Folio 2 recto
Translations and Transcriptions
Spanish Translation
[Translation of the Nahuatl into Spanish by Fr. Bernardino de Sahagún; transcription of the Spanish (left-hand column) by James Lockhart:] [f. 2r.] agua; y venida el agua, echauanla sobre el fuego, y no se apagaua; sino antes mas se encendia; y asi se hizo todo brasa. La tercera señal o pronostico fue, cayo un rrayo sobre el cu, de xiuhtecutli dios del fuego; el qual estaua techado con paja llamauase tzūmulco; espantarōse desto porque no lluuia, sino agua menuda que no suele caer rayos quādo ansi llueue, ni vuo tronido; sino que no saben como se encendio. La quarta señal o pronostico, fue que de dia haziendo sol cayo, vna cometa, parecian tres estrellas, juntas que corrian a la par, muy encendidas: y lleuauan muy largas colas partieron de hazia el occidente: y corrian hazia el oriente, yvan echādo centellas de si, desque la gente las vio, comēçarō a dar gran grita sono grandissimo ruydo, en toda la comarca.
English Translation
[Translation of the Nahuatl (right-hand column) by James Lockhart:] all the building’s beams. Then there was an outcry. They said, “Oh Mexica, let everyone come running, it must be put out, [bring] your water jars!” But when they threw water on it, trying to extinguish it, it blew up all the more. It could not be put out; it burned entirely. The third omen was that a temple was struck by lightning, hit by a thunderbolt. It was just a building of straw at the temple complex of Xiuhteuctli, called Tzonmolco. The reason it was taken for an omen was that it was not raining hard, just drizzling. It was said that it was struck when the sun was shining, nor was thunder heard. The fourth omen was that while the sun was still out a comet fell, in three parts. It began off to the west and headed in the direction of the east, looking as if it were sprinkling glowing coals. It had a long tail, which reached a great distance. When it was seen, there was a great outcry, like the sound of rattles. [Translation of the Spanish (left-hand column) by James Lockhart:] water!" And when the water came, they threw it on the fire, but it did not go out; rather, it flamed up more, and thus it was all left in embers. The third sign or omen was that a bolt of lightning struck the cu of Xiuhteuctli, god of fire, which was roofed with thatch; it was called Tzonmolco. They were shocked by it because there was no rain except a drizzle, and lightning does not usually strike when it rains in this fashion. Nor was there thunder, so that they do not know how it took fire. The fourth sign or omen was that during the day, when the sun was out, a comet fell. Three stars appeared together, running along parallel, lit up very brightly and bearing large tails. They started to the west and ran toward the east; they went along casting off sparks. As soon as the people saw them, they began a great outcry; a huge noise sounded through the whole district.
Analytic Transcription
[Transcription of the Nahuatl (right-hand column) by James Lockhart:] [f. 2r.] ixquich calquavitl: niman ie ic tlacaoaca, quitoa. Mexicae ma vallatotoca, tlaceviloz, amaapilol: auh in iquac caatequiaia, in quiceviznequia, çan ie ilhuice mopitza, aocmovel ceuh, vel tlatlac. Inic etetl tetzavitl; vitecoc ipan tlatlatzin teucalli, çanxacalli catca, itocaiocan tzūmulco: iteupan in xiuhtecutli, amo tilaoaia, çan aoachquiavia in iuh tetzammachoc: iuh mitoa in çan* tonalhuitecoc, amo no caquiztic in tlatlatziniliztli. Inic nauhtetl tetzavitl; oc vnca in tonatiuh in xivitl vetz ieteietia, vmpa oalpeuh in tonatiuh icalaquiampa; auh vmpa itztia in iquiçaianpa, iuhqui in tlesuchitli pipixauhtiuh, veca mocuitlapiltitiuh, veca acitiuh in icuitlapil: auh in oittoc cēca tlacaoacac, iuhquin oiovalli ōmoman. ---------- *ÇAN. The word is inadvertently repeated in the manuscript.
