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Nican Mopohua (“Thus It Is Told”)

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Chapter 7: The Story of Uncle Juan Bernardino

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194. Auh in Juan Diego in oyuhquitteititi in canin quimonahuatili in Ilhuicac Cihuapilli moquetzaz iteocaltzin, nimac ic tenahuati; And Juan Diego, as soon as he showed where the Lady of Heaven had ordered her sacred little house to be built, asked for permission;
195. in oc onaciznequi in ichan inic conittatiuh in itlatzin Juan Bernardino in huellanauhtoc, in icuac quihualcauhtehuac ceme quinotzazquia teopixque in oncan Tlatilolco, inic quiyolcuitizquia, quicencahuazquia, in quimolhuili Ilhuicac Cihuapilli in ye opatic. he wanted to go to his house in order to see his uncle, Juan Bernardino, who was very ill when he left him to go to Tlatilolco to call a priest to confess him and prepare him, the one whom the Queen of Heaven had told him had already been cured.
196. Auh amo zan icel quicauhque yaz, ca quihuicaque in ompa in ichan. But they didn't let him go alone, rather people went with him to his house.
197. Auh in oyuh acito quittaque in itlatzin ye huel pactica, niman atle quicocoa, And when they arrived they saw that his uncle was now healthy and nothing afflicted him.
198. Auh in yehuatl cenca quimahuizo in quenin imach hualhuico, ihuan cenca mahuiztililo. And he, for his part, was greatly surprised by the way in which his nephew was accompanied and very honored.
199. Quitlatani in imach tleica in yuhqui chihualo, in cenca mahuiztililo: He asked his nephew why it was that they were honoring him so much;
200. Auh in yehuatl quilhui in quenin icuac ompa hualehuac in quinochilizquia teopixqui inquiyolcuitiz, quicencahuaz, in oncan Tepeyacac quimottilitzino in Ilhuicac Cihuapilli. and he told him how, when he left to go call a priest for him who would confess him and prepare him, the Lady of Heaven appeared to him there at Tepeyac.
Uncle Juan Bernardino
Uncle Juan Bernardino's Statue at Tepeyac
201. Auh quimotitlani in ompa Mexico in quittatiuh in Tlatoani Obispo inic oncan quimocaltiliz in Tepeyacac. And she sent him to Mexico City to see the Governing Bishop, so that he would make her a house at Tepeyac.
202. Auh quimolhuili in macamo motequipacho in ca ye pactica; in ic cenca moyollali. And she told him not to worry, because his uncle was now well, and she consoled him very much with this news.
203. Quilhui in itlatzin ca ye nelli ca niman icuac in quimopatili, His uncle told him that it was true, that she healed him at that exact moment.
204. ihuan huel quimottili iz zan no huel ye iuhcatzintli in yuh quimottititzinoaya ìn imach. And he saw her in exactly the same way she had appeared to his nephew.
205. Ihuan quimolhuili in quenin yehuatl oc quimototlanili Mexico in quittaz Obispo, And she told him that she was also sending him to Mexico City to see the Bishop,
206. auh ma no in icuac quittatiuh, ma huel moch ic quixpantiz quinonotzaz in tlein oquittac, and also that when he went to see him, he should reveal absolutely everything to him, he should tell him what he had seen
207. ihuan in quenin tlamahuizoltica oquimopatili, and the marvelous way in which she had healed him,
208. auh ma huel yuh quimotocayotiliz, ma huel yuhmotocayotitzinoz iz Cenquizca Ichpochtzintli Santa María de Guadalupe in itlazoixiptlatzin. and that he would properly name her beloved Image thus: the Perfect Virgin, Holy Mary of Guadalupe.
Form Challenge 208: Which word of the Nahuatl corresponds to the word "image" in the translation? What are its parts?
209. Auh niman ic quihualhuicaque in Juan Bernardino in ixpan Tlatohuani Obispo in quinonotzaco, in ixpan tlaneltilico. And then they brought Juan Bernardino into the presence of the Governing Bishop, they brought him to speak with him, to give his testimony.
Form Challenge 209: Why is "governing bishop" spelled "tlatohuani obispo" here but " tlatoani obispo" in Chapter 3, line 70? Is there a way to know which spelling is "right"?
210. Auh inehuan in imach Juan Diego quincalloti in ichan Obispo achi quezquilhuitl. And together with his nephew Juan Diego, the Bishop lodged them in his house for a few days
211. Inoc ixquic ica moquetzino iteocaltzin Tlatoca Cihuapilli in oncan Tepeyacac in canin quimottitili in Juan Diego. while the sacred little house of the Queenly Lady was built out there at Tepeyac, where she [had] revealed herself to Juan Diego.
212. Auh in Tlatohuani Obispo quicuani ompa in Iglesia Mayor in itlazoixiptlatzin in Ilhuicac-Tlazocihuapilli. And the Reverend Bishop moved the beloved Image of the Beloved Heavenly Lady to the principal church.
213. Quihualmoquixtili in ompa itecpanchan in ineteochihuayan moyetzticatca, inic mochi tlacatl quittaz quimahuizoz in Itlazoixiptlatzin. He took her beloved Image from his residence, from his private chapel in which it was, so that all could see it and admire it.
214. Auh huel cenmochi iz cemaltepetl olin, in quihualmottiliaya, in quimahuizoaya in Itlazoixiptlatzin. And absolutely this entire city with no exception, was deeply moved as everyone came to see and admire her precious Image.
215. Huallateomatia, They came to acknowledge its divine character,
216. quimotlatlauhtiliaya. and they came to offer her their prayers.
217. Cenca quimahuizoaya in quenin teotlamahuizoltica inic omonexiti, They marveled at the miraculous way it had appeared.
218. inic niman ma aca tlalticpac tlacatl oquimicuilhui in itlazoixiptlayotzin. since absolutely no one on earth had painted her beloved Image.
Religious Wares Content Challenge 218. The text stops here, although other, later traditions tell us that Juan Diego eventually moved to the new shrine, where he spent the rest of his life as a caretaker. We learn little more of the Bishop or of Uncle Juan Bernardino or of the roses, and the Virgin does not reappear once she has her shrine. From the perspective of a literary narrative, does the narration end in the right place? If you could add three more lines (real or fictional), how would you add to the text?

The picture shows the display of a religious wares peddler near the Shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe at Tepeyac in Mexico City.


Followup Note: Each day of the year is a “feast day” of several saints, either officially recognized by the Catholic or Anglican Church (or other Christian churches) or venerated locally but without official recognition. The Virgin of Guadalupe is venerated on December 12 and Juan Diego (sainted in 2002) on December 9.

In Mexico December 12 begins el maratón Guadalupe-Reyes, which extends to the Día de Reyes (the Feast of Saint Balthazar) on January 6, which is linked to the tradition of the “wise men from the east” who came to Bethlehem bearing gifts to the baby Jesus. (Click here for more.)

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