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.
11 Atl · 14th day of Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 21 August 2026
Speech“— when I am asked something and should answer straight, and instead I only tangle my word, ending it somewhere else: some of it I hide, and some I say straight; or I only fasten it upon someone else.”
[mela]oac njqujtoa notlatol, in anoço itla ic njtlatlanjlo, in melaoac ic njtlananqujlizquja: auh ie çan njquixneloa in notlatol, çan campa nocontlatlamja: cequj njctlatia, auh cequj melaoac in njqujtoa: anoce çan aca itech nocontlamja.
This adage names the fault of a crooked answer, when someone asked a plain question tangles the truth, hides part of it, or shifts blame onto another rather than speaking straight. Speech that goes crookedly was seen as a moral failing, since honest, direct words were expected between people bound by trust. The teaching calls the listener to answer plainly when questioned, resisting the temptation to conceal or deflect, a discipline of honesty as needed in daily speech now as then.
Book VI, fol. 187r, ch. 41 — Adages
10 Tochtli · 13th day of Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 20 August 2026
Speech““I go crookedly.” It is said when I do not say my word straight —”
##### Nitlacocoloa, titlacocoloa. Iquac mjtoa: in amo vel mela[oac]
This adage names the fault of a crooked answer, when someone asked a plain question tangles the truth, hides part of it, or shifts blame onto another rather than speaking straight. Speech that goes crookedly was seen as a moral failing, since honest, direct words were expected between people bound by trust. The teaching calls the listener to answer plainly when questioned, resisting the temptation to conceal or deflect, a discipline of honesty as needed in daily speech now as then.
Book VI, fol. 186v, ch. 41 — Adages
9 Mazatl · 12th day of Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 19 August 2026
Impermanence“And such as these, those who died in war, are much marveled at, much thanked upon the earth; and much are they envied, much are hearts pained for them, so that everyone wishes, seeks, desires this death — it is greatly praised.”
Auh in juhque yn, injque yn, iaomjcque: vel maviçolo, vellaçocamacho in tlalticpac: auh no cēca vel elevilo, no vel intech neiolcocolo: injc muchi tlacatl qujnequj, qujtemoa, quelevia injn mjqujztli cenca iecteneoalo.
This passage from the father's counsel to his son extols death in battle as the most honored fate a warrior could achieve, envied and mourned by the whole community. The example of the young Huexotzincan Mixcoatl, remembered afterward in song, shows how such deaths were preserved and honored through communal memory rather than forgotten. The teaching reflects a worldview where courage and sacrifice for one's people were the highest praised virtues, values that can today be honored through remembrance of those who serve and give for others.
Book VI, fol. 95r, ch. 21 — The father counsels his son on right living
8 Mikiztli · 11th day of Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 18 August 2026
Comportment“And now truly, truly you grieve the heart of your water, your mountain; truly it grieves the heart of your being, of your life. And truly, truly this is your true mother, your true father: your mother is not your mother, your father is not your father — truly this is your mother, truly this is your father, you who are our poor eagle, our poor jaguar, whom no one accompanies, to whom no one gives a single word, a single phrase: here you know a mother's care, here you know a father's care, here you are enriched, here you are made prosperous. It gives itself into your own hand, your water, your mountain; before you the coffer, the reed chest, lies open, we look upon what lies beyond in the land of the dead; before you scatter the necklace, the precious feather, the jade, the fine turquoise, though you are unworthy.”
Auh in axcan ca nelli, in nelli yiollo ticcocoa in matzin, in motepetzin: a ca nelli in qujcocoa yiollo in moieliz, in monemjliz: auh ca nelli in ie nelli in ie iehoatl vel monantzin, vel motatzin: amo monan in monan, amo mota, in mota: ye nelli monantzin, y, ie nelli motatzin, in ticnoquauhtli, in ticnoocelutl, in aocac moca, in aiac cententli, cencamatl, mjtzmaca, mjtzilhvia: njcan tinanecatlamati, njcan titatecatlamati, njcan timocujltonoa, njcan timotlamachtia: mjtznomatcavia in matzin, in motepetzin: mjxpan tlapovi in toptli, petlacalli, tontlachia in topan in mjctlan: mjxpan chaiavi in cozcatl, in quetzalli, in chalchiuhtli, in teuxiuhtli, yn anemjuhquj.
