- Popular Zapotec Poems and Their Spanish Translation
- 1- Xtuí
- Shame
- 2- Guielú dani guí
- Volcano eye
- 3- Yoo lidxe '
- First house
- 4- Neither naca 'ne nor reedasilú naa
- What I am, what I remember
- 5- Given
- Dadaist
- 6- Mexa
- Table
- 7- Lu ti nagana
- Doubt
- 8- Biluxe
- It's over
- 9- Guielú dani guí
- Volcano Eye
- 10- Bidóo Bizáa
- Creator god
- References
The Zapotecs are a native people of southern Mexico, specifically in what is now the southern states of Oaxaca, Puebla and Guerrero. This indigenous group dates from pre-Columbian times, at which time it was of great importance in the region, with a great cultural development in which its fully developed writing system can be highlighted.
Currently there are about 800,000 Zapotecs scattered in Mexico and the United States that have ensured to keep their culture and language fresh and intact and transmit it to new generations.
Zapotec vase
It is for this reason that today there are many Zapotec literary pieces, among which the poems stand out.
Popular Zapotec Poems and Their Spanish Translation
Here are some texts of Zapotec poems in their original language, and translated into Spanish.
1- Xtuí
Gula'qui 'xtuxhu
beeu guielúlu '
ne bichuugu 'xtuí nucachilú
ndaani 'xpidola yulu'.
Biina 'guiehuana' daabilú '
from ra guixiá dxaapahuiini 'nuu ndaani' guielulu '.
Shame
Put the edge
of the moon over your eyes
and cut the shame that hides
on your ground marble.
Cry buried mirrors
until the girl disappears.
2- Guielú dani guí
Ndaani 'ti le' yuze zuguaa
cagaañe guidxilayú ne dxita ñee:
head naa.
Naa ridide 'nisiaase' luguiá 'ti za guiba'
ne riuaabie 'ra nuume.
Volcano eye
In the ring a bull
scratch the world with its hooves:
awaits me.
I sleep on a cloud
and I throw myself.
3- Yoo lidxe '
Dxi guca 'nahuiini' guse 'ndaani' na 'jñaa biida'
sica beeu ndaani 'ladxi'do' guibá '.
Luuna 'stidu xiaa ni biree ndaani' xpichu 'yaga bioongo'.
Gudxite nia 'strompi'pi' bine 'laa za, ne guie 'sti matamoro gúca behua xiñaa bitua'dxi riguíte nia' ca bizana '.
Sica rucuiidxicabe benda buaa lu gubidxa zacaca gusidu lu daa, galaa íque lagadu rasi belecrú.
Cayaca gueta suquii, cadiee doo ria 'ne guixhe, cayaca guendaró, cayaba nisaguie guidxilayú, rucha'huidu dxuladi, ne ndaani 'ti xiga ndo'pa' ri de'du telayú.
First house
As a child I slept in my grandmother's arms
Like the moon in the heart of the sky
The bed: cotton that came out of the pochote fruit.
I made oil from the trees, and I sold my friends
like red snapper the flamboyant flower.
As shrimp dry in the sun, so we stretched out on a mat.
Above our eyelids the cross of stars slept.
Comiscal tortillas, dyed yarns for hammocks, the food was made with the happiness of the drizzle on the earth, we beat the chocolate, and in a huge gourd they served us at dawn.
4- Neither naca 'ne nor reedasilú naa
Ti mani 'nasisi napa xhiaa ne riguite.
Ti ngueengue rui 'diidxa' ne riabirí guidiladi,
naca 'ti badudxaapa' huiini 'biruche dxiña cana gutoo ne qui nindisa ni
ti dxita bere yaase 'riza guidilade' ne rucuaani naa.
Rucaa xiee ti yoo beñe zuba cue 'lidxe', naca 'layú ne guirá lidxi.
Ti bandá 'gudindenecabe, ti miati 'nalase' zuguaa chaahui'galaa gui'xhi 'ró.
