13 NAHUATL POEMS TRANSLATED INTO SPANISH - HISTORY - 2025

The poetry in Nahuatl was called "flower and song" as it was characterized as a dialogue between the heart itself, the world, the divine and the people. Therefore, it was highly important within Aztec societies. Poets were usually priests or princes whose job it was to transmit the poetic sentiment to the people.

The Nahuatl language is a Uto-Aztec language spoken by approximately 1.5 million people in Mexico. The majority of people who speak Nahuatl inhabit the central region of the country.

Nahuatl is a language that rescues forms of expression such as poetry, therefore, several expressions of this lyrical genre can be found in books and texts written in the Nahuatl language.

Although poetry was generally transmitted orally from one generation to another, today some poets who are attributed the authorship of multiple poems in Nahuatl can be recognized. Some examples are Tecayehuatzin, Nezahualpiltzin, Yoyontzin and Temilotzin.

Poems in Nahuatl with their Spanish translation

1- Nonantzin - Mother of mine

Nonantzin Nonantzin ihcuac nimiquiz, motlecuilpan xinechtoca

huan cuac tiaz titlaxcal chihuaz,

ompa nopampa xichoca.

Huan tla acah mitztlah tlaniz:

-Zoapille, tleca tichoca?

xiquilhui xoxouhqui in cuahuitl, ceilingchcti ica popoca.

Mother of Mine

My mother, when I die, bury me next to the stove

and when you go to make the tortillas there cry for me.

And if someone asked you:

-Lady, why are you crying?

tell him that the wood is green, makes you cry with the smoke.

2- Ihcuac tlalixpan tlaneci -

Ihcuac tlalixpan tlaneci

Ihcuac tlalixpan tlaneci, in mtztli momiquilia, citlalimeh ixmimiqueh

in ilhuicac moxotlaltia.

Ompa huehca itzintlan tepetl, popocatoc hoxacaltzin, ompa yetoc notlahzotzin, noyolotzin, nocihuatzin.

Dawn

When on earth it dawns

the moon dies, the stars cease to be seen, the sky lights up.

Far away, at the foot of the hill, smoke comes out of my cabin, there is my love, my heart, my little wife (León-Portilla, 2017).

3- Tochan in Altepetl -

Tocahn in xochitlah, ye in huecauh Mexihco Tenochtitlán;

any, yeccan, otechmohual huiquili Ipalnemohuani, nincacata totlenyouh, tomahuizouh intlatic pac.

Tochan pocayautlan, nemequimilolli in altepetl

ye in axcan Mexihco Tenochtitlán;

tlahuelilocatiltic tlacahuacayan.

Cuixoc huel tiquehuazqueh nican in cuicatl?

nican otech mohualhuiquili Ipalnemohuani, nican cacta totlenyouh, tomahuizouh in

tlalticpac.

Our House Flowers Enclosure

Our house, flowerbed, with rays of sunshine in the city, Mexico Tenochtitlán in ancient times;

good, beautiful place, our abode of humans, the giver of life brought us here, here was our fame, our glory on earth.

Our house, smog, shroud city, Mexico Tenochtitlán now;

crazed place of noise

Can we still raise a song?

The giver of life brought us here

here was our fame, our glory on earth.

4- Tochin In Metztic - The Rabbit on the Moon

Yohualtotomeh

inchan omanqueh:

cenca quiahuia yohualnepantla.

In ihcuac oyahqueh in tlilmixtli, yohualtotomeh patlantinemih, azo quittayah tochin in metztic.

Nehhuatl huel oniquimittac

in yohualtotomehihuan

tochin in metztic.

The Rabbit on the Moon

The birds of the night

they stayed at home;

It rained a lot in the middle of the night.

When the black clouds left

the birds were fluttering, maybe they saw the rabbit on the moon.

I could contemplate

the birds of the night

and also the rabbit on the moon.