A judge speaks after the ruler to install a new officeholder, using the difrasismo of water and mountain, meaning the altepetl or community itself, as the true parent who now nurtures and honors this person more than any blood relation. The coffer and jade scattered before him picture the office's treasures and duties opened to his stewardship despite his felt unworthiness. The teaching frames public service as a sacred trust from the community itself, calling the new officeholder to honor that trust as one would honor a parent.
Book VI, fol. 64v, ch. 15 — A judge speaks after the ruler
7 Koatl · 10th day of Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 17 August 2026
Impermanence“Hear it, you who are my eagle, my jaguar, you who are my child: know it, remember it — into a place of bitterness, into a place of affliction, was your lot cast, was your desert given, when the Giver of Life sent you here. For we are not content, we are not glad, I who am your mother, I who am your father. Though they grew great and left us, did they leave us their hands, their feet? Poverty already grows, wretchedness; the poverty of old men, the poverty of old women. My child, look upon your ashes, your hearth: bitterness, affliction rises from it; we are growing full of orphanhood, of destitution; bitterness, affliction is known there; our narrow entrails swell, restless upon our hips, upon our necks they hang: truly it is you who must turn it, from wherever the wind comes, there you must set it right.”
[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.
A mother or father addresses a beloved child, calling them eagle and jaguar, the honored warrior titles, while confessing the family's poverty and grief left by the deaths of elders. The hearth and ashes stand for the household's diminished fortune, and the swelling entrails, the hanging burden, picture the felt weight of orphanhood and hardship pressing on the body itself. The child is charged to set right whatever hardship the winds of fortune bring, a call to accept responsibility for one's family's wellbeing despite inherited want.
Book VI, fol. 88v, ch. 20 — The father's admonition to his son
6 Kwetzpallin · 9th day of Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 16 August 2026
Work and vigil“So the elders used to say, leaving behind their precept: be not like the maguey whose sap they have sucked all away — no longer as it was; be not like the wet cloth, the washed thing, wrung out hard — he squeezes hard: it dries quickly. So it is with you, if you give yourself over as a task to the things of earth: you become a person of nothing; and soon your nose hangs down, you go about with clenched teeth, you go about faint, you go about pale.”
conjtotivi in vevetque, injc concauhtivi intenaoatil. In ma çan timetl, in omjtzontequjchichinque, amo ie tiuhquj: in tilmatli paltic, in tlapactli, in cenca motequjpatzca, in motetepatzca: ca hiciuhca oaquj: no tiuhquj, in otoconmotetequjmacac tlalticpacaiotl, amo ça tinentlacatl: auh aça cuel moiacacujtlapil pilcatinemj, titlanpixqujtinemjz, tixonauhtinemjz, tipineoatinemjz.
This continues the father's teaching begun in the previous passage, closing the image of the wrung cloth and drained maguey to show what excess does to the body: it withers, hangs low, grows faint and pale. The metaphor turns the natural process of extraction, sap from maguey, water from cloth, into a warning about squandering one's own vitality on worldly pleasures. It is counsel toward moderation as self-preservation, urging the listener to guard their strength rather than exhaust it chasing fleeting satisfactions.
Book VI, fol. 98r–98v, ch. 21 — The father counsels his son on right living
5 Kalli · 8th day of Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 15 August 2026
Living in balance“Listen further: even though it be in due season, even a good time, that you come to full strength, do not ruin yourself in haste. Even your spouse, your flesh, beside whom you will live, beside whom you will go — as with food, do not eat hurriedly; that is, do not live foully, do not make it your labor. Only in measure, only so; or else, thinking wrongly that you find pleasure, if you make pleasure your labor, you are only killing yourself, you are only wearing yourself away. So the elders used to say, leaving behind their precept: be not like the maguey whose sap they have sucked all away — no longer as it was; be not like the wet cloth, the washed thing, wrung out hard,”
Oc xiccaquj: ma nel noço ic ipan, ie qualcan in titlapaliuhcatiz: amo timjciuhcapoloz, ma nel monamjc, monacaio, in jtlan tinemjz, in jtlan tiaz: in mahan tlaqualli, amo tiqujciuhcaquaz, qujtoznequj, amo titlahelnemjz, amo ticmotequjmacaz: çan ipan, çan ipan qualli in ticchioaz: ach anoço nen muchioa tipaquj timomati, in ticmotequjmaca in paqujztli: ca ie timomjctia, ca timovitilia: conjtotivi in vevetque, injc concauhtivi intenaoatil. In ma çan timetl, in omjtzontequjchichinque, amo ie tiuhquj: in tilmatli paltic, in tlapactli, in cenca motequjpatzca,
A father counsels his son on entering marriage and adult life, warning against excess even in legitimate pleasures like intimacy with one's spouse. The maguey drained of its sap and the cloth wrung dry are difrasismos for a body used up too quickly, spent before its time through immoderate haste. The teaching calls for restraint and pacing in all appetites, framing self-control not as denial but as care for one's own strength and long life, a discipline still relevant to anyone tempted toward excess.
