The archive
Library of Words
Every passage that has been spoken here, listed by the day it appeared, or gathered by the matter it counsels on. Each day is given in the tonalpowalli and xiuhpowalli counts, and each passage carries the Nahuatl of the manuscript beneath its translation.
4 Ozelotl · 19th day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 5 October 2026
Impermanence““There is a fruit season upon the earth.” It is said of some leader who is dislodged, who is driven out because of a fault of his: just as the fruit ripens well, then it falls. “No one is a mere navel upon the earth.” We are to hold no one as nothing; that is, we are to despise no one. Though one seem despicable, perhaps he is prudent, perhaps he is wise of heart, perhaps he is discerning.”
##### Xoxocotioan tlalticpac. Itechpa mjtoa: in aca teiacanquj, tlaçalo, totoco itla ipampa itlatlacul: in ma iuhquj xocotl vel oicucic: njman oalvetzi. ##### Aiac xictli in tlalticpac. Aiac tictoxictizque, qujtoznequj tictelchioazque: macivi in telchioalonj neci, ace mjmatinj, açe iolizmatinj, ace mozcalianj.
The elders speak to those newly charged with rule or office, warning that standing is never permanent: like ripened fruit, a leader who errs will fall in his season. The navel, the body's own center, becomes a figure for hidden worth in every person, however lowly they appear. The teaching asks rulers to govern humbly, knowing their time is short, and asks everyone to withhold contempt, since unseen wisdom may live in the most overlooked person.
Book VI, fol. 184v, ch. 41 — Adages
3 Akatl · 18th day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 4 October 2026
The face and the heart““Clear-eyed.” It is said of one who considers well how to seek out, how to bring to light what is needed; or who sees well what is difficult in a riddle.”
##### Ixpetz. Itechpa mjtoa: in aqujn vel qujnemjlia, in quenjn vel qujtemuz, in quenjn vel qujmonextiliz in jtech monequj: anoce vel qujtta in tlein ovi in çaçanjllj.
These sayings belong to the great collection of adages gathered by the elders for the instruction of the young, spoken teacher to pupil in the calmecac and telpochcalli. The net stands for the fragile, tangled fate of one blinded by drink, unable to feel the weight of harm done; the clear eye stands for the disciplined mind that patiently untangles what is difficult. Together they urge sobriety of body and sharpness of thought, still asked of anyone who would act with care today.
Book VI, fol. 184r, ch. 41 — Adages
2 Malinalli · 17th day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 3 October 2026
Speech““He makes everything his business.” It is said of one who makes himself knowing in all that is said, in all that is done.”
##### Tomachizoa. Itechpa mjtoa: in aqujn moch conmomachiztia in tlein mjtoa, in tlein muchioa.
This entry belongs to the collection of adages appended to Book Six, short proverbial sayings the Nahua kept as compact teaching tools alongside the longer wewetlahtolli speeches. Tomachizoa, he makes everything his business, describes someone who insists on knowing everything said and done, a mild rebuke of nosiness or overreach. Even today it names the person who cannot let matters that are not theirs simply pass by.
Book VI, fol. 183v, ch. 41 — Adages
1 Ozomatli · 16th day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 2 October 2026
The black and the red“And how does your heart wish that the Giver of Life should look upon you as a person, that he should address you as a person, that he should speak humanly, that he should speak at all? And will you then be able to take, will you be able to seize his lip, his word? And will your heart be satisfied by it? Will you then be content? And will your heart then be well settled? Alas, wretched ones, who do you think yourselves to be: here you open the coffer, the chest, and before you it spills out, you scatter it, you cast it about — the necklace, the quetzal plume, the precious thing, the bracelet, the jade, the turquoise, the thing beyond compare, beyond telling, the wrapping, the coffer of our lords, their very binding, their very keeping.”
Auh quenjn noço qujnequj moiollo, mjtzmotlacaittitiz in totecujo? mjtztlacanotzaz? tlacatlatoz? tlatoz: auh cujx ie vel toconcujz, cujx ie uel toconanaz in jten, in jtlatol: auh cujx ic pachiviz in moiollo, cujx ic tonvellamatiz? auh cujx yc vellommotlaliz moiollo? Vi tlaueliloque, ac te ac timomati: in njcan tictlapoa in toptli, petlacalli in mjxpan chaiavi, in ticcecenmana, in ticmomoiaoa in cozcatl, in quetzalli, in tlaçotli, in maqujztli, in chalchiuhtli, in teuxiuhtli, in anemjuhquj in atemaconj in ateilvilonj, in jntop, in jnpetlacal in totecujoan, in vel innelpil, in jnpial.
A judge questions newly installed officials on whether their hearts are truly prepared for the Giver of Life to address them directly and entrust them with his word, doubting whether they could receive it worthily. He then rebukes them for how carelessly they might scatter what is most precious — jewels and jade standing for the accumulated wisdom and authority of past lords — as though it were worthless. It is a warning against receiving high office lightly or squandering what has been carefully kept by others.
Book VI, fol. 65v, ch. 15 — A judge speaks after the ruler
13 Itzkwintli · 15th day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 1 October 2026
Prayer“And will you not do good to yourself, will you not show yourself mercy, and so live? And will you not eat, will you not drink upon the earth by it? Will you benefit another, or will you benefit yourself? And will you not also, through it, give honor to the old men, the old women? And will not through you the children yet to come, the men yet to come, come to be wise? This is all that you take, that you hear. May the Giver of Life settle you in peace.”
auh ha tonmocneliz, ha tonmotlaoculiz, ha ic tinemjz: auh ha ticquaz, ha tiqujz in tlalticpac, cujx aca tiqujcneliz, ca timocneliz: auh ha tel ioan tiqujmonteiotiz, in vevetque, in jlamatque: auh ano mopal tonpilhoacateuhtlamatizque ano mopal tioaloqujchtlamatizque. O ca ixqujch in, in anqujmocujlia, in anqujmocaqujtia: ma amechmotlamatcatlalili in totecujo.
The judge closes his address by turning the counsel back onto the listener as a personal question: keeping it benefits no one but oneself, feeds and sustains one's own life, and honors the elders while preparing the wisdom of children not yet born. The blessing that follows, asking the Giver of Life to settle the people in peace, closes the ceremony gently. It frames wisdom as something one ultimately keeps for one's own good, passed forward through generations.