Ti bacuxu 'sti nisa, sti yaga guie', cadi sti binni.
Naca 'tini bi'na' Xabizende.
Naca 'ti bereleele bitixhie'cabe diidxa' gulené.
What I am, what I remember
A freedom that frolics and has not become ugly.
The sensitivity of a talking parrot, I'm the girl who drops her cocadas and doesn't pick them up, a black chicken egg runs through me and wakes up.
I'm a nose that smells the adobe from the house across the street
a courtyard and all its houses.
A scolded photograph
a thin line in the middle of the jungle.
A flower for water, for other flowers and not for people.
I am a resin that Saint Vincent cried.
I am a stone curlew that drowned its song in another language.
5- Given
Pa ñanda niniá 'luguiaa
xa badudxaapa 'huiini' nayati guielú, niziee ': ti chalupa stibe, you duubi 'nutiee sica ti pe'pe' yaase ', suck neza guelaguidi ñapa ebiá naguchi ruzaani '
ne dxiña biadxi dondo ñado guenda stibe xa'na 'ti yaga bioongo'.
Nuzuguaa 'jmá guie' xtiá ne guie 'daana' ra lidxibe, nga nga ñaca xpidaanibe
you guide ni ñuuya 'laabe
ñanaxhii gupa naxhi cayale gasi guidiladibe.
Dadaist
If I could go to the market
with the girl with pale eyes, I would buy him: a lottery game, a feather the color of dark jicaco, sandals with gold buckles
and for his nahual to eat under a ceiba tree, the acidic thicket of plums.
She would upholster her house with bunches of basil and cordoncillo, that would be his huipil
and everyone who looked at her
I would love her for the permanent dew on her body.
6- Mexa
Bisa'bi cabee naa '
cue 'ti bitoope dxa' birí naxhiñaa ndaani '
ra Cáru 'gúcani dé ni bidié ne nisa roonde' xti 'gueta biade.
Lú mexa 'bizaacabe xhuga ne ti guiiba', gudaañecabe lú yaga
neither bisiganinecabe binni nayaase 'guidiladi nor rini' chupa neza diiidxa '.
Bixelecabe chiqué ne ni ti guidxi qui nuchiña laacabe.
Xa'na 'dani beedxe'
biyube 'ti guisu dxa' guiiba yaachi
ti núchibi dxiibi xtinne '
ne ti nisa candaabi 'bixhiá ndaani' bíga 'guielua'
guirá xixe guie 'huayuuya' lu sa 'guiidxi.
Table
I was abandoned
next to a crab full of red ants
later they were powder to paint with the nopal slime.
From the table scratched with gouges: woodcut that furrowed the silence
on bilingual and brown skins.
There was distance back then
geography did not benefit the word.
Under the cerro del tigre
I searched for a treasure to tame my fear
and an igneous liquid erased from my left eye
all the flowers I've seen in May.
7- Lu ti nagana
Lu ti neza
suck na '
nagu'xhugá
zuguaa '.
Tobi ri '
nadxii naa, xtobi ca
nadxiee laa.
Nisaguié, nisaguié, gudiibixendxe
ladxiduá '.
Gubidxaguié ', gubidxaguié ', binduuba 'gu'xhu'
ndaani 'bizaluá'.
Doubt
On a road
That forks, Confused
I find myself.
Is
Loves Me, I love her.
Rain, Rain, Wash with great care
My soul.
Sun in bloom
Sun in bloom
Sweep the smoke
Of my eyes.
8- Biluxe
Biluxe
Ne ngasi nga laani.
Lu neza zadxaagalulu '
Ca ni bidxagalú cou '
Biá 'dxi
Gúcalu 'bandá' xtibe;
Ti bi'cu ', ti bihui, Ti binni.
Gasti 'zadxaa
Ne laaca ca bigose
Guxhuuna 'íquelu'
Gusiquichi ique badunguiiu
Bichaabe lii.
