The Man of Rabinal

C'at el uloc, vorom ahau, cakom ahau! Cuxere chi nabe vae mavi ca nu qizo u chayic u vixal, u cutamil ahau Chacachib, Zamanib, Cauk Rabinal!.... Ca cha curi nu tzih chuvach cah, chuvach uleu. Quehe mavi quïa tzih qu'in chau uq La. Cah, uleu chi qohe uq La, o Galel-Achi Rabinal-Achi!

Come out, [then], [piercing?] lord, [hateful?] lord! Is [it] the first [time] this, that I will not cut the base, the trunk of the lord of Chacachib, of Zamanib, Cauk of Rabinal!.... Thus says here my word before sky, before earth. Thus not many words [shall] I speak with You. Sky, earth be with You, O Galel-Achi, Rabinal-Achi!

Come out, you foul lord, you hateful lord!1 Will you be the first whose root and trunk I cannot cut down, lord of Chacachib and Zamanib, Cauk of Rabinal?2 So says my word before the sky, before the earth. I will not make long speeches with you.3 May sky and earth be with you, O Galel-Achi, Rabinal-Achi!4

1. Brasseur explains vorom ahau as “piercing lord,” an insult, and renders cakom ahau “hateful lord.” Both readings are uncertain.
2. Chacachib and Zamanib, towns or quarters held by the house of Rabinal (Brasseur). Cauk seems to be a title or lineage name of Rabinal's lords.
3. Queche-Achi speaks to his enemy with the respectful La, “Your Lordship”; Rabinal-Achi answers with the plain “you.” Brasseur's French marks this with Vous and tu; English cannot.
4. Galel-Achi, a title of the prince of Rabinal. Every speech in the play ends with this call on sky and earth.

Yeha! oyeu achi, Cavek-Queche-Vinak! La ca cha ri a tzih chuvach cah, chuvach uleu? «C'at el uloc, vorom ahau, cakom ahau! Cuxere chi nabe vae mavi ca nu qizo u chayic u vixal u cutamil ahau Chacachib, Zamanib, Cauk Rabinal?»... La ca cha ri a tzih?.... Qui-ta-vi-ba cah, qui-ta-vi-ba uleu! mi-x-c'at yauic chupam r'al nu chab, chupam r'al nu pocob, ruq nu yaquim vit, nu yaquim v'icah, ruq nu chincu, nu galgab, nu zahcab, nu zalmet, ruq nu couil, v'achihilal. Quehe ta-chi-na, ma-ta-chi-na, ta mi-x-cat in tzakamah chirech nu zaki caam, nu zaki colo. Ca cha curi nu tzih chuvach chi cah, chuvach uleu. Cah, uleu ta chi qohe avuq, oyeu achi, canab, teleche vinak!

Ha! brave man, man of Cavek Queche! Is that what your word says before sky, before earth? “Come out, [piercing?] lord, [hateful?] lord! Is [it] the first [time] this, that I will not cut the base, the trunk of the lord of Chacachib, Zamanib, Cauk of Rabinal?”... Is that what your word says?.... [As surely as there is?] sky, [as surely as there is?] earth! you have given yourself into the [child?] of my arrow, the [child?] of my shield, with my yaqui club, my yaqui axe, with my [bone bracelet?], my [metal bracelet?], my white earth, my zalmet, with my strength, my bravery. Whether it be so, whether it be not so, now I have caught you with my white rope, my white cord. Thus says here my word before the sky, before the earth. Sky, earth be with you, brave man, captive, prisoner!

Ha! Brave warrior, man of the Cavek Queche!5 Is this what your word says before the sky, before the earth? “Come out, you foul lord, you hateful lord! Will you be the first whose root and trunk I cannot cut down, lord of Chacachib and Zamanib, Cauk of Rabinal?” Is that what your word says? As surely as there is a sky, as surely as there is an earth, you have given yourself up to the point of my arrow and my shield, to my Yaqui club and my Yaqui ax, to my bracelets of bone and metal, to my white paint and my zalmet, to my strength and my courage.6 Be that as it may, I have caught you with my white rope, my white cord. So says my word before the sky, before the earth. May sky and earth be with you, brave warrior, my captive, my prisoner!