Book VI, fol. 63v, ch. 15 — A judge speaks after the ruler
12 Atl · 14th day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 30 September 2026
Speech“— blindness, lameness: neither is it your due, is it truly deserved, this raggedness, this poverty; will you not come forth from it upon the earth somewhere, will you somewhere prosper, will you somewhere be content, so that your heart, your body may find peace and ease? Is it not affliction, torment alone that is your due, your lot, forever? What do you know of this? This is all; and so today I greet you, I give you rest from your weariness, I unfold your weariness. And I acquit myself of it, so that when the moment comes upon you, you will remember, you will say: we did hear it; may the Giver of Life yet lead you gently, peacefully. And take care that you learn nothing amiss, that you know nothing amiss; go calmly, go peaceably, give yourselves over quietly: who will you neglect — is it not yourself before whom, upon whom you set it? And who will you take, who will you seize, whom you will place in the house of your heart, whom you will clasp, whom you will keep — that which is given you, that which is entrusted to you:”
[jxpo]poiotl in cocotoztli: auh amo ie molvil, amo ie vel momaceoal in aiaçulli in tatapatli, in jcnoiotl: amo vmpa onqujztiaz in tlalticpac cana tavixtiaz, cana tivellamattiaz, hica tlacaco tlamatiz in moiollo, in monacaio? amo çan cemjcac toneviztli, chichinaqujztli molvil, monemac. Tle anqujmomachitia ca ixqujch in, ic axcan namechtlapaloa, namechciauhquetza, namechciappoa: auh noqujxtia injc yquac in quenman in jpantiz anqujlnamjqujzque, anqujtozque, macace ticcacque: manoçoc yvian, manoçoc iocuxca amechonmoviqujlitiuh in totecujo: auh ma oc cenca tle anqujmomachitia, ma oc cenca tle anqujmati, ma oc amoiolic, ma çan yvian xonmotemacan: ac te in tonmoxiccaoaz, ha nel ie tehoatl, ac ixco, icpac tictemaz: auh ac te in toconcujz, in toconanaz, in moiollocaltitlan tocontlaliz, in toconmapiqujz, in toconmopialtiz, in timaco, in tilvilo:
A judge speaks after the ruler, closing the address by releasing the assembly from their weariness while reminding them that poverty and hardship need not be endless if the counsel is truly kept. He asks them to carry it away calmly and place it in the house of their own heart, since ultimately each person is responsible for holding onto what has been entrusted to them. The speech models how public teaching should end: not with threat, but with rest and personal responsibility.
Book VI, fol. 63r, ch. 14 — The ruler addresses the people
11 Tochtli · 13th day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 29 September 2026
The face and the heart“And now look at yourselves, O nobles, O lords, O you who are the hair, the fingernails of others; and you, O eagles, O jaguars: turn yourselves about, look at yourselves everywhere. Where is your honor? Where is the shade of your life? What are your hearts, how do they stand? Are they jade? Are they turquoise? And are you fit for the mat, for the seat, filthy, befouled as you are, given over to the undrinkable, the uneatable, that which intoxicates, that which destroys, called pulque? And do you call to mind the dust, the refuse on which you set your heart — where, and how? Take care: for perhaps you would cast yourself into another's coffer, another's chest; and perhaps you have already done it, already committed it,”
Auh tla ie ximottacan pipilte, tecpipilte tetzonvane, teiztioane: auh in amehoantin quauhte, oceloe, tla ximocuecuepacan, tla cenca novian ximoottacan, canjn ca amoceio, canjn ecauhio amonemjliz, quenamj quen ca in amoiollo: cujx chalchivitl, cujx teuxivitl: auh cujx tiuhquj petlapan, icpalpan timonequj, in ticujtlaio, in titlaçollo, in ticmotequjtia in mjxitl, in tlapatl, in aqualonj, in aioanj, in teivinti, in tepolo, in mjtoa octli: auh in teuhtli, tlaçolli tiqujlnamjquj, in jpan ticnemjtia moiollo, in canjn, auh in quenjn, ma xicchioa: auh in aço tetopco, tepetlacalco timaiaviznequj: auh in at noço otax, oticchiuh,
The ruler turns sharply on the assembled nobles and warriors, demanding that they examine their own hearts honestly and asking whether they are still jade or turquoise, or have become fouled by drink and dishonor. The rhetorical questions grow pointed, warning that such conduct may already have led some to overstep into another's household or possessions. It is a public accountability speech, insisting that rank obliges self-scrutiny rather than excusing misconduct.
Book VI, fol. 62v, ch. 14 — The ruler addresses the people
10 Mazatl · 12th day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 28 September 2026
Prayer“— and of the gladdening of Tloke Nawake, of the asking of him, of the seeking of his word, that he be entreated with sorrow, that there be asked of him his breath, his word; and of the remembering, the kindling, the drilling of the water and the burning, of its shaping: will he last forever, the one you set up, the one you chose as your ruler? Did he come to stay forever, will he become a great tree, a mountain, will he never die? Or will his time be everlasting? Or is it merely stopped up for a while — will he no longer rule, no longer govern, the one who died, whom the Giver of Life grew angry with, whom he rejected, whom he hid away?”
[te]petl: auh in javiltiloca in tloque, naoaque: in jtlaitlanjliloca, in jtlatoltemoloca injc tlaoculnonotzalo, in vncan itlanjlilo in jhijo, in jtlatol: auh in jlnamjcoca, in jpitzaloca, in jmamalioaca in teuatl, in tlachinolli in jiocoloca: cujx cemjcac iez in maço anqujtlalique, in maço anqujpepenque in amotlatocauh: cujx ocen valla, cujx quauhtiz, cujx tepetiz, cujx aic mjqujz, cujx noço icemjcaian iez, cujx noço ça contzacutica, cujx aiocmo tecutioaz, tlatocatioaz in omjc in omoçoma in omonenec totecujo, in oconmotlatili:
The ruler describes the sacred duties entrusted to a young noble — kindling fire, seeking the divine word through sorrowful entreaty — before turning to a sober meditation on the impermanence of rulers themselves. No ruler, however chosen, becomes a mountain or lives forever; all eventually die, are set aside by the Giver of Life. It is a check against political permanence, reminding leaders and people alike that authority is temporary and answerable to something greater.
