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Nican Mopohua (“Thus It Is Told”)

Chapter 5: The Fourth Apparition

(Go to English version of this chapter.)

105. Quittac quenin hualmotemohui icpac in tepetzintli ompa hualmotztilitoc in ompa hualmotztilitoc in ompa yeppa conmottiliani.

He saw how she was coming down from up on the hill, and that from there she had been looking at him, from where she saw him before.

106. Conmonamiquilico in inacaztlan tepetl, conmotzacuililico, quimolhuili:

She came to meet him beside the hill, she came to block his way; she said to him:

107. "Auh noxocoyouh, campa in tiyauh? Campa in titztiuh?"

"Where are you going, my youngest-and-dearest son? Where are you headed for?"

108. Auh in yehuatl cuix achi ic mellelma, cuix noce pinahuac. Cuix noce ic mizahui, momauhti.

And he, perhaps he grieved a little, or perhaps he became ashamed. Or perhaps he became afraid of the situation, be became fearful.

109. Ixpantzinco mopechtecac, quimotlapalhui, quimolhuili:

He prostrated himself before her, he greeted her, he said to her:

110. " Nochpochtziné, Noxocoyohué, Cihuapillé! Maximopaquiltitié. Quen otimixtonalti? Cuix ticmohuelmachitia in motlazonacayotzin, Notecuiyoé, Nopiltzintziné?	"My little Lady, my smallest Daughter, my Virgin! I hope you are happy; how are you this morning? Does your beloved little body feel well, my Lady, my Gracious Lady?
Form Challenge 110: The last word here is presumably composed as no+pil+tzin+tzin+é. What sense should we make of "tzin" being in there twice?

111. Nictequipachoz in mixtzin in moyollotzin: ma xic momachiltitzino, Nochpochtziné, ca huellanauhtoc ce momacehualtzin notla.

Although I will cause your face and your heart anguish, I must tell you, my Beloved Lady, that one of your servants, my uncle, is very ill.

112. Huey cocoliztli in itech omotlali; ca yeppa icmomiquiliz.

A terrible sickness has taken hold of him; he will surely die from it soon.

113. Auh oc noniciuhtiuh in mochantzinco Mexico, noconnonochiliz ceme in itlazohuan Totecuiyo in toteopixcahuan, conmoyolcuitilitiuh, ihuan conmocencahuilitiuh,

And now I shall go quickly to your little house in [the city of] Mexico, to call one of our priests, the beloved ones of Our Lord, so that he will go to hear his confession and prepare him,

114. ca nel ye inic otitlacatque in ticchiaco in tomiquiztequiuh.

because we really were born for that, we who came to wait for the painful effort of our death.

115. Auh intla onoconneltilito, ca niman nicanocceppa nihualmocuepaz, inic nonyaz noconitquiz in mi'iyotzin in motlatoltzin, Tlacatlé Nochpochtziné.

But, if I am going to carry it out, I will return here after that to go carry your breath, your word, Lady, my Lady one.

116. Ma xinechmotlapopolhuili, ma oc ixquich xinechmopaccaihiyohuilti camo ic nimitz noquelhuia, Noxocoyohué, Nopiltziné. Ca niman moztla niquiztihuetziqiuh."

I beg you to forgive me, be patient with me a little longer, because I am not deceiving you with this, my youngest Daughter, my Beloved Lady. Tomorrow without fail I will come as fast as possible."

117. Auh in oyuhquimocaquiti itlatol in Juan Diego quimonanquili in icnohuaca-cenquizca-ichpochtzintli:

As soon as she heard the explanations of Juan Diego, the Merciful Perfect Virgin answered him:

Content Challenge 117: Juan Diego has been disobedient and is effectively telling the Virgin that the dog ate his homework. How do you predict she will react? Why? Imagine your answer before you read on. Then, in light of what she actually does, how surprising was it? From the perspective of a narrative account, how interesting is her reaction? What does this encounter tell us about Juan Diego and about the Virgin?

The picture shows the Virgin of Guadalupe sold for use as a concrete "garden gnome." How should this be understood? Does it suggest affection? Intimacy? Respect? Irreverence?

118. "Maxiccaqui, ma huel yuh ye in moyollo, noxocoyouh, maca tle tlein mitzmauhti, mitzteouipacho. Macamo quen mochihua in mix in moyollo. Macamo xiquimacaci in cocoliztli, manoce oc itla cocoliztli, cococ teopouhqui.