Book VI, fol. 98r, ch. 21 — The father counsels his son on right living
4 Ehekatl · 7th day of Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 14 August 2026
Work and vigil““He rose up in his laziness.” It is said if you send someone to summon another, and he does not wish to go, and only later do you get him moving; and just as he is to call him, perhaps he meets him at the doorway, perhaps the other has already come. Then it is said to him: he rose up in his laziness. “He has heard it all, the trickster.” It is said of one who, when he tells something, repeats it over and over, twisting it, never telling the matter straight.”
##### Omotlatziviz eoac Iquac mjtoa: intla aca tictitlanj, aca qujnotzaz: auh amo qujnequj in iaz: auh çatepan vel ticceliltia: auh in mache qujnotzaz, aço ça caltenpan in connamjquj, aço ie ocuel oalla, ic onjlhvilo. Omotlatziviz eoac. ##### Muchi oqujcac in nacel. Iquac mjtoa: in aca itla qujteneoa, mjiecpa qujcujcujtlacuepa, in atztzan qujtoa in tlatolli.
The first saying mocks the reluctant messenger who delays until his errand is already accomplished without him, his effort arriving too late to matter. The second mocks the unreliable storyteller who twists a report each time he repeats it, never speaking it plainly. Both target failures of trustworthy service: delay that empties an errand of value, and dishonesty that empties speech of truth, faults the young were taught to recognize and avoid in themselves.
Book VI, fol. 195r, ch. 41 — Adages
3 Zipaktli · 6th day of Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 13 August 2026
Impermanence““Who adorns his own entrails so finely?” It is said of the craftsman, such as the featherworker, who finishes his work so beautifully, who decorates it so well, that it will quickly be bought, be sold. “Once again it will be so, once again things will stand so — sometime, somewhere.” What was done long ago and is no longer done will be done once more; things will stand once more as they stood long ago, and those who live now will live again, will be.”
##### Ac aicujtlaxcoltzin qujtlatlamachica. Itechpa mjtoa: in tlachichiuhquj, in juhquj amantecatl, in vel qujiecchichioa in jtlachioal, in vel qujtlamachiotia: injc yciuhca aqujz, coaloz. ##### Oc cepa iuhcan iez, oc ceppa iuh tlamanjz in jqujn, in canjn. In tlein mochioaia cenca ie vecauh, in aiocmo mochioa: auh oc ceppa mochioaz, oc ceppa iuh tlamanjz, in juh tlamanca ie vecauh: in iehoantin, in axcan nemj, oc ceppa nemjzque, iezque.
The first saying praises the skilled craftsman, likened to one who decorates his own being with the same fine care given to a beautiful object, so that his work quickly finds a buyer. The second speaks to the great turning of time, that old customs return and that those living now will live again in some future age. Together the sayings honor craft and continuity: the dignity of work well made, and the comfort that nothing done well is ever truly lost from the world's unfolding pattern.
Book VI, fol. 196v, ch. 41 — Adages
2 Xochitl · 5th day of Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 12 August 2026
Living in balance““The middling good is what is needed.” We are not to put mere rags upon ourselves, nor are we to adorn ourselves overmuch; only fittingly are we to array ourselves — this concerning clothing. “Everyone goes.” It is said when the harvest is gathered, when everyone goes to bring in his harvest; it is also well said when everyone goes to his cornfield, when the fields are worked.”
##### Tlacoqualli in monequj. Amo cenca tzotzomatli in totech tictlalizque: amo no cenca titoiecquetzazque: çan jpan qualli injc titochichioazque: in jtechpa in tlaquemjtl. ##### Tlacaitleoa. Iquac mjtoa: in jquac pipixco, in muchi tlacatl iauh mopixqujliz: no vel mjtoa, in jquac muchi tlacatl iauh, in jmjlpan, in jquac elimjco.