5. The Cavek were the ruling lineage of the Quiché kingdom. Brasseur's cast list makes Queche-Achi a prince of that house.
6. Brasseur says yaqui meant foreign and refined, and was used of the Mexicans and other Nahua-speaking peoples. He could not identify the zalmet; his young servant told him it was a herb used in spells.

Yeha! oyeu achi, canab, teleche vinak! Laki qamo chire chi cah, chirech uleu! Qui mi-x-at u ya cah, mi-x-at u ya uleu, ta mi-x-at tzak cut chupam r'al nu chab, chupam r'al nu pocob, ruq nu yaquim vit, nu yaquim icah, nu chincu, nu galgab, nu zahcab, nu zalmet..... C'at cha, ta-cut, aviri a huyubal, aviri a tagahal? aviri at bozinak-vi tzala huyub, tzala tagah? ma-at-on r'al zutz, ma-at-on r'al mayul, ma-at-on okotahinak uloc chuvach chay, chuvach labal?.. ca cha curi nu tzih chuvach cah, chuvach uleu. Quehe mavi quïa tzih koh tzihon avuq. Cah, uleu, chi qohe avuq, canab, teleche vinak!

Ha! brave man, captive, prisoner! Thanks to [the one of] the sky, to [the one of] the earth! Truly the sky has given you, the earth has given you, [since?] you have fallen then into the [child?] of my arrow, the [child?] of my shield, with my yaqui club, my yaqui axe, my [bracelet?], my [bracelet?], my white earth, my zalmet..... Say then, [if you can?], where [are] your mountains, where your valleys? where were you born, on the slope of the mountain, on the slope of the valley? are you not the child of the cloud, are you not the child of the mist, have you not come fleeing before the lance, before the war?.. thus says here my word before the sky, before the earth. Thus not many words [shall] we speak with you. Sky, earth be with you, captive, prisoner!

Ha! Brave warrior, my captive, my prisoner! Thanks be to the lord of the sky, the lord of the earth!7 Truly the sky has given you to me and the earth has handed you over, for you have fallen to the point of my arrow and my shield, to my Yaqui club and my Yaqui ax, to my bracelets, my white paint and my zalmet. Now tell me, if you can: where are your mountains, where are your valleys? Where were you born, on the side of a mountain or the floor of a valley? Are you not a child of the clouds, a child of the mist? Did you not come here fleeing from spear and war? So says my word before the sky, before the earth. We will not make long speeches with you. May sky and earth be with you, my captive, my prisoner!

7. Literally “to the one of the sky, to the one of the earth,” as Brasseur notes.

Eha! ahcarroc cah, ahcarroc uleu! Qui, pa tzih ca biih La? togobvachinak u vach tzih chi bixtah La chuvach cah, chuvach uleu, chi nu chi, chi nu vach. «In oyeu, in achi, ca cha curi tzih La. La apare at anomahinak-vi uloc chuvach chay, chuvach labal? ca cha ri tzih La.» La! in qo oyeu, la! in qo achi, xatalari alavi in anomahinak uloc chuvach chay, chuvach labal! Xavi ca cha na curi tzih La: «Ch'a hiquiba na u vach a huyubal, a tagahal, ca cha ri tzih La.» La! in qo oyeu, la! in qo achi! curi-ta x-ch'in hiquiba tacut u vach nu huyubal, nu tagahal! Mana calah in bozinak-vi tzala huyu, tzala tagah, xa in r'al zutz, xa in r'al mayul? Hulacha x-ch'in hiquiba nu huyubal, nu tagahal! ca-rah xa x-ch'iqo can cah, x-ch'iqo can uleu! Ca cha curi nu tzih chuvach cah, chuvach uleu. Quehe mavi quïa tzih koh tzihoyah uq La, ô Galel-Achi Rabinal-Achi. Cah, uleu chi qohe uq La!

