaquetzalatl, xiuhtotoameyalli,
oncan mocuica, momotla, mocuica; nananquilia in centzontlatolli; azo
q