The first saying counsels moderation in dress, neither ragged neglect nor excessive ornament, but a fitting middle way appropriate to one's place. The second names the shared rhythm of communal labor, when the whole people turn together to harvest or till the fields at the proper season. Both point to balance: fitting oneself modestly into the visible order of the community, and joining fully in the collective work that sustains everyone, virtues of moderation and cooperation still worth practicing.
Book VI, fol. 194r, ch. 41 — Adages
1 Kiawitl · 4th day of Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 11 August 2026
Work and vigil““The rising sun is not hot; only later, going toward its resting, does it grow hot.” It is said of those newly married: at first they suffer much as they begin their life together; only later, as they follow it, are they consoled — perhaps by then they keep a little something of their own. “From where do you come?” It is said if someone afflicts us greatly, or wishes to kill us, though we are not his enemies, only his fellow — and so it is answered: from where do you come?”
##### In oalqujça tonatiuh amo totonquj: qujn jquac ijeiz ietiuh ie totonquj. Itechpa mjtoa: in qujn ommonamjctia: ca oc cenca motolinja, injc conpeoaltia in jnnemjliz: qujn jquac in ie achi qujtoca ie moiollalia: aço ie itlatzin ie qujmopialia. ##### Can machpa tivitze. Iquac mjtoa: intla aca cenca techtolinja, anoço, techmjctiznequj, amo ma tijoavan, çan tecnjuh: ic onmonanqujlia. Can machpa tivitze.
The sun's slow warming pictures the hardship of a young marriage that only later ripens into comfort and shared possessions, a comfort to newlyweds who suffer at the start. The second saying answers cruelty from someone who ought to be a friend, questioning how such harm could come from one who is no enemy. Both teach patient endurance — of early hardship in marriage, and of betrayal from those close to us — trusting that time and steady conduct can still set things right.
Book VI, fol. 192r, ch. 41 — Adages
13 Tekpatl · 3rd day of Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 10 August 2026
Humility““No one is indispensable.” It is said if someone with a charge, someone who helps in something, makes himself precious, makes himself wanted, saying: let me leave my charge. When he does this he supposes he will be much loved, much honored — and only gives offense; so he is relieved of it. And”
##### Aiac matlacpa teca. Iquac mjtoa: intla aca itla itequjuh, itla ic tlapalevia mocujcujlia, monenenequj: qujtoa. Ma njccaoa ȳ notequjuh: in jquac iuh qujchioa in, in momati aço cenca ic tlaçotlaloz, maviztililoz: auh çan ic tlaiolitlacoa: njman ic caoaltilo. Auh
This adage completes itself by describing what follows the presumptuous helper's bluff: he is simply replaced, and often by someone more diligent. It is a caution against pride in one's usefulness to community or household, since no single person's labor is truly irreplaceable. The teaching asks for service offered without demanding special honor or leverage, trusting that the community's needs will always be met, with or without any one proud hand.
Book VI, fol. 191v, ch. 41 — Adages
12 Ollin · 2nd day of Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 9 August 2026
The slippery earth““The earth is slippery, slick.” It is likewise as was said: perhaps until now his life was good, and then some fault befalls him — as though he had slipped in the mud. “His skull does not yet crackle.” It is said of one who does not commit himself to just one thing, so that nothing comes to completion: perhaps he studies song and cannot manage it; then he studies Latin and cannot manage that; then he studies the Spanish tongue, and he does not master that either. Of one who does this, it is rightly said: his skull does not yet crackle.”
##### Tlaalauj, tlapetzcauj in tlalticpac. Çan ie no iuhquj in omjto: aço qujn jzqujnpa qualli inemjliz: çatepan itla ipan vetzi tlatlaculli, in ma iuhquj omalauh çoqujtitlan. ##### Aiemo quatlatlatztza. Itechpa mjtoa: in amo çan centlamantli qujmotequjtia, çan amo tle nelti: aço qujmomachtia cujcatl, çan avel qujchioa: ie ne qujmomachtia latin, ano vel qujchioa: ie ne castillan tlatolli qujmomachtia, amo no vel qujmati. In aqujn iuh qujchioa y, vel itechpa mjtoa. Aiemo quatlatlatztza.
The slippery earth names moral failure after a life of good conduct, a sudden fall like a misstep in the mud, warning that no one's virtue is guaranteed safe from stumbling. The second saying mocks the scattered learner who starts many pursuits, song, Latin, Spanish, and masters none, his skull not yet hardened by discipline. Both call for steadiness: guarding one's conduct against sudden lapses and committing fully to one craft or study rather than drifting among many, unfinished.