Alas! [hear me?] sky, [hear me?] earth! Truly, is it the word that You speak? [poor?] are the words that You have uttered before sky, before earth, before my mouth, before my face. “I [am] brave, I [am] a man [?],” thus says here Your word. “Is it then that you have come fleeing before the lance, before the war?” thus says Your word. What! I who [am] brave, what! I who [am] a man, [would] I have come fleeing before the lance, before the war! Again thus says here Your word: “Declare then the face of your mountains, your valleys,” thus says Your word. What! I who [am] brave, what! I who [am] a man! here then [would] I declare the face of my mountains, my valleys! Is it not clear [that] I was born on the slope of the mountain, the slope of the valley, I [am] only the child of the cloud, only the child of the mist? [Would] I declare my mountains, my valleys! Rather [let] the sky [be undone?], [let] the earth [be undone?]! Thus says here my word before sky, before earth. Thus not many words [shall] we speak with You, O Galel-Achi, Rabinal-Achi. Sky, earth be with You!

Alas! Hear me, sky! Hear me, earth!8 Is this truly what your mouth says? Poor indeed are the words you have spoken before the sky and the earth, to my mouth and to my face. Your word calls me a brave man, a warrior, and then it asks, “Did you come fleeing from spear and war?” What! I am a brave man, I am a warrior, and I would have fled from spear and war? Your word says too, “Tell me the name of your mountains and your valleys.” What! I am a brave man, I am a warrior, and I would tell you the name of my mountains and my valleys? Is it not as clear as day that I was born on the side of a mountain, on the floor of a valley, that I am a child of the clouds, a child of the mist? Would I tell you my mountains and my valleys? Sooner let the sky and the earth pass away! So says my word before the sky, before the earth. We will not make long speeches with you, O Galel-Achi, Rabinal-Achi. May sky and earth be with you!

8. Ahcarroc, a cry of appeal. Brasseur says it has no fixed sense and can be rendered “alas” or “look on me.”

Yeha! oyeu achi, canab, teleche vinak! La ca cha na curi a tzih chuvach cah, chuvach uleu: «La! in qo oyeu, la in qo achi, curi ve x-ch'in hiquiba nu huyubal, nu tagahal. Mana calah in bozinak-vi tzala huyu, tzala tagah, xa in r'al zutz, xa in r'al mayul?» Ma-pa ca cha ri a tzih? Ve-ba mavi x-ch'a hiquiba u vach ri a huyubal, u vach ri a tagahal, ta ca-rah cah, ta ca-rah uleu, xa at vahim, xa at perahim, cat nu v'oquetizah chuvach v'ahaual, chuvach nu vinakil, chupam nu nimal tzak, chupam nu nimal qoxtun. Ca cha curi nu tzih chuvach cah, chuvach uleu. Quehe, cah, uleu chi qohe avuq, canab, teleche vinak!

Ha! brave man, captive, prisoner! Is that what your word says then here before sky, before earth: “What! I who [am] brave, what! I who [am] a man, here [would] I declare my mountains, my valleys. Is it not clear [that] I was born on the slope of the mountain, the slope of the valley, I only the child of the cloud, only the child of the mist?” Is that not what your word says? If then you do not declare the face of your mountains, the face of your valleys, [may the sky will it?], [may the earth will it?], only bound, only in pieces, I will make you enter before my lord, before my [master?], within my great fortress, within my great castle. Thus says here my word before sky, before earth. Thus, sky, earth be with you, captive, prisoner!

Ha! Brave warrior, my captive, my prisoner! So this is what your word says before the sky and the earth: “What! I am a brave man, I am a warrior, and I would tell you my mountains and my valleys? Is it not clear that I was born on the side of a mountain, on the floor of a valley, that I am a child of the clouds, a child of the mist?” Isn't that what your word says? Well, then: if you will not tell me the name of your mountains and your valleys, may the sky and the earth will it, I will bring you before my lord, before my master, bound or in pieces, inside my great fortress, inside my great castle.9 So says my word before the sky, before the earth. May sky and earth be with you, my captive, my prisoner!

