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

(The Descendants of Adam)
ms. p.169-174

The descendants of Adam include all men, whatever their race or nationality, whether they are Dzulob, foreigners, or Maya men, because Adam is the father of all, even those who have been "scattered from these regions here." Although God could have created Adam from nothing, He chose to make him from earth, so that man would remain humble, knowing that he will return to the earth from which he was made. Man’s soul, however, has been created in the image of God. As God is three persons in one, man’s soul has three spiritual powers: memory, understanding and will. The life of the soul lasts forever, either in the abyss of hell, or in God’s glory, but man’s life on earth is fleeting, and no one knows the day of his death.

Ta xocahi tac. helel cech christiano =
You read already now, you who are Christian,

hij bic sihsabcij = yax anom aDan = ti lume
just how first man Adam was created from earth,

U yumit tulacal = Vincob = yanob yokol cab = tu sinile =
to father all the men who exist on earth everywhere,

lacech Dzulob = laac francesob =
though they may be foreigners,¹⁷³ though French,

laac morosob = laac Judiob = laac ekboxob =
though Moors, though Jews, though Blacks,

laac ah mex cuc¹⁷⁴ Uincob - laac ah maya Uincob =
though Ah Mex Cuc’s men, though Maya men;

huntulili aDan = yax anom = chunpahcij = Uincilob loe =
it is only Adam, the first man, from whom those men began,

bacacix - Va uecaanob ti petenob lae =              [p.170]
even if they have been scattered from these regions here,

tu nach sinanil yokol cabil - yanilob lae =
to the distant extensions of the world where they are,

tumen Dzacab U talelob lae te tu chibalobe = yax anom. aDan = ti ma tu yanal =
because descended they come from the lineage of first man Adam, from no other,

Uchacix a hach paktumtic = cech Uinice =
and hence it is possible that you really consider, you who are men,

ti hij bic helanil = sibsabcij = aDan = tumen ah tepal. U sihsah babalil. tulacal =
how differently Adam was created by the ruler, the creator of all things.

aDan. yax anom chunpahcij = U uinicilob loe =
It was Adam, the first man, from whom those men began,

heuac luum paatcij = tu hoppol =
but it was earth that was made in the beginning;

Dzocan tun U patic = U cucutil aDane =
when that had been finished, then He formed the body of Adam,

ca yustah Dios. U uich = U paat lumile =
then God blew His breath into the face of His vessel of earth,

ca cuxlahij =ca yanhi U pixan =
then he lived, then his soul came to be,

heuac Uchacij. U sihsic Dios = ti manan babal. U patic cuchie =
but it was possible for God to create him without any thing that He made before then.

ma yoltah ah tepali = heuac yoltah U patab - ti lum = tu hoppole.
The ruler did not wish it, rather He wished to mold him from earth in the beginning,

ca utzac U canic Uinic - thontal = yt. chintal - tu uich = yah sihsahule =
so that man learn to bow down and humble himself before the face of his creator,

ti hahal Dios ah tepal = tu hunale =
before true God the ruler alone,

tamuk U nana oltic chunpahcij = U uinicil. ti luume =
while he considers that his body began from earth,

bay xan. yetelix U nana oltic xan = ti lumilix = U yocol tu caten =ca bin cimic xane =
and so that he consider also that it is into the earth he enters again when he will die also.¹⁷⁵

bala bax uil tun lae bin a nohcinaba = y. binil a tzicibaba =
So for what reason then will you glorify yourself and will you honor yourself,

ca a uutzcin nonohbail = lumeche = chembel paatbil lumech =
so you become arrogant, you who are earth, only made from earth as you are?

bala he u pixan. yax anom aDane = espiritu = sihsabcij = tumen Dios =
So what of this soul of first man Adam, the "spirit" that was created by God,

heklay yxma cucutil = tu bail. sihsabci loe = DzeDzili =
the nature of which was created without a body in the least,

ma u chaah u bail angelob =
nor did it take the nature of the angels?¹⁷⁶

bay yalci = espiritu santoe =
As the holy spirit said,

lay pixan = hach potchicanil = U hochbilan Dios =
this soul has really manifestly been made in the image of God,

yokol loe = yoklal bay huntulil Dios = ti oxtul personae =
because of that, because as there is only one God in three "persons,"

bay huntulil Dios. huntulil pixan = cuxcinnic U cucutil Uinice =
as there is only one God, only one soul gives life to the body of man,

ti oxtulob tuba = pixanil Uchucile =
with three sentiencies within it, the spiritual powers,

heklaobie = kaahsah = yetel naat = yetel olah = yan tie -
which are memory and understanding and will, it has in it.