Book VI, fol. 191v, ch. 41 — Adages
11 Kozkakwawhtli · 1st day of Mikailwitl · 1 Tochtli · 8 August 2026
Compassion““Poor little dove.” It is said of one who is only poor, who is not much enriched, who keeps only a very little as his own. “Still my day-sign, still your day-sign.” It is said if a wild beast would have devoured me, or I fled from a venomous serpent, and it very nearly seized me, so that I ran swiftly away; or a bull would have gored me, and I escaped from before it, so that I saved myself — for had I not done all these things, I would have died, and only some few more days would I have lived. Thus it is said: still my day-sign.”
##### Icnococotzin. Itechpa mjtoa: in çan motolinja, in amo cenca mocujltonoa, in çan quexqujchtzin qujmopialia iaxca. ##### Oc nocetonal, oc mocetonal. Iquac mjtoa: intla tequanj onechquazquja, anoço tequanj coati ipan onjcholo, ça achi in onechalquazquja, onjnotlalotivetz, anoço toro onechquaquavizquja: auh oixpampa neoac, ic onjnomaqujxti: iehica, intlacamo onjcchioanj in jzqujtlamantli: ca onjmjqujzquja, açoc quezqujlvitzintli nonnemjz: ic mjtoa. Oc nocetonal.
The first saying speaks with tenderness of the poor, who hold only a little as their own yet are not to be despised. The second names a narrow escape from death — a wild beast, a serpent, a charging bull — attributing survival to one's day-sign, the destiny fixed at birth in the sacred calendar. Together they remind the listener that both scarcity and survival rest beyond one's full control, calling for compassion toward the poor and humility before the fragile gift of continued life.
Book VI, fol. 191r, ch. 41 — Adages
10 Kwawhtli · 20th day of Weytekuilwitl · 1 Tochtli · 7 August 2026
Compassion““Perhaps.” It is said if someone snatches something up hastily — perhaps a bracelet, perhaps someone's paper, or some other thing kept somewhere — he snatches it from there, whether from a storehouse or from wherever such a thing is kept. “My hair, your hair.” It is said when I have done someone a kindness, or taught him something, so that for my help he should have loved me — and instead he repays me with abuse, with contempt. Then it is said: my hair; or, so that is my hair, so that is your hair.”
##### Maçol Itechpa mjtoa: intla tlacujtivetzi, aço temacuex, aço teamauh, anoço itla oc centlamantli cana mopia, vmpa concujtivetzi, intlanel tanaco, intlanel noço canjn: in vmpa mopia in itla pialonj. ##### Notzotzon, motzotzon, anoço cujx no cuele notzotzon in novauhtzon. Iquac mjtoa: intla aca itla ic onjqujcneli, anoço itla onjcmachti: in jpampa in, notepaleviliz, ic nechtlaçotlazquja: auh câ ie itetolinjliztlca, ytetelchioaliztica nechtlacuepcaiotilia, ic mjtoa: notzotzon, anoço ie ne notzotzon, ie ne motzotzon.
The first saying condemns theft, the hasty snatching of another's kept belongings; the second condemns ingratitude, when kindness given is repaid with contempt instead of love. Both describe betrayals of trust between people who ought to look after one another. The teaching, addressed to the young learning right relations with kin and neighbors, insists that both stealing and scorning a benefactor wound the shared bonds of community, and that gratitude and honesty remain owed even when we could easily take advantage.
Book VI, fol. 186v, ch. 41 — Adages
9 Ozelotl · 19th day of Weytekuilwitl · 1 Tochtli · 6 August 2026
Comportment““He does not touch himself.” This is the very same as: he knows nothing of his face, of his head. “Not to the point.” It is said of one who is not discerning: where he is sent, he does not go there; what he is to take, that is not what he takes.”
##### Aommomatoca Çan ie no iehoatl, in aommati ijxco, icpac. ##### Aoompa. Itechpa mjtoa: in amo mozcalia: in vmpa titlano, çan amo vmpa itztiuh: in tlein qujcujz çam amo ie in qujcuj.
Following the saying about self-neglect, this adage turns to carelessness in duty: a messenger who wanders from his errand and brings back the wrong thing entirely. Both faults, of body and of task, share a root in inattention, a failure to keep the mind fixed on what truly matters. The teaching asks for presence of mind in small daily charges as much as in appearance, since a scattered attention dishonors both oneself and whoever gave the task.
