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Home » Florentine Codex, Book 12, Ch 18 » Analysis: Folio 28 verso

Folio 28 verso

Florentine Codex, Book 12, Ch 18

Folio 28 verso

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. 28v.]  la casa de las aues: yuan los españoles muy regocijados por pensar que alli hallarian mucho oro: y llegando luego sacaron toda la recamara del mismo Motecuçoma donde auian muchas joyas de oro y de plata y de piedras preciosas y todo lo tomaron, y los plumajes ricos quitaronlos todo el oro y las piedras, y pusieron las plumas en medio del patio para que las tomassen sus amigos:  y luego mādo el capitan Don hernādo cortes por medio de Marina que era su interprete la qual era vna india q̄ sabia la lengua de castilla y la de mexico que la tomarō en yocatan esta començo a llamar a vozes a los Tecutles, y piles mexicanos para que viniessen a dar a los españoles lo necesario para comer,  y nadie osaua venir delante dellos ni llegarse a ellos, todos estauā atemorizados y espantados, embiauālos lo necesario para comer, y los que lo lleuauā, yuā temblando en poniendo la comida no parauā mas alli luego se yuan casi huyendo. 

English Translation

[Translation of the Nahuatl (right-hand column) by James Lockhart:] It seemed that they , were struck [with hope], patted each other on the back of the neck, their hearts brightening. And when they got there and went into the storage place, they seemed to disperse in all directions, quickly going in everywhere, as though covetous and greedy. Thereupon [Moteucçoma’s] own personal property was brought out, belonging to him alone, his own portion, all precious things: necklaces with pendants,arm bands with quetzal feathers, golden arm bands,bracelets, golden bands with shells for the ankles, and the turquoise diadem, insignia of the ruler, and the turquoise nose rods, and other things without number belonging to him. They took all of it; they appropriated it, assigned and apportioned it to themselves. And when they had taken off each and every piece of the gold,when it had been detached, then they assembled all the precious feathers in the courtyard, in the middle of the courtyard. And [Translation of the Spanish (left-hand column) by James Lockhart:] "bird house." The Spaniards went along very joyfully, thinking that they would find much gold there; on arrival they took everything out of Moteuccoma's own storehouse, where there were many precious items of gold, silver, and precious stones, and they took it all. They removed all the gold and stones from the rich feather-pieces and put the feathers in the middle of the courtyard for their friends to take. Then Captain don Hernando Cortés gave orders through Marina, who was his interpreter—she was an Indian woman who knew the languages of Castile and Mexico; they took her in Yucatan. She began to call loudly to the Mexica tecutles [lords] and piles [nobles] to come to give the Spaniards the necessary food. But no one dared to come into their presence or approach them; they were all terrified and frightened. They sent them the necessary food, but those who carried it went trembling; when they put the food down, they tarried no longer, but immediately left, almost fleeing.

Analytic Transcription

[Transcription of the Nahuatl (right-hand column) by James Lockhart:] [f. 28v.] iuhquin mocecenquetza, iuhquin yioiolipan, iuhquin moquequetzotzona, iuhquin iiztaia iniollo.* Auh in onacito, in oncalacque tlatlatiloian, iuhquin tlacecēmana, novian aactivetzi, iuhquin mihicultia, mihicolia: nimā ie ic oallaquixtilo in vel ixcoianyiaxca, in vel ineixcavil, in vel itonal, mochi tlaçotlanqui, in chaiaoac cozcatl, in machoncotl, in teucuitlamatemecatl, yoan in matzopetztli, teucuitlaicxitecuecuextli, yoan in xinvitzolli** tlatocatlatquitl, yoā in iacaxivitl, yoan in ixquich in oc cequi in itlatqui in amoçan tlapoalli muchi quicuique, moch intech compachoq̄ moch cōmotechtique, moch cōmotonaltique. Auh in ocōcocoleuhque in ixquich in teucuitlatl; in ontlacocoleoaloc, niman ie ic quicentlalia itoalco, itoalnepantla inixquich in tlaçohivitl. Auh ---------- *IUHQUIN MOCECENQUETZA, . . . IUHQUIN IIZTAIA INIOLLO. Three of these four idioms are extremely obscure in the context. It is mainly the Spanish version that gives one some sense of the thrust. **XINVITZOLLI. Read “xivitzolli.” The n, however, probably represents the first, unvoiced portion of a geminate [w].

