An Annotated Translation of a Colonial Yucatec Manuscript:
On Religious and Cosmological Topics by a Native Author

(Hun Ahau as Lucifer)
ms. p.125-9

The keystone of the sermon identifying Hun Ahau as the originator of false wisdom and the equivalent of Lucifer, includes the translation into Yucatec Maya of two "prophetic speeches" from the Bible. The quotations from Ezekiel and Isaiah may have been chosen by the Franciscan mentor of the Maya author who says, "we wish to translate them into your Maya speech in spite of their difficulty." Indeed, the author seems to have had difficulty understanding the nature of the "guardian cherub," who drives Hun Ahau/Lucifer from his place in the heavens. His description of the cherub in purely visual terms suggests that he may have been referring to an illustration at this point in his teaching.

While I identify the source texts in the Bible, it is interesting to attempt to read the passage from the point of view of the Maya audience. Hun Ahau/Lucifer is described as initially perfect, god-like, glorious in his jewel-studded raiment, walking his path among the shining stones of the heavens. He slips from his proper path, and his throne becomes fallen; for this he is held culpable and cast into the deepest abyss on earth. While mentioning the negative aspects of Hun Ahau, the sermon acknowledges his power, revealing the risk for a proselytizer in using a native deity to represent a Christian concept.¹³⁰ The audience might dread harm from Hun Ahau, especially if Venus as morning star were ascendant at the time,¹³¹ but decide to propitiate rather than abandon him.

Hextun. ca utzac - a uohelticex = Vabic Vuchci Loe.              [p.125]
Therefore, in order that you all know how that happened,

Lic cooltic = Ca chicilbes = tu uich Vooh¹³² =
that which we wish to signify on the face of the book,

U bobatil than = eJechiel = profeta =
is the prophetic speech of Ezekiel, a prophet;

etsabi tij = tumen Dios yokol hun ahau¹³³ = Luziferre -
it was shown to him by God concerning Hun Ahau, that is, Lucifer.

bacacix uil = hach talantac = U kuil thanile =
Even though His holy word is really difficult,

Cooltah. Ca ualKes = ta maya thanilex =
we wish to translate it into your Maya speech,

Likbal a uolex¹³⁴ =a nohcin=yt. a tzicbex Dios. ah tepal Uchuc tumen tusinile ____
inspiring you to glorify and honor God, the ruler all powerful.

Here begins a direct address to Hun Ahau/Lucifer, based on Ezekiel 28: 11-20. In the Bible, the condemnation is directed towards the king of Tyre, rather than towards Lucifer.

heLae tech Lic ualic = cech. u chicul hochbilanne =
"Now it is to you that I say it, you who were the sign made in His image,

Cech Dzilan ti miatz.
you who have been filled with wisdom;

cech hach DzokLukan = ta cichcelmil =
you who have been truly perfected in your beauty;

yan tech. chumuc = U ciotzilil. U pakal. Dios cuchie:
you who were in the middle of the delight of the garden of God back then,"

Cu than profeta ti = Luzifer =              [p.126]
so the prophet speaks to Lucifer.

ceex¹³⁵ a buc yan tech cuchie = hulpilan = tu coohtacil tunob =
"What about your clothes you had back then, embroidered with sumptuous stones?

ma ua ti yantac ti hulan. tu uich. a nok = tu uich a bucie =
Were they not there, sewn on the face of your garment, on the face of your clothes?

nenil tun = houal tun = potzil tunij =
Mirror stone, houal stone, emerald,

ytz uah tuni = puc tuni = kak tamay tuni =
ytz uah stone, crystal, garnet,¹³⁶

bayx U yabal takin xanie =
and thus the great amount of gold there also;

Laobi yetel a uutzil. ti DzocLukanech.
in these and your goodness, you were made complete.

Lay hach Utzcinnahech - hach Utzcincech = ti tech ta cichcelmil -
He really perfected you; it is this which really perfected you, you in your beauty,

tu kinil a paatcij - cuchie = Loe =
on the day you were made back then.

hex tech cech. bay a uich paal a uiche=
But as for you, your face is like the face of a child;

Cech xithan = cech ah boysahe¹³⁷ =
it is you who are extended; it is you who are a shade-giver.

Dzabech yokol. U cilich ychil Diose
You were placed above the blessed face of God,

Ca ximximbalnech = chumuc =
when you¹³⁸ walked, walked in the middle;

ti hophopnac = hopbanac = LeDzbanac = U uich ti tunobie =
then they glittered, they glimmered, they shone forth, the faces there in the stones;

hach DzocLukanech = ta beel =
you were truly perfect in your path,

tu kinil = a sihsabcij = a paatcij = ti Lahij tulah. a uilabal. ta ma ti belilie¹³⁹ -
on the day you were created, you were made, until you are seen not to be on your path,

tu yabal. a lolob tanlah = Dzilan ta homtanil = a keban Ca sipechie =              [p.127]
with the many evils you serve, filled to your depths with your sin when you erred.

