Lordsong of Huexotzinco

The tenth cuicatl in Songs of the Lords of Anahuac, my English translation of the codex Romances de los señores de la Nueva España. This piece is noted as being a “tlahtohcacuicatl.”¹

When drums of our god have emerged,
beat a good rhythm, O Lord Yohyontzin,²
while you take delight, you princes.

Take delight in the rhythm,
you princes of Huexotzinco!³
Xayacamachan,⁴
Calmecahuah,⁵
Matzin⁶ and Temaxahuitzin.⁷
Behold your flowers,
behold our songs!
Let us intone them,
let us take delight!

Where one finds the jaguar house,
Where the cactus mat is spread,⁸
There at Eagle Gate⁹ you stand,
O Chichimec Lord of Huexotzinco!
Those covered in turquoise dust,
your shelled and threshed ones:
you have put them to the test.
Darts with cactus hafts in hand,
you descended on Huexotzinco.

In a netted gamebag
our god has stowed them:
Temaxahuitzin, Xayacamachan.
They have been bundled,
anointed with mesquite wine.¹⁰