Book VI, fol. 61r, ch. 14 — The ruler addresses the people
9 Mikiztli · 11th day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 27 September 2026
The black and the red“But if you are greatly afraid, if your heart is greatly frightened, take heart, as it is said at the ditch, at the canal — you shall be a man upon the earth; Tloke Nawake, the Giver of Life, will have compassion on you, will pity you: whatever you set in the ditch, all of it you will see, all of it you will behold with wonder; and go scatter seed in your field, plant, bury, sow the little maguey, the little tree, so that your children may profit by them, should the Giver of Life devise a famine — truly you yourself will see it, you will eat, you will drink your own labor's fruit. And you who are a noble child, whoever you may be — above all you do I address, you who are the child of others, you who came forth from others: take charge of the drum, of the rattle, of the awakening of the city;”
Auh anoço cenca timomauhtia, anoço cenca mavin moiollo: ma ic xontlamati in cuenco, in apanco mjtoa, tlalticpac toqujchtli tiez, mjtzicnoittaz, mjtzicnomatiz in tloque, naoaque in totecujo: in tlein tocontlaliz cuenco, muchi tiqujttaz, muchi ticmaviçoz: auh xontlatepeoa in mjlpan, muchi xocontlali xocontlalaquj xocontoca in metzintli, in quauhtzintli ytech patitivi in mopilhoan qujiocoiaz in totecujo in maianaliztli, nel oc no tehoatl tiqujttaz, oc ticquaz, oc tiqujz in motlaihijoviliz. Auh in titecpiltontli, in ac noço tehoatl: oc cenca tehoatl njmjtznotza in titepiltzin, in tetechcopa tiqujz xicmocujtlavi in vevetl, in aiacachtli yn ijxitiloca in atl, in te[petl:]
The ruler reassures a fearful young man that steady labor at the ditch and field, planting maguey and trees, is itself a worthy and manly path, one that will feed his own children even through famine — the fruit of patient work rather than glory in war. He then turns to charge a noble child with a public duty, tending the drum and rattle that awaken the city. Both halves value quiet, sustained responsibility as true service, whether in the furrow or before the community.
Book VI, fol. 60v, ch. 14 — The ruler addresses the people
8 Koatl · 10th day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 26 September 2026
Work and vigil“O children, O you of the water, you of the mountain: what do you make of this? Not here shall there be stoning, not here shall there be crushing; there you shall be seen. Go and know the open plain, the shore of the divine water: there our mother, our father, the Sun, the Lord of Earth, paints people, marks people, colors people, draws people in ink. You who are a noble child, you who are eagle, you who are jaguar: what will you be? Go, offer yourself, follow after, desire to be with the eagles, the jaguars, the brave ones, the war-dead who rejoice, who delight, who are enriched, who prosper, who sip the nectar; forever, always, they make festival, they make joy with the Sun, the brave one, the war-dead, the eagle-warrior of the sun. Is it not possible that with them you rejoice, that you prosper within the sky, in the house of the Sun? Is it not possible that here you be scraped clean, that instead of dust, of refuse you go wrapped in glory?”
Tepilhoane, aoaquee, tepeoaquee: tle ammalia, yca vel in njcan amo ca nemomotlaloz, amo ca netetepacholoz, ie vel in amjitto: xontlamatican in jxtlaoacan, in teuatenpan: in vncan teicujloa, in vncan temachiotia, in vncan tetlapalaquja, tetlilanja in tonan, in tota tonatiuh tlaltecutli. In titecpiltontli, auh in tiquauhtli, in tocelotl: tle tiez ma xiauh, ma ximotlati, xiqujmontoca, xiqujmonelevi in quauhti in ocelo, in tiacaoan in iaomjcque in paquj, in avia, in motlamachtia, in mocujltonoa, in tlachichina: in cemjcac, in muchipa in coiovia in caviltia in tonatiuh, in tiacauh in iaomjcquj, in quauhtleoanjtl: anca aveli intla teoan xavia, ximotlamachti in jlvicatl ijtic, in tonatiuh ichan: anca ie veli yn jz tinexoxopevililo, anca ie vel in teuhtli, tlaçulli ic timjlacatzotiaz:
A ruler addresses the assembled people, calling the nobles, the water-people, and the mountain-people to face the open plain and the shore of the divine water, where the Sun and Lord of Earth mark and color each person's destiny. He urges noble children to seek the company of eagles and jaguars, the honored war-dead who rejoice forever with the Sun. The imagery frames a hard destiny, war, as also glorious cleansing, a way to be scraped clean of dust rather than remain in the ordinary.
Book VI, fol. 60r, ch. 14 — The ruler addresses the people
7 Kwetzpallin · 9th day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 25 September 2026
Comportment“— a hasty person; no one panting, no one loose of heart, no one rash ever governed, ever sat upon the mat, upon the seat.”
[y]ciuhcatlacatl, aiac hicicanj, aiac iollocamachal, aiac tlaxcoloanj otecutlatocat, opetlapan oicpalpan catca.
This passage insists that true rulers were never the hasty, the reckless, or the fool who jested lightly, but rather the humble ones who wept, grieved, and bowed their heads — their calm, settled hearts being the real qualification to sit on the eagle mat and jaguar mat. Recklessness in war earned only a warrior's death and a mocking title, not lasting authority. The teaching still challenges the idea that boldness or bravado makes a leader, honoring instead composure and humility.
Book VI, fol. 91v, ch. 20 — The father's admonition to his son
6 Kalli · 8th day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 24 September 2026
Humility“Here is what you shall drink, what you shall do: the keeping, the binding, the wrapping, the coffer that the old men, the old women left behind, going white-haired, going white-headed, going wrinkled, our forebears, by which they came to live upon the earth, by which they came to live beside others, among others, and came to sit among others, upon the mat, upon the seat. This it is: the bowed head, the lowered face, the folded arms, the weeping, the tears, the sighing — only their poverty is what our forebears came to know,”
Izcatquj in taiz, in ticchioaz: in pialli, in nelpilli, in toptli, in petlacalli: in concauhteoaque in vevetque, in jlamatque, in tzonjztaztivi, in quaiztaztivi, in pipinjxtivi in totechiuhcaoan, injc omonemjtico tlalticpac, ynjc otetloc, tenaoac monemjtico: auh otetlan moetztieco in petlaquac, in jcpalquac. Iehoa in tololli, in pilolli, in malcochtli, in choqujztli, in jxaiotl, in elciciviztli: çan imjcnoio yn oqujmatico totechiuhcaoan,
The elder names the ancestral coffer of wisdom, then reveals its actual contents are humble postures: a bowed head, folded arms, weeping, sighing — the practiced poverty of spirit our forebears knew rather than any hoarded treasure. This turns the difrasismo of the coffer inside out, showing that what is truly kept and passed down is humility itself. It suggests that genuine inheritance from elders is a disposition of the heart, not material wealth or status.