Book VI, fol. 186r, ch. 41 — Adages
8 Akatl · 18th day of Weytekuilwitl · 1 Tochtli · 5 August 2026
Comportment““He knows nothing of his face, of his head.” It is said of one who is not careful of his body: shaggy-headed, filthy with grime, who does not wash his hair, who does not wash his face. “He does not touch himself.” This is the very same as: he knows nothing of his face, of his head.”
##### Aõmati ijxco, icpac. Itechpa mjtoa: in amo mjmati itechpa inacaio, quapopoltic, ijtzocujcujtlatic, amo mamovia, amo mjxamja. ##### Aommomatoca Çan ie no iehoatl, in aommati ijxco, icpac.
This short entry and its restated twin describe someone so neglectful of self-care that they seem not even to notice their own body, matted and grimed. The teachers of the calmecac considered washing and grooming part of moral discipline, not vanity, since an unkempt body was read as a sign of a disordered heart. The lesson calls for simple daily attentiveness to oneself as a form of self-respect, still a basic act of dignity easily kept alive in any life today.
Book VI, fol. 186r, ch. 41 — Adages
7 Malinalli · 17th day of Weytekuilwitl · 1 Tochtli · 4 August 2026
Compassion““Twice he eats his own droppings.” It is said of one who has given something to another — perhaps some food, perhaps a cloak — and then once again demands it, takes it back from him. “He knows nothing of his face, of his head.” It is said of one who is not careful of his body: shaggy-headed, filthy with grime, who does not wash his hair, who does not wash his face.”
##### Oppa icujtl qujqua. Itechpa mjtoa: in aqujn tla itla oqujtemacac, aço itla qualonj, anoço tilmatli: ie no ceppa qujtlanj, qujtecujlia. ##### Aõmati ijxco, icpac. Itechpa mjtoa: in amo mjmati itechpa inacaio, quapopoltic, ijtzocujcujtlatic, amo mamovia, amo mjxamja.
The first saying shames the ungenerous person who takes back a gift once given, likened crudely to eating one's own waste twice — a reversal of the generosity expected among kin and neighbors. The second shames neglect of one's own body, matted hair and an unwashed face signaling a person who has let self-respect lapse. Both point toward the same virtue: caring consistently for what one has given and for one's own person, since carelessness in either dishonors the giver and the self alike.
Book VI, fol. 186r, ch. 41 — Adages
6 Ozomatli · 16th day of Weytekuilwitl · 1 Tochtli · 3 August 2026
Comportment““Wood-lipped.” It is said of one strong of word, who cannot be surpassed in speech, who cannot be outtalked. “Grown great in childishness.” It is said if someone already a grown person still carries on childishness: already a youth, he still plays in the dirt; already a maiden, she still goes about in her childhood, still making little tortillas of mud. This one is grown great in childishness.”
##### Tenquavitl. Itechpa mjtoa: in tlatolchicaoac, in avel tenpanavilo, in amo tlatolpanavilonj. ##### Pipilpan timalti. Iquac mjtoa: intla aca ie vei tlacatl, noma pipillotl qujnemjtia, in ie telpuchtli noma motetecomolhvia, anoço mitzpepetzinalhvia: auh in ie ichpuchtli, noma icoconeuh ietinemj, noma moçoqujtlaxcalhvia: in iehoatl in, ca pipilpan timalli.
This pair names two failures to grow into one's proper station: stubborn speech that will not yield, and grown bodies still clinging to childish play. The mud tortillas and dirt games stand for immaturity that has overstayed its season, a person of years who has not taken up the responsibilities of a youth or maiden. The teaching urges timely growth — that as the body matures, so too should conduct, speech, and labor mature alongside it, each stage of life met with its proper seriousness.
Book VI, fol. 185v, ch. 41 — Adages
5 Itzkwintli · 15th day of Weytekuilwitl · 1 Tochtli · 2 August 2026
Speech““Wood-lipped.” It is said of one strong of word, who cannot be surpassed in speech, who cannot be outtalked. “Grown great in childishness.” It is said if someone already a grown person still carries on childishness: already a youth, he still plays in the dirt; already a maiden, she still goes about in her childhood, still making little tortillas of mud. This one is grown great in childishness.”
