Cunen
A town in the mountains of northern Quiché, Guatemala. In the Rabinal Achi, Queche-Achi calls himself the champion of the lord of Cunen and Chahul.
Today: Cunén, Quiché, Guatemala
The Man of Rabinal
The Rabinal Achi, an Achi Maya dance-drama from Rabinal, Guatemala, written down by Bartolo Ziz in 1850 and printed by Brasseur de Bourbourg in 1862: the opening of the first scene · set before the Spanish conquest; written down in 1850, printed 1862
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! 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? I am the valor, I am the courage of the lord of the Yaqui of Cunen, the Yaqui of Chahul. 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!