Book VI, fol. 86v, ch. 20 — The father's admonition to his son
5 Ehekatl · 7th day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 23 September 2026
Impermanence“It is a joyless place, a place of no repose, a place of dread, a place of affliction. And truly our mothers, our fathers, the old men, went saying: no one leaves whole from Tamoanchan; it is windy, wind-worn, wind-swept; the cord of wind, the cord of flowers lies stretched out. The world mocks people, it laughs at people, it snickers at people, it twists its lips at people upon the earth; nothing is true. And what it says, what it declares, what it tells is not true; it only twists its lips at us. Here is what you shall drink, what you shall do: the keeping, the binding, the wrapping, the coffer that the old men, the old women left behind, going white-haired, going white-headed, going wrinkled, our forebears, by which they came to live upon the earth, by which they came to live beside others, among others; and they came to sit among others, upon the mat, upon the seat.”
ayviaiocan, hacemellecan temamauhtica, auh teellelaxitican: auh cenca nel conjtotivi in tonaoan, in totaoan in vevetque aiac onqujzca tamooanchan, hecatlan, hecaxaxantlan, hecamecatl, xochimecatl onoc, teca mocacaiaoa in tlalticpactli: teca papaquj, teca vevetzcatica, tetennecujlvitica in tlalticpac amo tle nelli: auh amo nelli in qujtoa, in qujteneoa, in qujteilvia: çan tetennecujlhvitica. Izcatquj in taiz, in ticchioaz: in pialli, in nelpilli, in toptli, in petlacalli: in concauhteoaque in vevetque, in jlamatque, in tzonjztaztivi, in quaiztaztivi, in pipinjxtivi in totechiuhcaoan, injc omonemjtico tlalticpac, ynjc otetloc, tenaoac monemjtico: auh otetlan moetztieco in petlaquac, in jcpalquac.
The father warns his son that the world deceives and mocks, twisting its lips at people so that nothing it promises is wholly true, drawing on the old image of Tamoanchan as a windy place no one leaves unscathed. Against that deception he offers the coffer of ancestral counsel, the accumulated wisdom of those who grew white-haired living rightly among others. It counsels skepticism toward the world's flattering promises and trust instead in tested, inherited guidance.
Book VI, fol. 86v, ch. 20 — The father's admonition to his son
4 Zipaktli · 6th day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 22 September 2026
Humility“They left us this: they made their bowing, their folding of arms upon the earth. They did not go about with faces swollen with pride, they did not go about panting, they did not go about puffed up. And though they became such — though they were looked upon from below, from above; though they sat upon the eagle mat, the jaguar mat; though in their hands lay the eagle tube, the eagle vessel; though they led as eagles, though they gave drink to the Sun, to the Lord of Earth — even so, though the Giver of Life had compassion on them, though for a little while, for a brief moment they sat upon the mat, upon the seat, though Tloke Nawake cut them off there, though he bathed the tail, the wing in tears, though death severed them, nothing came of it, they were not lost by it, they were not made drunk by it, they were not made to swoon by it.”
in techcauhtivi: intolol, inmalcoch oqujchioaco in tlalticpac, amo oixtomaoaco, amo ohicicatinemjco, amo oneneciuhtinemjco: macivi in juhque muchiuhtivi, o: in tlalchivic, in acovic oittoque: in quappetlapan, in ocelopetlapan oieco, in oimmac manca in quappiaztli, in quauhxicalli, in oquauhiacanque, in ocatlitique in tonatiuh in tlaltecutli: auh macivi in qujnmocnoittili totecujo, in achica, in cuel achic petlapan, icpalpan oieco: in ovel contlatetequjlico in tloque, naoaque: in ocâhaltico cujtlapilli, atlapalli in oqujxaiopapachoco, yn oqujcotonaco in mjqujztli: ca amo ic oquen muchioaco, ca amo ic otlapoloque, ca amo ic yvintique, ca amo ic mjtonjque.
The elders are remembered as rulers who, even seated on the eagle mat and jaguar mat with real power, never lost their humility or composure. The passage adds that their eventual death and removal by Tloke Nawake did not shake or unbalance them, since their standing was never something they clung to for its own sake. It teaches that authority held with humility survives even its own ending without bitterness or loss of dignity.
Book VI, fol. 87r, ch. 20 — The father's admonition to his son
3 Xochitl · 5th day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 21 September 2026
Impermanence“Hear it, you who are my eagle, my jaguar, my child: know, remember, that into bitterness, into affliction you were destined, you were granted, the Giver of Life sent you; for I your mother, I your father find no peace, no contentment. Though the old ones who went before us left us here, did they leave us their hands, their feet? For already poverty grows upon us, the life of nothing grows, the old age of orphanhood, the widowed old age. My child, look upon your ashes, upon your hearth: bitterness, affliction lie there; poverty grows, the life of nothing grows. Bitterness, affliction are known; the thin gut swells, hunger meets us at the hip, it hangs at our throat. Truly you turn it round and round: from where the wind comes, there you set yourself.”
[xicmoca]qujti in tinoquauh, in tinocelouh, in tinopiltzin: auh tla xoconmati, tla xoconjlnamjquj ca cococapan, ca teupouhcaiopan in otilhviltic, in otimaceoaltic, in omjtzalmjoali totecujo: ca anavia, ca anjvellamati in njmonan, in njmota: macivi in veveixtivi techcauhtivi, cujx inma, cujx imjcxi techcacavilitiaque: ca ie timalivi in jcnopillotl, in jcnotlacaiotl: auh in jcnoveveiotl, in jcnoilamaiotl. Nopiltze xontlachia in monextitlan, in motlecujllan, cococ, teupouhquj qujqujztoc, timalivi in jcnotlacaiotl, in nentlacaiotl: cococ, teupouhquj macho, timalivi in cujtlaxcolpitzactli, atontonamjquj in toquezpan in toquechtlan onpilcac: nelli mach in ticmamalacachoa, in vmpa oallauh ehecatl, vmpa ticmana. Auh
A parent tells a beloved child, addressed as eagle and jaguar, that hardship and poverty were destined for them from birth, since the ancestors left behind no hands or feet to labor for them, only the ashes and cold hearth of an aging household. The images of a swollen empty belly and hunger clinging at the hip make privation vividly bodily rather than abstract. It teaches that acknowledging real hardship honestly, rather than hiding it, is the starting point for facing life with resolve.
