XI. Hymn of the Otomi Leader.

XI. Otontecutli icuic.

English

1. Onoalico, onoalico, pomaya, yyaya, ayyo, ayyo, aya, aya, ayyo.

2. Chimalocutitlana motlaqueuia auetzini nonoualico, quauinochitla, cacauatla motlaqueuia auetzini.

3. Ni tepanecatli aya cuecuexi, ni quetzallicoatli aya cuecuexi.

4. Cane ca ya itziueponi, cane ca ya itziueponi.

5. Otomico, noyoco, nauaco, mexicame ya yauilili, noyoco, nauaco, mexicame ya.

6. A chimalli aya, xa, xauino quiyauilili, noyoco, nauaco, mexicame ya.

Var. 2. Nonoualco.

Hymn of Otontecutli.

1. At Nonoalco he rules, at Nonoalco, Oho! Oho!

2. In the pine woods he prepares your destruction at Nonoalco, in the tuna woods, in the cacao woods he prepares your destruction.

3. I, dweller in the palace, shook them; I, Quetzalcoatl, shook them.

4. There was a splendor of spears, a splendor of spears.

5. With my captain, with my courage, with my skill, the Mexicans were put to flight; even the Mexicans, with my courage, with my skill.

6. Go forth, ye shield bearers, put the Mexicans to flight with my courage, with my skill.

{p. 46}

Notes.

The absence of a Gloss to this hymn adds to the difficulty of a translation. Otontecutli was the chief deity of the Otomis, and the chant appears to be one of their war songs in their conflict with the Azteca. The name is a compound of otomitl, an Otomi, and tecutli, ruler or lord. He is slightly referred to by Sahagun as the first ruler to govern the ancestors of the Otomis." (Historia, Lib. X, Cap. 29, sec. 5.)