##### Tenquavitl. Itechpa mjtoa: in tlatolchicaoac, in avel tenpanavilo, in amo tlatolpanavilonj. ##### Pipilpan timalti. Iquac mjtoa: intla aca ie vei tlacatl, noma pipillotl qujnemjtia, in ie telpuchtli noma motetecomolhvia, anoço mitzpepetzinalhvia: auh in ie ichpuchtli, noma icoconeuh ietinemj, noma moçoqujtlaxcalhvia: in iehoatl in, ca pipilpan timalli.
This pair names two failures to grow into one's proper station: stubborn speech that will not yield, and grown bodies still clinging to childish play. The mud tortillas and dirt games stand for immaturity that has overstayed its season, a person of years who has not taken up the responsibilities of a youth or maiden. The teaching urges timely growth — that as the body matures, so too should conduct, speech, and labor mature alongside it, each stage of life met with its proper seriousness.
Book VI, fol. 185v, ch. 41 — Adages
4 Atl · 14th day of Weytekuilwitl · 1 Tochtli · 1 August 2026
Comportment““Wood-faced, hard of face.” It is said of one who is not ashamed, who has no shame before others, who rushes in before those who are to be honored. “Wood-lipped.” It is said of one strong of word, who cannot be surpassed in speech, who cannot be outtalked.”
##### Ixquavitl, vel ixquauh. Itechpa mjtoa: in amo pinaoanj, in amo temamatinj: in vel iativetzi imjxpan in maviztililonj. ##### Tenquavitl. Itechpa mjtoa: in tlatolchicaoac, in avel tenpanavilo, in amo tlatolpanavilonj.
Here the elders name two faults of arrogance, imagined as a face and mouth turned hard as wood, unable to feel shame or yield in speech. Such a person shoves ahead of those owed honor and refuses ever to be corrected or bested in argument. The teaching calls the listener back toward humility and modesty, qualities prized above boldness, reminding that true dignity is shown by deference to elders and openness to being answered, not by forcing one's way or one's word upon others.
Book VI, fol. 185v, ch. 41 — Adages
3 Tochtli · 13th day of Weytekuilwitl · 1 Tochtli · 31 July 2026
Speech““Word is his food.” It is said of one who is offended by a small word and at once scolds another; or who takes only a little and returns the word greatly, scolding; or who, when something is said, must at once speak along with it. “A pouch dragged along below.” It is said of one who on the surface appears gentle, poor of eye, kindly, good — and in truth is very perverse, a great scolder, a slanderer, foul of heart: good is what he says on the surface, but within him what he says against another is not good.”
##### Tlatolli itlaqual. Iquac mjtoa: in aqujn itlaton ic moiolitlacoa, çan njman teahoa: anoço çan achi ic onaio, ic vei injc qujtecuepilia tlatolli, injc teaoa: anoce iquac in jtla mjtoa, çan njman no tehoan tlatoa. ##### Tlanj xiqujpilhvilax. Itechpa mjtoa: in aqujn panj neci iuhqujn anaoatl ixijcnotzin, tlatlacatzintli, qualtzin: auh tlacaço ie cenca tlaveliloc, cenca teaoanj, techicoitoanj, iollocujcujtla: qualli in qujtoa panj, auh in jtic amo qualli in qujtoa tevicpa.
These two adages warn against the misuse of speech, a central concern of huehuetlahtolli teaching, since words were understood to carry real power over the heart. The first names one who feeds on conflict, swelling small slights into quarrels; the second exposes the hidden pouch of malice dragged beneath a gentle face. Both call for integrity between the mouth and the heart — speaking as one truly feels, without a soft face masking a bitter tongue, a discipline still worth practicing in every relationship.
Book VI, fol. 185r, ch. 41 — Adages
2 Mazatl · 12th day of Weytekuilwitl · 1 Tochtli · 30 July 2026
Speech““Word is his food.” It is said of one who is offended by a small word and at once scolds another; or who takes only a little and returns the word greatly, scolding; or who, when something is said, must at once speak along with it. “A pouch dragged along below.” It is said of one who on the surface appears gentle, poor of eye, kindly, good — and in truth is very perverse, a great scolder, a slanderer, foul of heart: good is what he says on the surface, but within him what he says against another is not good.”