Book VI, fol. 88v, ch. 20 — The father's admonition to his son
2 Kiawitl · 4th day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 20 September 2026
Speech“How does it happen — does he lift his face, does he stand erect, does he say, here I am? No — rather he bows himself more to the earth, he inclines himself more, he weeps, he sighs, he calls upon, he speaks in sorrow, he speaks in tears to the Giver of Life. Do you not see it now, does he say such a thing? And thus it is: while it is still night he rises, he takes up the broom; and he takes up the fire-pan, the incense, the offering of incense. How is it, then, that you, the elder, are surpassed by your younger brother, my child? Here is yet one word — let it be as a scolding, as a thorn, as the cold wind that comes upon you, that presses you to the earth, that carries you to the earth, so that you take hold of yourself, so that you humble yourself, so that you know yourself as poor. Listen, and know, and know this: that in a time of poverty, in a place of the poor, you were born, you came to life, you were sent by the Giver of Life, Tloke Nawake.”
quen muchioa, cujx mjxacocuj, cujx aquetza, cujx qujtoa ie ne, y: ca ilhvice tlaltech iauh, ilhvice mopechteca, choca, elcicivi, qujnotza, qujtlaoculnonotza, qujchoqujznonotza in totecujo: amo tiqujtta in axcan, cujx qujtoa ne yn. auh ie njuhquj y: ca iooalli qujtztoc concujtivetzi yn ochpanalli: auh itlan aquj in tlemaitl, in tlenamactli, in tlapupuchviliztli: quenmach amj y, ca titeach: auh ca moteiccauh nopiltze. Oc izca cencamatl, in ma iuh haoatl, in ma iuhquj vitztli, in ma iuhquj itztic ehecatl, in motech onqujçaz: in tlaltech mjtzpachoz, in tlaltech mjtzvicaz, injc timocujtivetziz, ynjc timocnotecaz, timocnomatiz. Xiccaquj: auh xicmati, ioan ticmati ca icnoiopan, ca icnotlacapan in tijol, in titlacat, in mjtzalmjoati in totecujo, in tloque, naoaque:
The father shames his son by contrasting him with a diligent younger brother who rises before dawn to sweep, offer incense, and pray in tears to the Giver of Life, rather than standing proud. The scolding is offered deliberately, as a thorn or cold wind, meant to press the listener toward humility and self-knowledge as one born into poverty and dependence. It models discipline delivered through comparison and honest correction rather than flattery.
Book VI, fol. 90v, ch. 20 — The father's admonition to his son
1 Tekpatl · 3rd day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 19 September 2026
Humility“...the altepetl: and there are two lords who speak for it, one an eagle-lord, one noble-born; one eagle-lord who is tlacatecutli, tlacochtecutli, and one who is noble-born; and the quauhtlato likewise, one eagle-lord who is tlacateccatl, tlacochcalcatl, and one noble-born. Thus the Giver of Life leads, thus he sets the road in order; and was the eagle-lord who is tlacatecutli, tlacochtecutli, tlacateccatl, tlacochcalcatl simply born to it, did he come to life already so? Was it left to him by his mother, his father? No: he is chosen, he is fashioned upon the earth, he is shaped by the one through whom we live. Alas, my child, my child: let nothing be done to your heart, let nothing become of you — lest in vain you do yourself some harm; perhaps the Giver of Life will yet count you for something, or perhaps you will go counted nowhere upon the earth. Let nothing be done to your heart; do not speak inwardly, do not take yourself for the measure of things.”
[al]tepetl: auh ca ie vme in tecutlato, ce quappan, ce pilpan: ce quappan, tlacatecutli, tlacochtecutli, auh ce pilli: auh in quauhtlato, no ce quappan tlacateccatl, tlacochcalcatl, no ce pilli. Auh ca ivi y, tlavica in totecujo, in tlaotlatoctia: auh in quappa tlacatecutli, tlacochtecuth, tlacateccatl, tlacochcalcatl: cujx njman ipan iol, ipan tlacat? cujx noc inan, yta qujcavilitia, ca amo: ca çan motepepenja, tlalticpac motechichivilia, moteimachilia, in jpalnemoanj. Iyo nopiltze, nopiltze: ma quen muchiuh in moiollo, ma quen timuchiuh, at ça nen o, itla vel timahailiz: at noc itla mjtzpoaz in jpalnemoanj: auh acanoço can tonpouhtiaz in tlalticpac: ma quen ticchiuh in moiollo, ma mjtic titlato ma timonelchiuh,
The passage first explains that rulers of the altepetl are not born into office by blood alone but are chosen and shaped by the Giver of Life, Ipalnemoani, the one through whom we live. From that lesson on rank, the father pivots to warn his son against despair or self-harm, since one cannot know whether the Giver of Life still counts him for something. Both halves teach the same humility: neither status nor self-worth is something a person can simply claim for themselves.
Book VI, fol. 92r, ch. 20 — The father's admonition to his son
13 Ollin · 2nd day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 18 September 2026
Humility“Do not believe yourself great, do not be haughty, do not be presumptuous, do not be arrogant. Truly it is the anger, truly it is the wrath of Tloke Nawake — this haughtiness, this presumption, this pride. Only live modestly: much rather the bowed head, the folded arms, the lowered face, the weeping, the sorrowing, the sighing, the humbling of yourself, the knowing of yourself as poor. And listen further: with your whole heart you shall give it, you shall speak it to the Giver of Life; let not only your breath show your humility on the surface, lest it be said of you: you are a little bowed flower, a little empty sack. For the Giver of Life watches over you; in the stone, in the wood he perceives, he sees; he knows the heart, within us he hears us, he sees us, we his vassals — let nothing be mixed into your heart, your humbling; let it be as jade, as turquoise, wholly complete, when you give it to the Giver of Life.”
ma timoneltoca, ma ticuecuenot, ma timopouh, ma tatlama: vel yiellel, vel iqualan in tloque, naoaque in cuecuenotl, in atlamatcaiotl, in nepoaliztli: at ytla momaceoal, at itla ticmaviçalhujz in totecujo: at no titlatiz, at no acan tonpoviz: çan ximonemjti, cenca ie in motolol, in momalcoch, in mopilol, in mochoquiz, in motlaocul, in melciciviliz, in monecnotecaliliz in monecnomachiliz. Auh oc xiccaquj, vel moiollo in toconmacaz, in toconjlhviz totecujo: amo çan jyio in panj neciz in mocnoio, ca mopan mjtoz titololxochton, titlanjxiqujpile: auh ca mjtzmotztiliticac in totecujo in tetl, in quavitl yitic tlamati, tlachia: in teiollo qujximati, in titic techcaquj, techitta timaceoalti, maca tle xoconnenelo in moiollo, in monecnomatiliz: ma onchalchiuhti, ma onteuxiuhti, vel qujzquj, in xoconmomaqujli totecujo,
The father warns his son against pride, naming haughtiness and arrogance as what provokes the anger of Tloke Nawake, and commends instead the bowed head and folded arms of genuine humility. He then insists that this humbling must be sincere and whole-hearted, not merely performed on the surface, since the Giver of Life sees within stone and wood and knows the heart directly. It is a caution against performative modesty, asking for humility as complete and unmixed as fine jade.
Book VI, fol. 92v, ch. 20 — The father's admonition to his son
12 Kozkakwawhtli · 1st day of Ochpaniztli · 1 Tochtli · 17 September 2026
The black and the red“You who are my child, you who are my youth: listen to the word; place it in the house of your heart, write it there — the word, the utterance our forebears left behind, the old men, the old women, those who watched, those who marveled, and who searched things out upon the earth. For here is what they go on giving us, what they go on entrusting to us.”