5-Poem

Ni hual crashes in

ni hual icnotlamati

zan ca anicnihuan

azo toxochiuh on

¿Ma ye ic ninapantiuhcan

on Ximohuayan?

Nihuallaocoya.

Translation

Here I start to cry

I get sad.

I'm just a singer

See my friends

perhaps with our flowers

Do I have to dress where

are there those who have no body?

I get sad.

6- Piltototsin - Pajarillo Pajarillo

Piltototsin, kenke tikuika?

Na nikuika pampa niyolpaki, na nikuika pampa nochipa tlanes

iuan ta, kenke axtikuika?

Piltototsin, kenke tikuika?

Na nikuika pampa niyoltok, na nikuika pampa i love nikokojtok, uan ta, kenke ax tikuika?

Piltototsin, kenke tikuika?

Na nikuika pampa nitlayejyekmati, na nikuika pampa onkaj tonati

uan ta, kenke axtikuika?

Little bird little bird

Nimitstlasojtla inon tetlakauilili

ma tlakatl ti tepetlakpayotl miyotl

nech katl tlalelchiualistli nech

neyoliximachilistli se sitlalxonekuili

aikmikini itech nikampa tetonali

Translation

I love you that is the inheritance

that your person gives me. you are

summit of light in my existence

and an ineffable reproach in me

consciousness and an immortal wake

inside my soul.

8-Niuinti -

Niuinti, nichoka, niknotlamati, nik mati, nik itoa, nik ilnamiki:

Ma ka aik nimiki

ma ka aik nipoliui.

In kan ajmikoa, in kan on tepetiua, in ma onkan niau…

Ma ka aik nimiki, ma ka aik nipoliui.

I'm drunk

I'm drunk, I cry, I grieve

I think, I say, inside I find it:

If I never died

If it never disappeared

There where there is no death

there where she is conquered, let me go there…

If I never died

If it never disappeared

9-Nitlayokoya - I'm sad

Nitlayokoya, niknotlamatiya

san, nitepiltsin Nesaualkoyotl

xochitika ye iuan kuikatika

nikimilnamiki tepiluan, ain oyake, yejua Tesosomoktsin, or yejuan Kuajkuajtsin.

Ok nelin nemoan, kenonamikan.

Maya nikintoka in intepiluan, maya nikimonitkili toxochiu!

Ma ik itech nonasi, yektli yan kuikatl in Tesosomoktsin.

O aik ompoliuis in moteyo, Nopiltsin, Tesosomoktsin!

Anka sa ye in mokuik a ika

niualchoka, in san niualiknotlamatiko,

nontiya.

San niualayokoya, niknotlamati.

Ayokik, ayok, kenmanian, titechyaitakiu in tlaltipak, ika nontiya.

I'm sad

I'm sad, I grieve

I, Mr. Nezahualcoyotlcon

flowers and songs, I remember the princes

those who left

to Tezozomoctzin, to Cuacuahtzin.

They really live, there where somehow it exists

I wish I could follow the princes

bring them our flowers!

If i could make mine

the beautiful songs of Tezozomoctzin!

Your renown will never perish!

Oh my lord, your Tezozomoctzin!

So, missing your songs

I have come to grieve

I have only come to be sad

I tear

myself apart I have come to be sad, I grieve

you are no longer here, no longer, in the region where somehow it exists, leave us without provision on earth

because of this, I tear myself apart.

10- Nikitoa -

Niqitoa nor Nesaualkoyotl:

Kuix ok neli nemoua in tlaltikpak?

An nochipa tlaltikpak:

san achika ya nikan.

Tel ka chalchiuitl no xamani, no teokuitlatl in tlapani, not ketsali posteki.

An nochipa tlaltikpak:

san achika ye nikan.

I ask

I Nezahualcóyotl ask:

Do you really live with roots in the earth?

Not forever on earth:

just a little here.

Although it is made of jade it breaks, even if it is made of gold it breaks,

even if it is quetzal plumage it tears.