##### Tlatolli itlaqual. Iquac mjtoa: in aqujn itlaton ic moiolitlacoa, çan njman teahoa: anoço çan achi ic onaio, ic vei injc qujtecuepilia tlatolli, injc teaoa: anoce iquac in jtla mjtoa, çan njman no tehoan tlatoa. ##### Tlanj xiqujpilhvilax. Itechpa mjtoa: in aqujn panj neci iuhqujn anaoatl ixijcnotzin, tlatlacatzintli, qualtzin: auh tlacaço ie cenca tlaveliloc, cenca teaoanj, techicoitoanj, iollocujcujtla: qualli in qujtoa panj, auh in jtic amo qualli in qujtoa tevicpa.
These two adages warn against the misuse of speech, a central concern of huehuetlahtolli teaching, since words were understood to carry real power over the heart. The first names one who feeds on conflict, swelling small slights into quarrels; the second exposes the hidden pouch of malice dragged beneath a gentle face. Both call for integrity between the mouth and the heart — speaking as one truly feels, without a soft face masking a bitter tongue, a discipline still worth practicing in every relationship.
Book VI, fol. 185r, ch. 41 — Adages
1 Mikiztli · 11th day of Weytekuilwitl · 1 Tochtli · 29 July 2026
Work and vigil““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. “Diligence prevails upon the earth.” It is said when we apply ourselves to something, when we take care of it and come to know it well, though it be difficult: as with carpentry, with masonry, or some other craft; or with some learning, with song, with grammar. If it is well grasped, it is said: diligence prevails upon the earth.”
##### Aiac xictli in tlalticpac. Aiac tictoxictizque, qujtoznequj tictelchioazque: macivi in telchioalonj neci, ace mjmatinj, açe iolizmatinj, ace mozcalianj. ##### Cujcujtlavilli in tlalticpac. Iquac mjtoa: intla itla ça itech titopiloa, tictocujtlavia: ça vel ticmati, macivi in ovi: in juhquj quauhximaliztli, tetzotzoncaiotl, anocitla oc centlamantli tultecaiutl: auh anoce itla tlamatlliztli, cujcatl, grammatica. etc: intla vel omoma: mjtoa: cujcujtlavilli in tlalticpac.
This pairing joins compassion with diligence as twin disciplines of a well-lived life. The navel image insists that no person, however small their station appears, is without inner worth deserving respect. The second saying honors patient, careful labor, whether woodworking, masonry, song, or grammar, as the true measure of accomplishment on earth. Together they teach that dignity is granted through respect for others and earned through steady, attentive work, a lesson as needed now as then.
Book VI, fol. 184v, ch. 41 — Adages
13 Koatl · 10th day of Weytekuilwitl · 1 Tochtli · 28 July 2026
Compassion““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. “Diligence prevails upon the earth.” It is said when we apply ourselves to something, when we take care of it and come to know it well, though it be difficult: as with carpentry, with masonry, or some other craft; or with some learning, with song, with grammar. If it is well grasped, it is said: diligence prevails upon the earth.”
##### Aiac xictli in tlalticpac. Aiac tictoxictizque, qujtoznequj tictelchioazque: macivi in telchioalonj neci, ace mjmatinj, açe iolizmatinj, ace mozcalianj. ##### Cujcujtlavilli in tlalticpac. Iquac mjtoa: intla itla ça itech titopiloa, tictocujtlavia: ça vel ticmati, macivi in ovi: in juhquj quauhximaliztli, tetzotzoncaiotl, anocitla oc centlamantli tultecaiutl: auh anoce itla tlamatlliztli, cujcatl, grammatica. etc: intla vel omoma: mjtoa: cujcujtlavilli in tlalticpac.
This pairing joins compassion with diligence as twin disciplines of a well-lived life. The navel image insists that no person, however small their station appears, is without inner worth deserving respect. The second saying honors patient, careful labor, whether woodworking, masonry, song, or grammar, as the true measure of accomplishment on earth. Together they teach that dignity is granted through respect for others and earned through steady, attentive work, a lesson as needed now as then.
Book VI, fol. 184v, ch. 41 — Adages
12 Kwetzpallin · 9th day of Weytekuilwitl · 1 Tochtli · 27 July 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
11 Kalli · 8th day of Weytekuilwitl · 1 Tochtli · 26 July 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
10 Ehekatl · 7th day of Weytekuilwitl · 1 Tochtli · 25 July 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 huehuetlahtolli 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
9 Zipaktli · 6th day of Weytekuilwitl · 1 Tochtli · 24 July 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
8 Xochitl · 5th day of Weytekuilwitl · 1 Tochtli · 23 July 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