In tinopiltzin, in tinotelpuch: tla xiccaquj in tlatolli, tla moiollocaltitlan xictlali, xiqujcujlo, in cententli, in cencamatl in concauhteoaque in totechiuhcaoan in vevetque, in jlamatque in otlachixque, in otlamaviçoque: auh in otlaztlacoque tlalticpac. Ca izcatquj in techonmacativi, in techonpialtitivi in
A father addresses his grown son directly, urging him to take the ancestral word into the house of his heart and write it there, treating memory itself as a dwelling to be built and furnished. The old men and old women who watched, marveled, and searched things out are named as the source of what is entrusted to the next generation. The image asks that inherited teaching be internalized deliberately, not merely heard in passing, so it can guide a life.
Book VI, fol. 93r, ch. 21 — The father counsels his son on right living
11 Kwawhtli · 20th day of Wey Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 16 September 2026
Compassion“This is the word of the elders, the binding, the wrapping, the coffer: they said that turquoise truly gives off smoke, that jade rounded, reed-like, well seasoned, is how clean living is reckoned; nowhere is there dross, nowhere refuse, wholly complete are the hearts, the lives of those who live cleanly: like jade, like turquoise they glint, they shine before Tloke Nawake; like the wide green quetzal plume, the outspread, well-set, arching ones upon the earth are those who live cleanly — of them it is said, their hearts are good. Listen, the old men went saying: the little children, the youths, the maidens are truly the friends, truly the beloved of Tloke Nawake; among them he lives, among them he rejoices, he takes them as his friends.”
vevetlatolli in nelpilli, in toptli, in petlacalli: ca conjtotivi ca teuxivitl vel popoca: ca chalchivitl ololivic, acatic, vel icucic momati in chipaoacanemjliztli: acan ceio, acan hecauhio, vel qujzquj in jniollo, in jnnemjliz in chipaoacanemjliceque: iuhquj o, in chalchivitl, in teuxivitl cuecueiocatica, tonatica, in jxpan tloque, naoaque: iuhquj o, in xopaleoac quetzalli, in patlaoac, in vel iaque, in vitoliuhtoque tlalticpac, in chipaoacanemjliceque: in mjtoa qualli iniollo. Tla xiccaquj, conjtotivi in vevetque: ca in pipiltzitzinti, in telpupuchtzitzinti, in jchpupuchtzitzinti: vel icnjoan, vel itlaçoan in tloque, naoaque, itlan nemj, itlan paquj qujmjcnjuhtla.
The elders here define clean living through the imagery of smoking turquoise and well-seasoned jade, precious things without dross, to describe hearts that are whole and unmixed. From that image they turn tenderly to children and youths as the true friends and beloved companions of Tloke Nawake, the Ever-Near, the Ever-Close, among whom he delights to live. It offers a vision of integrity as radiance rather than rigidity, and of the young as already intimate with the sacred.
Book VI, fol. 93v, ch. 21 — The father counsels his son on right living
10 Ozelotl · 19th day of Wey Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 15 September 2026
The face and the heart“They go instructing the little children, the youths, the maidens — the old men their wards, their children — waking them while it is still night; and wishing to make their sleep sweet, they lay out their mats, sprinkle water for them, sweep, offer incense; the women wash their mouths, it is said: they still let Tloke Nawake hear, they still give him their weeping, their sorrow, their sighing, their prayers, for truly it is said their hearts are good, nothing mixed in them, still clean, still whole, still complete, still truly jade, still truly turquoise: thus it is said, they are still here upon the earth, our refreshers of the maize. And here now are the offering priests, the doers of penance: they are of clean life — clean, good, righteous, precious, well washed, golden are their hearts. Their life is nothing mixed, without soot, without dust, without refuse; and for this they draw near.”
qujntemachitivi in pipiltzitzinti, in telpupuchtzitzinti, in jchpopuchtzitzinti: in vevetque in jntlazcaltilhoan, in jnpilhoan oc iooan in qujmjxitia: auh in qujvelicachioaznequj cochiztli, qujnpetlaoa, qujmatzelhvia, ochpana, tlenamaca: in cioa tecamapaca, mjtoa: oc qujncaqujlia, qujnmacujlia in tloque, naoaque, yn jnchoqujz, in jntlaocul, in jmelciciviliz, in jntlatlatlauhtiliz: ca nel noço mjtoa qualli in jniollo, aiatle neneliuhquj, oc chipaoac, oc qujztica, oc macitica, oc vel chalchivitl, oc vel teuxivitl: iuh mjtoa, oc iehoan inca man jn tlalli, totlaiolcevicaoan. Auh njman ie izcatquj in tlamacazque, in tlamaceuhque: ca chipaoacanemjliceque, chipaoac, qualli, iectli, tlaçotli, tlapapactli, toztic yn jniollo: in jnnemjliz atle neneliuhquj, atzoio, ateuhio, atlaçollo: yc ipampa in jtech aci,
This passage describes the disciplined nighttime routines and prayers of youths in training and of the temple priests, framing their unmixed, unmarred lives as what allows them to approach the sacred. The elders' careful waking, washing, and instructing of children mirrors the priests' constant purity, both figured through jade and turquoise imagery. It teaches that closeness to what is sacred, or to any serious calling, comes through sustained daily discipline rather than occasional effort.
Book VI, fol. 94r, ch. 21 — The father counsels his son on right living
9 Akatl · 18th day of Wey Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 14 September 2026
Rule and service“If it be at his side, in his company, enter — the Giver of Life: if you give him your hand, your following: do not merely go about idly, if you stand before him, if you offer yourself, if you present yourself to him: even though among the herbs, among the trees you shall pass your life, there the Giver of Life will come to take you up: he will come to seat you upon the mat, upon the seat: he will place upon you the water, the mountain to govern: upon your back, upon your shoulders, upon your carrying-frame, he will place the burden, the load.”
Intla itloc, inaoac ximocalaquj in totecujo: intla xicmomaca in mauh, in motepeuh: in maca çan cioativaian intla ixpan ximoquequetza, intla xicmonenecti, intlaca xicnênecujlilti: in manel qujltitlan, quauhtitlan timonemjtiz, ca vmpa mitzanatiuh in totecujo: ca mjtztlaliqujuh in petlapan, in jcpalpan: ca mjtzpacholtiz in atl, in tepetl: ca mocujtlapan, ca moteputzco, momamalhoazco, qujmotlaliliz in tlatqujtl, in tlamamalli.
