Zuangua

Pues vinieron los que habian inviado á Méjico, y fueron delante el cazonci y mostráronle otro presente que le inviaba Montezuma de mantas ricas y mástiles y espejos, y saludáronle, y dijoles: “seáis bien venidos; ya os he tornado á ver; mucho tiempo ha que los viejos nuestros antepasados fueron otra vez á Méjico; pues decí como os ha ido.” Respondieron los mensajeros: “señor, llegamos á Méjico y entramos de noche, y lleváronnos en una canoa, y estábamos ya desatinados, que no sabíamos por donde íbamos, y salió nos á rescebir Montezuma, y mostrámosle el presente que le inviabas.”

Then the men who had been sent to Mexico came back. They went before the cazonci and showed him another present that Montezuma had sent him: rich mantles, loincloths, and mirrors. They greeted him, and he said to them, “Welcome. I see you again. It has been a long time since our ancestors, the old men, last went to Mexico. Now tell me how it went for you.” The messengers answered, “Lord, we reached Mexico and entered by night. They took us in a canoe, and we were already lost; we did not know where we were going. Montezuma came out to receive us, and we showed him the present you sent him.”

Díjole el cazonci Zangua, “bien seáis venidos, ya yo os he tornado á ver; mucho ha que fueron otra vez los viejos nuestros antepasados á Méjico, no sé porque fueron, mas agora gran cosa es por la que fuistes y lo que vinieron á decir los mejicanos. Cosa trabajosa es, seáis bien venidos, ¿á qué habemos de ir á Méjico? muera cada uno de nosotros por su parte, no sabemos lo que dirán después de nosotros, y quizá nos venderán á esas gentes que vienen y nos harán matar; haya aquí otra conquista, por si vengan todos á nosotros con sus capitanías, mátenlos á los mejicanos, que muchos dias ha que viven mal, y no traen leña para los ques, mas oimos que con solos los cantares honran á sus dioses.

The cazonci Zangua said to them, “Welcome. I see you again. It has been a long time since our ancestors last went to Mexico; I do not know why they went. But now you went on a great matter, and the Mexicans have said a great deal. It is a hard thing. Welcome. Why should we go to Mexico? Let each of us die in his own land. We do not know what they would say about us afterward. Perhaps they would sell us to these people who are coming and have us killed. Let there be a separate conquest here, if the strangers all come against us with their companies. Let them kill the Mexicans. For a long time now the Mexicans have lived badly. They do not bring wood for the temples; we hear they honor their gods with songs alone.

y fuéronse á sus casas y no supo mas, y vino luego una pestilencia de viruelas é cámaras de sangre por toda la provincia, y murieron todos los obispos de los ques, y todos los señores, y el cazonci viejo Zuangua murió de las viruelas, y quedaron sus hijos Tangaxoan, por otro nombre Zinzicha que era el mayor, Tirimarasco, Hazinchu, Cuyne.

Then they went to their houses, and nothing more came of it. Soon afterward a pestilence of smallpox and bloody flux swept through the whole province. All the high priests of the temples died, and all the lords. The old cazonci Zuangua died of the smallpox. He left his sons: Tangaxoan, also called Zinzicha, who was the eldest; Tirimarasco; Hazinchu; and Cuyne.