Image
Spanish Translation
[Translation of the Nahuatl into Spanish by Fr. Bernardino de Sahagún; transcription of the Spanish (left-hand column) by James Lockhart:] [f. 2r.] agua; y venida el agua, echauanla sobre el fuego, y no se apagaua; sino antes mas se encendia; y asi se hizo todo brasa. La tercera señal o pronostico fue, cayo un rrayo sobre el cu, de xiuhtecutli dios del fuego; el qual estaua techado con paja llamauase tzūmulco; espantarōse desto porque no lluuia, sino agua menuda que no suele caer rayos quādo ansi llueue, ni vuo tronido; sino que no saben como se encendio. La quarta señal o pronostico, fue que de dia haziendo sol cayo, vna cometa, parecian tres estrellas, juntas que corrian a la par, muy encendidas: y lleuauan muy largas colas partieron de hazia el occidente: y corrian hazia el oriente, yvan echādo centellas de si, desque la gente las vio, comēçarō a dar gran grita sono grandissimo ruydo, en toda la comarca.
English Translation
[Translation of the Nahuatl (right-hand column) by James Lockhart:] all the building’s beams. Then there was an outcry. They said, “Oh Mexica, let everyone come running, it must be put out, [bring] your water jars!” But when they threw water on it, trying to extinguish it, it blew up all the more. It could not be put out; it burned entirely. The third omen was that a temple was struck by lightning, hit by a thunderbolt. It was just a building of straw at the temple complex of Xiuhteuctli, called Tzonmolco. The reason it was taken for an omen was that it was not raining hard, just drizzling. It was said that it was struck when the sun was shining, nor was thunder heard. The fourth omen was that while the sun was still out a comet fell, in three parts. It began off to the west and headed in the direction of the east, looking as if it were sprinkling glowing coals. It had a long tail, which reached a great distance. When it was seen, there was a great outcry, like the sound of rattles. [Translation of the Spanish (left-hand column) by James Lockhart:] water!" And when the water came, they threw it on the fire, but it did not go out; rather, it flamed up more, and thus it was all left in embers. The third sign or omen was that a bolt of lightning struck the cu of Xiuhteuctli, god of fire, which was roofed with thatch; it was called Tzonmolco. They were shocked by it because there was no rain except a drizzle, and lightning does not usually strike when it rains in this fashion. Nor was there thunder, so that they do not know how it took fire. The fourth sign or omen was that during the day, when the sun was out, a comet fell. Three stars appeared together, running along parallel, lit up very brightly and bearing large tails. They started to the west and ran toward the east; they went along casting off sparks. As soon as the people saw them, they began a great outcry; a huge noise sounded through the whole district.
Analytic Transcription
[Transcription of the Nahuatl (right-hand column) by James Lockhart:] [f. 2r.] ixquich calquavitl: niman ie ic tlacaoaca, quitoa. Mexicae ma vallatotoca, tlaceviloz, amaapilol: auh in iquac caatequiaia, in quiceviznequia, çan ie ilhuice mopitza, aocmovel ceuh, vel tlatlac. Inic etetl tetzavitl; vitecoc ipan tlatlatzin teucalli, çanxacalli catca, itocaiocan tzūmulco: iteupan in xiuhtecutli, amo tilaoaia, çan aoachquiavia in iuh tetzammachoc: iuh mitoa in çan* tonalhuitecoc, amo no caquiztic in tlatlatziniliztli. Inic nauhtetl tetzavitl; oc vnca in tonatiuh in xivitl vetz ieteietia, vmpa oalpeuh in tonatiuh icalaquiampa; auh vmpa itztia in iquiçaianpa, iuhqui in tlesuchitli pipixauhtiuh, veca mocuitlapiltitiuh, veca acitiuh in icuitlapil: auh in oittoc cēca tlacaoacac, iuhquin oiovalli ōmoman. ---------- *ÇAN. The word is inadvertently repeated in the manuscript.
Image