An elder counsels a young person to place themselves in the company and service of the Giver of Life, even if their present life is humble, spent among herbs and trees. The difrasismo "the water, the mountain" names the altepetl, the community to be governed, while "the mat, the seat" names rulership. The passage teaches that devoted service, however lowly its beginning, may be rewarded with the burden of leadership.
Book VI, fol. 61v, ch. 10 — Entering the service of the Giver of Life
8 Malinalli · 17th day of Wey Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 13 September 2026
Impermanence“And here is another word, to be kept, to be taken, to be heard: it is said that the little children who die become jade, become turquoise, become bracelets. Those who die do not go there to the fearsome place, to the place of the obsidian wind, to Mictlan; they go there to the house of Tonakatekwtli, they live in the grove of our sustenance, they sip the flowers of our sustenance, they live upon that tree, from it they sip. Not for nothing, my child, are the little children, the small ones, buried before the granary: it signifies that they go to a good place, to a fitting place, because they are still jade, still bracelets, still whole, still turquoise.”
Auh oc izcatquj cencacamatl, in pialonj, in cujoanj, in caconj: ca mjtoa in coconetzitzinti momjqujlia chalchiuhti, teuxiuhti, maqujzti: in mjquj, amo vmpa vi in temamauhtica in jtzehecaia in mjctla: vmpa vi in tonacatecutli ichan, tonacaquauhtitlan in nemj, qujchichina in tonacaxuchitl, itech nemj in tonacaquavitl, itech tlachichina. Amo çan nen o, nopiltze in cuezcomatl ijxpan toco coconetzitzinti, in pipiltzitzinti: ca iehoatl qujnezcaiotia in qualcan in ieccan vi: in jpampa in oc chalchiuhti, in oc maqujzti, in oc vel motqujticate teuxiuhti.
A father consoles his son about the death of small children, teaching that they do not descend to the dread wind of Mictlan but pass instead to the house of Tonakatekwtli, Lord of Our Sustenance, where they sip flowers from the tree of life. Burying them before the household granary makes this destination visible, since children are still whole and unmarred, like jade or turquoise. The teaching offers a way to hold grief for a child's death without despair, honoring their unspoiled innocence.
Book VI, fol. 96r, ch. 21 — The father counsels his son on right living
7 Ozomatli · 16th day of Wey Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 12 September 2026
Comportment“For this reason the pure ones, those who are still whole as jade, as bracelets, as turquoise, as precious things. Here also are the good, the righteous: those whose hearts are good. In them one places trust; they are respected, they are honored. Nothing is beyond their hands, nowhere are they at fault; they go about content, they go about calmly, nowhere do they fear at the ear, they live in peace.”
[y]pampa in chipaoaque, in oc motqujticate chalchiuhti, maqujzti, teuxiuhti, tlaçotin. Izca ioan in qualtin, in iectin: in qualli iniollo, intech netlacaneconj, ixtililo, maviztililo: atle imaioca, acan ca imaioca: auh pactinemj, iocuxcanemj, acampa nacazmavi, tlacaconemj.
The father describes the good and righteous as those still whole and unblemished, likened to jade and turquoise, precious stones that stand for integrity of heart. Trust, respect, and freedom from fault flow naturally from such a life, granting the calm that comes from having nothing to fear or hide. This portrait of trustworthy character, at ease because it is unmarred, still models integrity as its own quiet reward.
Book VI, fol. 96v, ch. 21 — The father counsels his son on right living
6 Itzkwintli · 15th day of Wey Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 11 September 2026
Work and vigil“Listen, my child: it is so that the world stands, that there be sowing, that there be increase, for Tloke Nawake said that one woman, one man would be sent. But do not ruin yourself in haste; not like a dog shall you gulp it down, shall you bolt down the things of earth. First you shall strengthen your heart, first you shall grow hard, first you shall be complete; be as the maguey — you shall send up your stalk, you shall thicken. Then, in that strength, you shall enter marriage, the estate of the grown; and your children will be sturdy, well formed, polished and clean; and you will rightly enter into your place, your portion of the earth, your work in the world.”
Xiccaquj nopiltze: ca tel noço ic manj in cemanaoac in nepixoloz, in netlapiviloz: ca oqujmjtalhvi in tloque naoaque in titlanoz ce cioatl, ce oqujchtli: iece amo timjciuhcapoloz, amo iuhquj tichichi, ticquativetziz, ticquetzontivetziz in tlalticpacaiotl: oc cenca timoiollotechioaz, oc tichicaoaz, oc timaciz: in ma iuhquj timetl, tiqujiotiz, titeteçaviz: vncan o, ic ipan tichicaoaz in tlapaliuhcaiotl in nenamjctiliztli: in mopilhoan iezque tzôtzomoctique, têtecujcitique: auh têtetzcaltique, chichipactique, chichipaccaltique iezque: auh vel itlan taqujz in motlalica, in motlalticpacaiouh, in motlalticpac[iaoiuh,]
The father continues his counsel on marriage, likening a young man's growth to the maguey, which must mature and thicken before it can be tapped, to argue that entering marriage too early or hastily weakens both the person and the children born of it. The image ties bodily discipline to the wellbeing of the next generation. It remains sound guidance for readiness before commitment, valuing patience over impulsive haste in matters of family and vocation.
Book VI, fol. 97r, ch. 21 — The father counsels his son on right living
5 Atl · 14th day of Wey Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 10 September 2026
Living in balance“There, then, in childhood, in the fresh green time of life, Tloke Nawake gives, grants the sweetness, the delight of himself; and in childhood, in a time still clean, a good death is merited. Listen, my child: it is so that the world stands, that there be sowing, that there be increase, for Tloke Nawake said that one woman, one man would be sent. But do not ruin yourself in haste; not like a dog shall you gulp it down, shall you bolt down the things of earth.”
[nj]man vncan, njman pillopa, tlacaxoxouhcaiopa in qujtemaca, in qujtemaceoaltia, in jtzopelica, in javiaca in tloque, naoaque: auh pillopan, oc chipaoalizpan in maceoalo qualli mjqujztli: Xiccaquj nopiltze: ca tel noço ic manj in cemanaoac in nepixoloz, in netlapiviloz: ca oqujmjtalhvi in tloque naoaque in titlanoz ce cioatl, ce oqujchtli: iece amo timjciuhcapoloz, amo iuhquj tichichi, ticquativetziz, ticquetzontivetziz in tlalticpacaiotl:
A father instructs his son about marriage and desire, first noting that childhood's innocence is precious to Tloke Nawake, the Ever-Near, the Ever-Close, before turning to the purpose of union — sowing and increase in the world. The dog image warns against consuming the pleasures of the flesh greedily and without restraint. The counsel still speaks to approaching intimacy and appetite with patience and dignity rather than haste.