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Spanish Translation

[Translation of the Nahuatl into Spanish by Fr. Bernardino de Sahagún; transcription of the Spanish (left-hand column) by James Lockhart:] [f. 28v.]  la casa de las aues: yuan los españoles muy regocijados por pensar que alli hallarian mucho oro: y llegando luego sacaron toda la recamara del mismo Motecuçoma donde auian muchas joyas de oro y de plata y de piedras preciosas y todo lo tomaron, y los plumajes ricos quitaronlos todo el oro y las piedras, y pusieron las plumas en medio del patio para que las tomassen sus amigos:  y luego mādo el capitan Don hernādo cortes por medio de Marina que era su interprete la qual era vna india q̄ sabia la lengua de castilla y la de mexico que la tomarō en yocatan esta començo a llamar a vozes a los Tecutles, y piles mexicanos para que viniessen a dar a los españoles lo necesario para comer,  y nadie osaua venir delante dellos ni llegarse a ellos, todos estauā atemorizados y espantados, embiauālos lo necesario para comer, y los que lo lleuauā, yuā temblando en poniendo la comida no parauā mas alli luego se yuan casi huyendo. 

English Translation

[Translation of the Nahuatl (right-hand column) by James Lockhart:] It seemed that they , were struck [with hope], patted each other on the back of the neck, their hearts brightening. And when they got there and went into the storage place, they seemed to disperse in all directions, quickly going in everywhere, as though covetous and greedy. Thereupon [Moteucçoma’s] own personal property was brought out, belonging to him alone, his own portion, all precious things: necklaces with pendants,arm bands with quetzal feathers, golden arm bands,bracelets, golden bands with shells for the ankles, and the turquoise diadem, insignia of the ruler, and the turquoise nose rods, and other things without number belonging to him. They took all of it; they appropriated it, assigned and apportioned it to themselves. And when they had taken off each and every piece of the gold,when it had been detached, then they assembled all the precious feathers in the courtyard, in the middle of the courtyard. And [Translation of the Spanish (left-hand column) by James Lockhart:] "bird house." The Spaniards went along very joyfully, thinking that they would find much gold there; on arrival they took everything out of Moteuccoma's own storehouse, where there were many precious items of gold, silver, and precious stones, and they took it all. They removed all the gold and stones from the rich feather-pieces and put the feathers in the middle of the courtyard for their friends to take. Then Captain don Hernando Cortés gave orders through Marina, who was his interpreter—she was an Indian woman who knew the languages of Castile and Mexico; they took her in Yucatan. She began to call loudly to the Mexica tecutles [lords] and piles [nobles] to come to give the Spaniards the necessary food. But no one dared to come into their presence or approach them; they were all terrified and frightened. They sent them the necessary food, but those who carried it went trembling; when they put the food down, they tarried no longer, but immediately left, almost fleeing.

Analytic Transcription

[Transcription of the Nahuatl (right-hand column) by James Lockhart:] [f. 28v.] iuhquin mocecenquetza, iuhquin yioiolipan, iuhquin moquequetzotzona, iuhquin iiztaia iniollo.* Auh in onacito, in oncalacque tlatlatiloian, iuhquin tlacecēmana, novian aactivetzi, iuhquin mihicultia, mihicolia: nimā ie ic oallaquixtilo in vel ixcoianyiaxca, in vel ineixcavil, in vel itonal, mochi tlaçotlanqui, in chaiaoac cozcatl, in machoncotl, in teucuitlamatemecatl, yoan in matzopetztli, teucuitlaicxitecuecuextli, yoan in xinvitzolli** tlatocatlatquitl, yoā in iacaxivitl, yoan in ixquich in oc cequi in itlatqui in amoçan tlapoalli muchi quicuique, moch intech compachoq̄ moch cōmotechtique, moch cōmotonaltique. Auh in ocōcocoleuhque in ixquich in teucuitlatl; in ontlacocoleoaloc, niman ie ic quicentlalia itoalco, itoalnepantla inixquich in tlaçohivitl. Auh ---------- *IUHQUIN MOCECENQUETZA, . . . IUHQUIN IIZTAIA INIOLLO. Three of these four idioms are extremely obscure in the context. It is mainly the Spanish version that gives one some sense of the thrust. **XINVITZOLLI. Read “xivitzolli.” The n, however, probably represents the first, unvoiced portion of a geminate [w].

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