Ca tun picchintabech - Likul. tal yokol. U canal Uitzil Dios =
So then you were thrown down from on top of the high mountain of God,

Ca yaya xoti a kin =
when you were severely judged.

cech bay paal a uiche = cech ah boysahe =
It is you, your face like a child’s, you who are a shade-giver.¹⁴⁰

Cech yan chumuc = ti lemlemnac V. uich ti tuniobe =
It is you who were in their midst, when the faces there in the stones shone forth.

Ca Liki a pucsikal ti tzicbail. tumen a cichcelmil =
Then your heart rose with arrogance because of your beauty;

Lay U chun. a ppathcij. yt. a satcij = a miatz loe =
this is the reason that you abandoned and you lost that wisdom of yours,

Ca picchintabech = yokol cabe =
that you were cast out onto the earth,

ti chaantabal = yetel ti pactabal = tumen ahauobie =
to be seen and to be viewed by the lords there.

a Dzaah a ppetayan xihul = a uuitzil = tu yabal a keban = yetel a lolob tucule =
You let your ugliness stain your good with your many sins and your bad thought.

Lay tahoklal = hoKci KaK ta chumucil = satsicech =
This is the reason that fire came forth in your midst which consumed you;

piclis a tanil = yoKol Cab =
your many ashes are on the earth;

tu uichil bin yl cechobie = hex bin yl cech ti vincobe =
with their eyes they will see you there, but they who will see you among men,

bin hakaac yolob = bin sacethalob = a uokol =
they will be terrified; they will become horrified because of you,

yohlal ti mabal hech = ti pakmab hech:              [p.128]
because of the nothingness you became, the waste you became;

ti ma biKin. a uilic a p: tu caten. ti hunLuKulile.
you will never see your Father again, forever,"

Ci u than cilich profeta = ti hun ahau = Luzifere
so the prophet speaks to Hun Ahau, Lucifer.

Here ends the prophecy from Ezekiel. The author continues with a passage which parallels Isaiah 14: 12-15, beginning "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!"

bayx yalcij - ysallas - profeta ti xan bic a Lubic cech. Luzifere =
And so also said Isaiah, a prophet too, how you fell, you who are Lucifer,

hach ciotzil yilabal. a tippil.
"It was truly delightful to be seen, your rising,

ti hatzacnac. U talel yahal cab¹⁴¹. cuchie =
having apportioned the coming of dawn back then,

ti haac.chahech yokol cab = cech cinpahesic Uincobe =
then you slipped above the earth, you who brought harm to men,

cech Lic aualic = ychil a pucsikal = cuchie
you who said within your heart back then,

bin naccen = ti caan = cij a than.
’I will rise into the sky,’ so you spoke,

Ca yn Dzab = Ca yn Culcin yn Dzam = Cayx yn xacCun¹⁴² = yn Kanchee =
’So I place, so I seat my throne, so I plant my bench,

yokol. U sihsah eKilob = Dios.
above the created stars of God,

Cayx culcen =yokol Uitz = Licil U moltanba =
and so I may sit on the mountain on which they assemble,

te tu xaxe = te ti xamane =
there at the side, there in the north,

binix nacen - yokol muyal. canal =
and I will ascend above the cloud on high,

Cayx baacen ah canalil. heklay Dios ah tepal =
so that I may become like Him-on-high, who is God the ruler.’

Cij a than cech Luzifere = cuchie =
So you spoke, you who were Lucifer, back then,

heuac ti pulech ti picchintabech tun helele =              [p.129]
but then you were thrown, you were cast down then at that time,

ychil U hach tamil - U hom Lume =
into the deepest abyss on earth.

Lay a miatz = yetel a uohel. Lubzechie =
It is this, your wisdom and your knowing that made you fall then,"

Cij U than. e sallas = profeta - ti hun ahau = Luzifer loe. =
so spoke Isaiah, a prophet, to Hun Ahau, Lucifer,

ti Lay U kochinnah = U tzicbail = yetel U nonohbail =
when he held him culpable for his arrogance and his pride;

U haacpahal. U Dzam. yoklal hunnac miatz tu than =
his throne became fallen because of his infinite wisdom, as he thought,

yohelix tulacal tu Dzi yol = Cuchi xan =
and his knowing everything, as he imagined, back then also,

U chunix tohLabcij = tu mehentzilil =
and that is the reason he was cast out from among His children,

ti yotoch. U yumil ti Dios = ah tepale ======
from the house of our lord God, the ruler.

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