"Listen, put it into your heart, my youngest-and-dearest son, that the thing that frightened you, the thing that afflicted you is nothing. Do not let it disturb you. Do not fear this sickness nor any other sickness, nor any sharp and hurtful thing.

119. Cuix amo nican nica nimonantzin? Cuix amo nocehuallotitlan, necauhyotitlan in tica? Cuix amo nehuatl innimopaccayeliz? Cuix amo nocuixanco nomamalhuazco in tica? Cuix oc itla in motech moneoui?	Am I not here, I, who am your mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need something more?
Historical Note: The first question in this series, "Cuix amo nican nica nimonantzin?" has become perhaps the most widely known Nahuatl expression among non-Nahuatl speakers in Mexico, and one finds it worked into paintings and other decorative contexts wherever the Virgin of Guadalupe is revered.

120. Macamo oc itla mitztequipacho mitzamana. Macamo mitztequipacho inicocoliz motlatzin, camo ic miquiz in axcan itechca. Ma huel yuh ye inmoyollo ca ye opatic."

Let nothing else worry you, disturb you. Do not let your uncle's illness pressure you with grief, because he will not die of it now. You may be certain that he is already well".

121. Auh ca niman huel icuac patic in itlatzin, in yuh zantepan machiztic.

And at that very moment his uncle became well, as they later found out.

Content Challenge 121: Based on the text so far, do you think the Virgin healed Juan Diego's uncle or merely had knowledge that he was naturally recovering? What is the interpretation that is put upon the Juan Bernardino's illness by the end of the text?

The picture shows the altar of El Pocito, one of the older churches in the Tepeyac compound, and similar in general appearance to many churches throughout the country. The picture over the altar is a copy of the tilma hanging over the alter of the nearby modern basilica.

122. Auh in Juan Diego in oyuhquicac in iiyotzin in itlatoltzin in Ilhuicac Cihuapilli, huel cenca in omoyollali, huel ic pachiuh in iyollo.

And when Juan Diego heard the blessed breath, the blessed words, of the Queen of Heaven, he was greatly comforted by them, and his heart became peaceful.

123. Auh quimotlatlauhtili inic ma za ye quimotitlanili inic quittatiuh in Tlatoani Obispo in quitquiliz itla inezca, in ineltica, inic quineltocaz.

And he begged her to send him immediately to see the Governing Bishop, to take him something for the sign, for the proof so that he would believe.

124. Auh in Ilhuicac Cihuapilli niman ic quimonahuatili inic ontlecoz in icpac tepetzintli, in oncan canin yeppa conmottiliaya;

And the Queen of Heaven ordered him then to go to the top of the little hill, where he had seen her before:

125. Quimolhuili: "Xitleco, noxocoyouh, in icpac in tepetzintli, auh in canin otinechittac ihuan onimitznanahuati.

She said to him: "Go up, my dearest son, to the top of the hill, to where you saw me and I told you what to do;

126. Oncan tiquittaz onoc nepapan xochitl. Xictetequi, xicnechico xiccentlai, niman xic-hualtemohui, nican nixpan xic-hualhuica."

There you will see that there are different kinds of flowers. Cut them, gather them, put them all together; then come down here; bring them here, into my presence."

127. Auh in Juan Diego niman ic quitlecahui in tepetzintli.

Juan Diego climbed to the top the top of the hill right away.

128. Auh in oacito icpac, cenca quimahuizo in ixquich onoc, xotlatoc, cuepontoc in nepapan caxtillan tlazoxochitl, in ayamo imochiuhyan,

And when he reached the top, he was astonished by all of them, blooming, open, flowers of every kind, lovely and beautiful, when it still was not their season,

129. ca nel huel icuac in motlapaltilia izcetl.

because really that was the season in which the frost was very harsh.

130. Huel cenca ahuiaxtoc, iuhqui in tlazoepyollotli inic yohualahuachyotoc.

They were giving off an extremely soft fragrance; like precious pearls, as if filled with the dew of the night.

131. Niman ic peuh in quitetequi, huel moch quinechico, quicuixanten.

Then he began to cut them, he gathered them all, he put them in the hollow of his tilma.

