Primary Source: Nonfiction, Florentine Codex (Nahuatl)
Module Title: Doña Marina, Cortés’Translator
http://chnm.gmu.edu/wwh/lessons/lesson6/lesson6.php?s=6
This chapter from the Florentine Codex, a bi-lingual encyclopedia of central Mexican life and history was created by the Franciscan friar, Bernardino de Sahagún and indigenous advisors, painters and scribes. Nahuatl and Spanish texts appear side by side, and are accompanied by an image of Malintzin translating. The Nahuatl version of this text describes indigenous objects, words and emotions in more detail than its Spanish counterpart, from the treasured items seized by conquistadors to the palace roof where Malintzin uttered her commands. In this text, she emerges as the crucial figure—the name of Cortés is never mentioned and the orders she gives seem to be hers alone, not a translation of his demands. So, too, is the fear she induces more palpable and poignant.
Nahuatl Source: Bernardino de Sahagún. “Inic caxtoll capitulo: uncan mitoa, in quenin Españoles calaquito in ipilchan Motecuçoma: au in tlein umpa muchiuh.” Book 12, Chap. 18, p.124, 126 in Florentine Codex. ca. 1570-1585. In We People Here. Translated and edited by James Lockhart. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Inic caxtolli omei capitulo: vncan mitoa, in quenin Españoles calaquito in ipilchan Motecuçoma: auh in tlein vmpa muchiuh.
Niman ie ic vi in vel itlatlatiaia Motecuçoma in vmpa mopia in vel itech iaxca in motecuçoma: itocaiocan Totocalco iuhquin yioiolipan, iuhquin mocecenquetza iuhquin moquequetzotzona, iuhquin iiztaia iniollo. Auh in onacito, in oncalacque tlatlatiloian, iuhquin mihicultia, mihicolia: nimã ie ic oallaquixtilo in vel ixcoian yiaxca, in vel ineixcavil, in vel itonal, mochi tlaçotlanqui, in chiaiaoac cozcatl, in machoncotl, in teucuitlamatemecatl, yoan in matzopetzli, teucuitlaicxitecuecuextli, yoan in xinvitzolli tlatocatlatquitl, yoã in iacaxivitl, yoan in ixquich in oc cequi in itlatqui in amo çan tlapoalli muchi quicuique, moch intech compachoq moch cõmotechtique, moch cõmotonaltique. Auh in ocõcocoleuhque in ixquich in teucuitlatl; in ontlacocoleoaloc, niman ie ic quicentlalia itoalco, itoalnepantla in ixquich in tlaçohivitl.
Auh in ie iuhqui in o mochi munechico in teucuitlatl. Nimã ie ic quïoalnotza, quïoalnentzallani in ixquichtin in pipiltin in Malintzin: tlapanco oalmoquetz, atenanticpac: Quitoa. Mexica xioalhuian ca cenca ie tlaihiovia in Españoles: xiqualcuicã in tlaqualli, in chipaoac atl, yoan in ixquich monequi, ca ie tlahiovia, ie quiciavi, ie quihiovia, ie mociavi, ie mihiovia: tleica in amo anoallaznequi? Ic neci ca anqualani.
Auh in Mexica çã nimã aocmo motlapaloaia in ma onvian, canca momauhtiaia, mauhcaçonequia mihiçaviaia, cenca mavitzli onoc, mavitzli moteteca, aocac tlaxtlapaloa, ça iuhqn tequiani vnca, ça iuhquin tlalli mictoc: tel amo ic mocaoa, amo ic netzotzonalo in concaoa in ixquich intech monequi, ça in mauhcac in concaoaia, ça onmomauhcatlaloa in ontlacaoa. Auh in ocontepeoatovalnetlalolo, vallachichitoca, tlacica, tlaviviioca.