Mexico-Tenochtitlan

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.

Cuando los Españoles salieron de México, y fueron á Tlaxcalla era el mes que se llamaba Tecuilhuitentti que comienza á dos de junio, y llegado el mes siguiente ellos llamaban Hueytecuilhuitl, que comienza á veinte y dos de junio. Como ya estaban algo descansados de la guerra pasada hicieron muy gran fiesta á todos sus Dioses, y sacaron todas las estatuas de ellos, y ataviáronlas con sus ornamentos, y con muchos quetzales de pluma rica, y pusiéronlas sus carátulas de turquesas, hechas de mosaico: esto hicieron agradeciendo á sus Dioses porque los habían librado de sus enemigos.

When the Spaniards left Mexico and went to Tlaxcalla, it was the month called Tecuilhuitontli, which begins on June 2. The next month they called Hueytecuilhuitl, which begins on June 22. By then [the Mexica] had rested a little from the war just past, so they held a very great feast for all their gods. They brought out all the gods’ statues and dressed them in their ornaments, with many rich quetzal feathers, and put turquoise mosaic masks on them. They did this to thank their gods for freeing them from their enemies.

Antes que los Españoles que estaban en Tlaxcala viniesen á conquistar á México, dio una grande pestilencia de viruelas á todos los Indios en el mes que llamaban Tepeilhvitl que es al fin de setiembre.

Before the Spaniards who were in Tlaxcala came to conquer Mexico, a great pestilence of smallpox struck all the Indians, in the month they called Tepeilhuitl, which is at the end of September.