Usage Note: A "tilma" (Nahuatl: tilmahtli) is a loose, blanket-like cloak or mantle fastened over one shoulder, and worn for warmth by Mexican men at this period. Googling "tilma" would readily reveal that the only one discussed today is the one worn by Juan Diego. A synonym in some contexts is äyätl (blanket), which is borrowed into Spanish as ayate. Although the word tilma is in fact used in this document, the Nahuatl word used in this sentence is "qui.cuixan.ten," a verb made from tëma Vt2 = to fill + cuexäntli, a very broad term covering both clothing and sacks for carrying things (here spelled "cuixantli" but spelled "cuexäntli" in line 136). In fact our author uses cuixantli more frequently than tilmahtli. If we did not know better from occasional use of the term tilma, it would be a more probable translation to call it a sack.

132. Auh in oncan icpac tepetzintli, ca niman atle xochitl in imochiuhyan, ca texcalla, netzolla, huihuitztla, nopalla, mizquitla.

The top of the little hill was certainly not a place in which any flowers grew; there are only plenty of rocks, thorns, spines, prickly pears and mesquite trees.

133. Auh intla xiuhtotontin mochichihuani, in icuac in ipan metztli diciembre, ca moch quicua quipopolohua izcetl.

And even though some little herbs or grasses might grow, it was then the month of December, in which the frost eats everything up and destroys it.

134. Auh ca niman ic hualtemoc, quihualmotiquili in Ilhuicac Cihuapilli in nepapan xochitl oquitetequito.

And immediately he came back down, he came to bring the Heavenly Lady the different kinds of flowers which he had gone up to cut.

135. Auh in oyuhquimottili, imaticatzinco conmocuili.

And when she saw them, she took them with her precious hands.

136. Niman ye occeppa icuexanco quihualmotemili quimolhuili:

Then she put them all together into the hollow of his tilma again and said:

Juan Diego Receives the Flowers
Codex 1548

137. "Noxocoyouh, inin nepapan xochitl yehuatl in tlaneltiliz in nezcayotl in tic'huiquiliz in obispo.

"My youngest-and-dearest son, these different kinds of flowers are the proof, the sign that you will take to the bishop.

138. Nopampa tiquilhuiz ma ic quitta in notlanequiliz, ihuan ic quineltiliz in notlanequiliz, in nocializ.	You will tell him from me that he is to see in them my desire, and that therefore he is to carry out my wish, my will.
Form Challenge 138: In the English translation, this line involves an indirect statement ("tell him that it is") and an indirect command ("tell him that he should."). What is there in the Nahuatl (if anything) that signals this to a reader?

139. Auh in tehuatl in tinotitlan ca huel motech netlacaneconi.

And you, you who are my messenger, in you I place my absolute trust.

140. Auh huel nimitztlacuauhnahuatia zan huel icel ixpan obispo ticzohuaz in motilma, ihuan ticnextiliz in tlein tic'huica.

and I strictly order you that you only open your tilma alone in the presence of the bishop, and show him what you are carrying.

141. Auh huel moch ticpohuiliz, tiquilhuiz in quenin onimitznahuati inic titlecoz in icpac tepetzintli in tictetequitiuh xochitl, ihuan in ixquich otiquittac, oticmahuizo,

And you will tell him everything exactly, you will tell him that I ordered you to climb to the top of the little hill to cut flowers, and everything that you saw and admired,

142. inic huel ticyolloyehuaz in teopixcatlatoani inic niman ipan tlatoz inic mochihuaz, moquetzaz in noteocal oniquitlanili. "

so that you can convince the governing priest, so that he will then do what lies within his responsibility so that my temple which I have asked him for will be made, will be raised."

143. Auh in oconmonanahuatili in Ilhuicac Cihuapilli, quihualtocac in cuepotli Mexico hualmelahua. Ye pactihuitz.

And as soon as the Queen of Heaven gave him her orders, he took the causeway, he comes straight to Mexico City. He comes happily now.

144. Ye yuh yetihuitz in iyollo, ca yecquizaquiuh, quiyequitquiz.

His heart is tranquil now, because his errand will come out well, he will carry it our perfectly.

145. Huel quimocuitlahuitihuitz in tlein icuixanco yetihuitz in manen itla quimacauh.

Along the way, he is very careful of what is in the hollow of his garment, lest he lose something.

146. Quimotlamachtitihuitz in iahuiaca in nepapan tlazoxochitl.

As he comes, he enjoys the fragrance of the different kinds of exquisite flowers.

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Nican Mopohua (“Thus It Is Told”)

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Chapter 5: The Fourth Apparition