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David Tuggy
Mösiehuali texts

¿Tli tiniechmojtilili?

(What did you see in me?)

¿Tli tiniechmojtilili?

What did you see in me?

 

by
Martín N. Méndez Huaxcuatitla

in Mösiehuali, or Tetelcingo Nahuatl
(ISO code nhg)

This poem was written in the Mösiehuali (Tetelcingo Nahuatl or Tetelcingo Aztec) language, by Martín Méndez Huaxcuatitla. It is sung to the tune written below, which seems to have been adapted from a traditional hymn melody. It was included in a Spanish-Mexicano Hymnal, published in 1962 by Tipografía Indígena of Cuernavaca, Morelos.*

To listen to the different verses of the hymn (in .mp3 formatted files of about 150K each), click on the symbol sonidomp3.gif which appears at the end of the translation of each verse.


Hymn-tune music



¿Tli tiniechmojtilili?

 

1. ¿Tli tiniechmojtilili                   

What did you see in me,
Beloved and blessed God?
For I have nothing good to offer,
Oh my Lord Jesus Christ!

         sonidomp3.gif

what you.H.saw.it.in.me
NotlasomabisTeotzi
my.beloved.worshipful.God
Tlö amo tlin cuali nicpia?
if not that good I.have.it
NotieJesucristo, notieJesucristo.
my.lord.Jesus.Christ my.lord.Jesus.Christ

2. Nopampa tomomiquiti                

You died for my sake
How could I ever pay it?
Receive my heart
I place it in Your blessed hands

         sonidomp3.gif

on.my.account you.H.died
  ¿Quieni noso nictlaxtlöhuas?
how then I.will.pay.it
  Xomönili noyulojtzi
receive.it.(you.H.) my.heart.H
  Momöpantzinco nocontlölia
in.your.H.hands I.place.it

3. Tlö amo tlin cuali nicpia        

Since I have nothing good
That I could give to You,
Receive my own soul,
Most blessed God.

         sonidomp3.gif

if not what good I.have.it
  Para timitzmomöctilis
for I.will.entrust.it.to.you.H
  Xomönili noölmajtzi
receive.it.(you.H) my.soul.H
  NomabisTeotzi, nomabisTeotzi.
my.worshipful.God.H my.worshipful.God.H

4. Nönca noso noyulojtzi             

Here, then, is my heart,
Here then is my soul,
Take it, receive it,
It is truly Yours.

         sonidomp3.gif

here then my.heart.H
  Nönca noso noölmajtzi
here then my.soul.H
  Xomönili, xomocuili
receive.it.(you.H) take.it.(you.H)
  Tiel mohuöxcatzi, tiel mohuöxcatzi.
truly your.H.possession truly your.H.possession

5. Tomotiemoli noyulo         

You searched for my heart,
You searched for my soul,
You found it, oh my Father,
On the tree, on the cross.

         sonidomp3.gif

you.H.looked.for.it my.heart
  Tomotiemoli noölma
you.H.looked.for.it my.soul
  Tomoniextili noTajtzi
you.H.found.it my.father.H
  Ipan coruscuabitl, ipan coruscuabitl
on.it cross.tree on.it cross.tree

6. Sanamo tietlöocolti      

They felt no pity towards You
When they left You hanging there;
And it was all on my account!
Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

         sonidomp3.gif

just.not it.caused.sympathy
  Quieni mitzmotömpilfijqui
how they.hung.you.H
  Nochi inu por nopampa
all that for on.my.account
  Ay noTeotzi, ay noTeotzi.
oh my.God.H oh my.God.H

 



Note

*  The orthography used here is that of the “Himnario Mexicano-Español” (1962), except that cases of “short” i, which were unmarked in the “Himnario”, are here marked with the underline (see the Vowels of Mösiehuali). Following the “Himnario” we have used ö instead of the ā or ä which the author, Ru Marti Méndez, preferred to use. In the glosses H. indicates honorific forms, and ‘it’ is used to gloss 3rd person forms where they do not refer to a person.

The sound files are sung by David Tuggy.

 

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