Not forever on earth:

just a little here (Mexica, 2017).

12- Xmoquixtili 'a mitl -

Momiu yezcuepontiu, in mitl cuiea 'yeztli'

they love xquita 'quen yezuetzi'

maca xcauili 'mayezuetzi', tlamo yeztlamiz

pampa yehua '

ica yeztli nemi '

uan a yeztli 'monemiliz.

Key 'xtichoca'?

uan mixayo '

manocuepa 'yeztli'.

Timotlamitoc

uan moyezio '

no 'tlantoc.

Zan xquita 'tonahli'

Uan xquita 'cuacalaqui', uan quaquiza ', aman in motonal

uan xcauili 'mitl

maya 'ipan tonahli'

uan maquiyezquixtiti '

pampa in tonahli '

motonal

uan tiquitaz

cuacalaquiz tonahli ', chichiliuiz chichiliuiz, uan a chichiltic tlin tiquitaz, iyezio 'tonahli'

Uan moztla '

ocee tonahli 'yez.

Take out that arrow

Your arrow is gushing blood,

Now watch the blood drain from him, don't let the blood drain

if not, the blood will end, because she lives with blood and that blood is your life.

Why don't you cry And your tears I hope they turn to blood.

You are running out and your blood is running out too

Go to the sun and see when it sets, and when it appears, now this is your day and let the arrow go to the sun.

I hope he draws blood because this day is your day

and you will see when the sun goes down, it will redden, and that red that you will see,

It will be the blood of the sun and tomorrow will be another day.

13- Nau ouac - My water dried up

Noxaloauac

xocquipia atl, aman, canon natliz?

love, caznamiquiz

TIayaca quimamati 'ce ameyahli', Xalitecos xnechihliean!

Canon unites an atl?

TIamo namiquiz.

Pampa aman naamictinemi '

uan nitlayocoxtinemi '

Zan ipampa an atl, an atI tlin techmaca tonemiliz, an aehiPaetli quen ce tezcatl, can zan notehua 'ueltimotaz, ueltiquitaz mixco ', a Mixco iuan Mixayo '.

They love mixayo chachapaca ', ipan an achlpaetli '

aman xnezi 'catleua' mixayo '

uan catléua 'achlpactli'.

They love ueIticoniz Mixayo ', a mixayo '

tlinpeyahuin ipan moxayae.

Aman xeoni 'mixayo', pampa an atl tlin tehua '

ticteternotinerni 'ouae, maau ouae XALlTECO.

My water ran dry

My sand has dried up its water, no longer has water

Now where will I drink?

Now maybe I'll die of thirst

If anyone knows of any spring, men of the sandy lands, tell me!

Where is that water found?

If not, I will die of thirst.

Because now I'm thirsty

and something is breaking down: my heart.

Just because of that water

that water that gives us life, that clean water like crystal, where you can see yourself, you will see your face, that face with your tears.

Now your tears fall repeatedly

on that clean water, now you can't see what your tears are

and what is clean water.

Now you can drink your tears

those tears

that slide on your face.

Now drink your tears

because that water that you

you're looking for, it dried up, your water dried up, man of the sandy lands.

References

1. Ager, S. (2017). Omniglot. Obtained from Nahuatl (nāhuatl / nawatlahtolli): omniglot.com
2. Brinton, DG (April 30, 2004). ANCIENT NAHUATL POETRY. Retrieved from INTRODUCTION: gutenberg.org
3. CATEGORY: POEMS IN NAHUATL AND SPANISH. (June 18, 2013). Obtained from Poems in Nahuatl - Pajarillo: hablemosnahuatl.mx
4. León-Portilla, M. (2017). Indigenous Communities of Mexico. Obtained from 4 short poems that you should know in the Nahuatl Indigenous language: communitiesindigenasenmovimiento.mx
5. Mexica. (June 29, 2017). Obtained from Cantares Mexicanos: mexica.ohui.net.