9. Brasseur places Rabinal-Achi's fortress, Cakyug, on a hill about a league north of the town of Rabinal.

Ahcarroc cah, ahcarroc uleu! La ca cha curi tzih La chuvach cah, chuvach uleu. «Alata-cu qo-vi ri x-chi r'oquibeh, ri x-chi r'elebeh ri tzih, ri u chalinic ri mi-x-koh tzihoyah uq La chuvach cah, chuvach uleu. Are-ba chi r'elebeh, are x-ch'u kahibeh, rumal x-ch'a hiquiba, x-ch'a calahizah u vach a huyubal, u vach a tagahal: ve mavi x-ch'a calahizah, ta ca-rah cah, ta ca-rah uleu, xa at vahim, xa at perahim x-cat nu coh-ul chuvach v'ahaual, nu vinakil.» Ca cha curi tzih La chuvach cah, chuvach uleu. Caroh! at, cah, caroh! at, uleu! Ri bala x-ch'in hiquiba cut u vach nu huyubal, u vach nu tagahal? ri, yx, tapichol-on, tziquin? In r'oyeualal, in r'achihilal ri ahau ri Yaqui Cunen, ri Yaqui Chahul. La, ahau Balam-Achi, Balam-Quiche qui lahucutah kabinak-vi r'akanibal zutz, mayul, chi nu huyubal, chi nu tagahal. Alata cu qo-vi chu kahibeh, alata cu qo-vi ri x-chi r'elebeh va tzih, va u chalinic ri mi-x-oh tzihon uq La chuvach cah, chuvach uleu. Quehe cah, uleu chi qohe uq La, o Galel-Achi, Rabinal-Achi!

Alas sky, alas earth! Thus says here Your word before sky, before earth: “Where then [is the way] by which they will make enter, by which they will make come out the word, the speech that we have spoken with You before sky, before earth? Let them come out, let them come down, because you will declare, you will make clear the face of your mountains, the face of your valleys: if you do not make [them] clear, [may the sky will it?], [may the earth will it?], only bound, only in pieces I will [bring?] you before my lord, my [master?].” Thus says here Your word before sky, before earth. [Look at me?], you, sky! [look at me?], you, earth! To whom then [would] I declare the face of my mountains, the face of my valleys? [to you?], [yx?], [tapichol?] birds? I [am] the bravery, I [am] the manhood of the lord of the Yaqui of Cunen, of the Yaqui of Chahul. [Yes?], lord Balam-Achi, Balam-Quiche ten times has walked the stairway of cloud, of mist, to my mountains, to my valleys. Where then [is the way] to bring [them] down, where then [is the way] to make come out this word, this speech that we have spoken with You before sky, before earth? Thus sky, earth be with You, O Galel-Achi, Rabinal-Achi!

Alas, sky! Alas, earth! So this is what your word says before the sky and the earth: “There must be a way to draw out and bring forth the words of this speech we have spoken together before the sky and the earth. Bring them out, bring them down: you will tell me, you will make plain the name of your mountains and your valleys. If you do not, may the sky and the earth will it, I will bring you bound or in pieces before my lord, my master.” That is what your word says before the sky and the earth. Look on me, sky! Look on me, earth! To whom, then, would I tell the name of my mountains and my valleys? To you birds with bright yellow feathers?10 I am the valor, I am the courage of the lord of the Yaqui of Cunen, the Yaqui of Chahul.11 Yes, ten times Lord Balam-Achi, Balam-Quiche, has come down the stairway of cloud and mist into my mountains and my valleys. Where, then, is the way to draw out and bring forth the words of this speech we have spoken before the sky and the earth? So may sky and earth be with you, O Galel-Achi, Rabinal-Achi!

10. Brasseur's reading of yx, tapichol-on, tziquin. Tziquin means bird; the other words are uncertain.
11. Cunen and Chahul, towns in the mountains north of the Quiché lands, still known by these names (Brasseur). In his cast list, Balam-Achi, Balam-Quiche is the Quiché king and Queche-Achi's father.