Book VI, fol. 97r, ch. 21 — The father counsels his son on right living
4 Tochtli · 13th day of Wey Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 9 September 2026
The black and the red“Here is what happened: a man was seized, was bound — a great white-haired, white-crowned old man — because he went in among others, he violated another's wife. And when he was asked whether he still desired the things of the flesh, he said: only now does its fire truly kindle, this wanting of the things of the flesh; for in his childhood, in his youth, nowhere did he look upon a woman, nor did he take hold of the things of earth — only now, in his strength grown old, has he come to know them. Here is yet one word: make it your heart, that it may be all your measure, all your model; from it you shall take everything — how you shall live cleanly upon the earth.”
Izcatquj muchiuh: ce tlacatl anoc, ilpiloc vevenpul quaztapapul, ipampa tepan ia, tetlaxi: auh tlatlanjloc, in cujx noma qujnequj tlalticpacaiotl, qujto; ca qujn ieie itlati in qujnequj tlalticpacaiotl: ipampa in jpiltian in jtelpuchtian, acan oqujttac cioatl, ano ic ocana tlalticpac tlama, ie ichicaoalizpan, ie ivevetilizpan, in qujn oqujttaco tlalticpacaiotl. Oc izca cententli, cencamatl, xicmoiolloti: injc muchi moctacauh, momachiouh iez: muchi itech ticanaz, in quenjn tichipaoacanemjz tlalticpac.
A father warns his son with a cautionary tale of an old man punished for adultery, whose excuse — that he had denied himself as a youth and so was overtaken by desire late in life — becomes a lesson against suppressing rather than disciplining the appetites early. The teaching that follows asks the son to take this word as his enduring measure for clean living. It speaks to moderating desire honestly throughout life rather than storing up trouble through denial or excess.
Book VI, fol. 98r–98v, ch. 21 — The father counsels his son on right living
3 Mazatl · 12th day of Wey Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 8 September 2026
Living in balance“For nothing at all is wanted without effort; and in this, you who are woman, do not be slothful, for the cave, the ravine lie ever near us: only labor is what is placed in the hand, only labor is what is received. And if you have already given life, and do not yet nurse the child well, what more will you be? And now, my child: very deliberately, very calmly, very peacefully live upon the earth. Do not live in filth; do not live foully upon the earth.”
ca aoc tle amo necoca: auh injn in ticioa, ca amo titlatzivinj: ca oztotl, ca tepexitl in totech ca: ca çan tequjtl imacoca qujchia, ca çan tequjtl tlacelia: auh injn intla otitlamjcti, intlaca oc titlaxitia: tle oc tiez. Auh injn nopiltze: cenca moiolic in tlalticpac, cenca iocuxca, cenca yvian in xinemj, maca can xitlahelnemj: ma titlahelnen in tlalticpac.
A parent instructs a daughter on diligence and clean living, warning that idleness leads to ruin — figured as the cave, the ravine waiting for the careless. The call to labor steadily and to nurse and tend one's children reflects the value placed on sustained, quiet effort rather than haste or neglect. Read today, it commends unhurried, disciplined care for one's household and one's own conduct as the surest defense against hardship.
Book VI, fol. 99v, ch. 22 — Counsel on bearing among others
2 Mikiztli · 11th day of Wey Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 7 September 2026
Living in balance“Whoever does not follow the word of the Giver of Life becomes at once a shriveled little old thing, a withered stalk, a bent one, a pale one, a drooping tail, a shrunken neck; his flesh hangs loose, swiftly he dies. Guard yourself well, my child. If someone gives you something to eat, something to drink, and your heart doubts, let him first drink it, let him first eat what he gives you. Be knowing; go prudently upon the earth, for you have heard that only the middle way is what is needed.”
ac ace tle qujtoqujlia in totecujo, ie cuele ça ixveventon, ça mamalichpil, quequetzopil, iztalecpil, iacacujtlapilopil, quechvivichpil: ça pipilcac in jnacaio, iciuhca onmjquj. Vel ximopia nopiltze: at aca itla mjtzmaca in qualonj, in joanj: intla itech tichicoiolloa, ma oc ie achto conj, ma oc ie achto conqua, in tlein mjtzmaca: tle ticmati xonmjmattinemj in tlalticpac, ca oticcac in çan tlanepantlacaiotl monequj.
In the chapter on seeking a wife, a parent warns a child preparing for marriage about the dangers of carelessness and mistrust among strangers, using the vivid image of premature aging and withering as the fate of the heedless. The counsel to have another taste food or drink first reflects real caution in courtship negotiations, not superstition. The teaching endures as advice to stay watchful and to trust the tested middle way rather than extremes of naivety or suspicion.
Book VI, fol. 106r, ch. 23 — The seeking of a wife
1 Koatl · 10th day of Wey Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 6 September 2026
Impermanence“Or perhaps this very thing comes true, comes to pass, which the old men, the old women who kept watch went knowing, who kept the night-vigil laid upon us went guarding: that the tzitzimime shall descend, who go to destroy the earth, who go to devour the commoners, so that forever there shall be darkness upon the earth, so that nowhere shall it be on earth — this is what the grandfathers, the grandmothers went knowing, went keeping as their charge, this comes to pass, comes true, now at the end of the earth, now at the earth's edge, the earth has grown old, now all is as it is, the seed of the earth is spent, it has aged, it has grown into an old woman, nothing more avails, no longer shall it give drink, give food to anyone: yet perhaps, o our lord, let there be riches, let there be abundance.”
[Ma]noçe ça ie cuel nelti, muchioa in qujmattiujtze vevetque, ilamatque in qujpixtiujtze ioalpachiviz topan manj, in oaltemozque tzitzitzimj in qujpoloqujvi tlalli, in qujquaqujvi maceoalli, injc cemmaian tlaiooaz tlalticpac: in acan iez tlalticpac in qujmattivitze, in qujpixtivitze in cultin, in citi in jnpial ietivitze, in muchioatiuh in neltitiuh, in ie tlaltzonpan, in ie tlaltzonco in otlatziuh in tlalli, in ie ixqujch in ie iuhquj in otlan in jxinach tlalli, in ovevetic, in oilamatic in aioc tle inecoca, in aiocmo teatlitiz, tetlamacaz: manoço cuel iehoatl totecoe, ma necujltonolo, ma netlamachtilo.
Elders who kept the night-vigil pass down a foretelling that the tzitzimime will descend to destroy the world when the earth itself grows old like an aged woman whose seed is spent. The image of the earth as an elder losing her capacity to nourish speaks to cycles of exhaustion and renewal. The closing plea for abundance shows how communities faced with decline still turn to hope and provision.
Book VI, fol. 30v, ch. 8 — The aging earth and the descending tzitzimime