Ne laaca decheyoo
Bizucánelu 'laabe
Gusicabe guendarusiaanda 'xtibe.
Gasti 'zadxaa.
Lii siou 'nga zusácalu'
Guidxilayú ma qui gapa
Xiñee guireexieque, Ma qui gapa xiñee
quiidxi guendanabani.
Ne zoyaalu 'guendanabani xtilu', Ladxide'lo zapapa
Bia 'qui guchendaxhiaasi layú, Ne nalu 'ne ñeelu'
Zusiaandu 'laaca', Qui zánnalu paraa zuhuaalu ', Ne nisi lulu ', nisi nalu'
Zaniibihuati guide 'ne guete'.
It's over
It's over
and that's it.
On your steps you will find
the very things you found
during the days
that you were his shadow;
A dog, a pig, a person.
Nothing will change
and the same carrots
that they got your head dirty
they will whiten the young man's
that took your place.
And behind the house
where did they lie
she will settle her forgetfulness.
Nothing will change, however you will suppose
that doesn't make sense anymore
the movement of the earth, there are no more reasons
to cling to life.
And you will bite your manhood
your heart will vibrate
With wings about to hit the ground
and your arms and your legs
you will put them into oblivion, lost in your place
you will see yourself moving foolishly
eyes and arms from north to south.
9- Guielú dani guí
Ndaani'ti le 'yuze zuguaa
cagaañe guidxilayú ne dxita ñee:
naa head.
Naa ridide 'nisiaase' luguiá 'ti za guiba'
ne riuaabie'ra nuume.
Volcano Eye
In the ring a bull
scratches the world with his hooves:
he is waiting for me.
I sleep on a cloud
and throw myself.
10- Bidóo Bizáa
Bixhóoze duu née rigóola
lii bizáa lúu guiráa níi:
cáa xhíixha zíizi née naróoba.
Gubíidxa née stúuxu quiráati,
béeu née cáahui quiráati,
beat him guíi guibáa.
Bíinu cáa níisa doo née guíigu,
níisa layúu dáagu née níisa pii.
Cáa daani née guide,
bidxíiña née bennda,
máani ripáapa née buupu,
bíi, dxíi, biáani,
bandáa, laadxi doo.
Binni laaze née béedxe guéenda,
léempa néexhe náa née guéeu níidi.
Bizáa lúu guennda nacháahui née guennda xhíihui,
ráa dxíiba lúu náa née ráa bidíiñe,
guennda nayéeche née guennda gúuti,
guennda nabáani née guennda nanaláadxi náaca xcuáa.
Jnáadxi duu lii Bidóo Záa:
naaca níiru cáa xníiru íiza.
Creator god
Master and lord
that you created everything:
the simple and the great things.
The sun with its eternal rays,
the moon with infinite shadows,
the stars, the sky.
You made the seas and the rivers,
the lagoons and the puddles.
The mountains and the flowers,
the deer and the fish,
the birds and the foam,
the wind, the day, the light,
the shadows, the soul.
The weak man and the clever tiger,
the cunning rabbit and the foolish coyote.
You created goodness and evil,
triumph and defeat,
joy and death,
life and hate together.
We love you, Zapotec God:
the first of the first ages.
References
- Zapotec People, Zapotec Culture and Zapotec Languages. Recovered from es.wikipedia.org
- David Gutierrez. Zapotec poetry, innovative language. Recovered from capitalmexico.com.mx
- María de los Ángeles Romero Frizzi (2003). Zapotec writing: 2,500 years of history. Conaculta. Mexico.
- Poem in Zapotec. Recovered from mexicanisimo.com.mx
- Love poems from the Zapotec language. Victor Terán. Recovered from zocalopoets.com
- Zapotec-Spanish bilingual poetry. Natalia Toledo. Recovered from lexia.com.ar
- Poem in the Zapotec language. Recovered from seriealfa.com.