hex pixan lae =hunkulben Dzaanil = U cuxtal = tumenel Dios =
But this soul is to endure forever, given its life by God,

ti ma sabyom = ti ma xulumte = yike =
without transience, without end, its life.

yoklal Ua a tacuntah. U yaalmah thanil Dios
Because if you kept the commandment of God,

ti yan. ychil U cucutil. Uay yokol cabe =              [p.172]
while existing within the body here on earth,

ti cici olal. bin yanac ti = yt. ma xulumte cuxtal = ti hunlukul =
it will have happiness and endless life forever,

tu cilich groria¹⁷⁷ = yicnal Diose =
in blessed glory in the company of God,

Uayx U pochaah yt. U potmansah yolah = mayx V Dzocsah. U yalmah thanil Dios =
but if it insulted and overran His will, and did not fulfill the commandment of God,

tu cucutil. ti cuxlic. Uay yokol cabe =
in the body while living here on earth,

hunkul ma xulumte numya = bin U cib = ychil U kakil. mitnal = ti manan U lahe =
eternal endless suffering it will experience within the fire of hell, without an end.

ylae - emec ta pucsikal. cech ah pixane =
See this! May it descend into your heart, you who have a soul,

ca a yam pachab yutzil cuch = heelbal a pixan. ti hulukulile =
so you first choose His good place to rest your soul forever.

ylae hik yam hom cech = ychil U hom mitnal = tamil =
See this! Lest you be in the midst of the abyss, within the abyss of hell, its depth,

tumen a matibelil = ylabe =
because of your iniquity that is seen.¹⁷⁸

hokoc ta xicin = U pay Dios tech =
May it come forth to your ears, God’s call to you,

man kin. man akabe =
all day, all night,

yoklal Ua bin a pulub = a pixan mitnal =
because if you will cast your soul into hell,

tumen a Dzoclucksic = U tus thanil cisin = tech loe =
because you carry out that false command of the devil for you,

yt. U than a cucutil = yt. U tabsah bal caahe =
and the demands of your body and the snares of the world,

bala ohelte = mail la tu hunal a pixan = bin cuchintic =              [p.173]
so know this, not only your soul will be made to arrive,

yetel bin boch kaktic = te ti mitnale = tumen a pochic yaalmah thanil Dios loe =
and will pay for your sins there in hell, because you insult that commandment of God,

yoklal he ca bin Vchuc haay cabile¹⁷⁹. tumen cah lohile.
because when the end of the world will occur because of our redeemer,

ti ca bin caput cuxlacoon. tu yuchucil Diose =
then when we will live again by the power of God,

ca bin ococ pixan. tac cucutil = tu catene =
then the soul will enter into our body for the second time,

ca utzac. a caham kamic =
so that you both together receive it,

yt. a pixan. U macul a kab =a beeltah. Uay yokol cabe =
(your body) and your soul, the reward for what you did here on earth.

bala. Ua utze = Utz bin a kamab.
So if it was good, good will you receive;

bala. Uayx lobe = lobix bin Dzocbal tech xan =
so if it was bad, then badly will it be ending for you also.

cha aba cech ah pixane. tan U than Dios = a uokol =
Prepare yourself, you who have a soul, before the word of God on your behalf;

ma uchmal. bin yanac. tech. Ual loe.
you will not have long afterwards perhaps,

ma nach kin Uchuc cech cimil = ti naay olal a cah =
nor is the day distant when your death may occur while you are unaware,

yoklal mamac ohmayl = U kin cimil ti Uincob = yokol cab =
because no one has known the time of death for men on earth,

U kintzilil. U payal tumen Dios. U Dzab U xocan U beel - tu tan Dios =========
the hour he is called by God to give the count of his deeds before God.

Previous Page  |  Table of Contents  |  Next Page

Return to top of page