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

(About the Earthly Paradise)
ms. p.194-5

In a brief, lyrical passage the author describes the beauties of the Earthly Paradise. Among all of God’s wonders, the greatest is the yax cheel cab, the first tree of the world, here in God’s garden. Twelve times each year it bears fruit, once for each moon, or month of the year. Twelve moons, shining with silver and gold, encircle the boundary of the garden, along with twelve standing angels. In its midst pours out the sweet water of a spring, at whose source sits ah tepal, the ruler, under the feet of Jesus Christ. As an authority, the author cites St. John the evangelist, and draws on the vision described in the book of Revelations. However, his emphasis on the yax cheel cab and on the ruler’s seat at the spring’s source, gives the passage heightened appeal for a Maya audience.²²³

The geographical location of the Earthly Paradise became a subject of much debate during the Middle Ages, a debate which took on new dimensions with the discovery of the Indies. How should the New World be understood in terms of Old World cosmography? Some Franciscan mystics "proposed to incorporate the New World into the Old around the image of the terrestrial paradise, . . . to make it the location of the original Garden of Eden. How worthy the Indies would be to belong to Christian civilization if that country contained within its borders the home of the first parents of the human race."²²⁴ This passage, and the passage describing the descendants of Adam who have been "scattered from these regions here" (ms. p.169-74) suggest that the author may have shared this belief.

U cappel U ppicil = U Dzibal licil U cantabal U nucul - patcij -              [p.194]
The second part of the writing, in which is taught the manner in which it was formed,

U cucutil ca yax yum ti aDan = tumen ca yumil ti Dios
the body of our first father Adam, by our lord God,

yt. U nucul sihcij = ca yax naa = ti eVaa lae =
and the manner in which our first mother Eve was born,

Dziban yt. Uohaan = ti yunil miatz =henisis U kaba
has been written and inscribed in a book of wisdom; Genesis is its name,

cu than - cu yalic
in which there is the word, in which it says,

tuchij ca Dzocij U multumutoob = cilich santissima = trinidad
that when They had finished their deliberation, the blessed most holy trinity,

bay Dzibanil = ychil kulem Dzib lae =
as it has been written within this Sacred Scripture,

ca emoob = cayx taloob Parayso terenale
then They descended, and then They came to Earthly Paradise,

tu hach ciotzilil cuch = yet pisan uinbail yahaulil caan
to a really delightful place, similar in appearance to the kingdom of heaven,

heklay yanil tumenel ca yumil ti Dios = u hach yabal mactziltac ti babale =
in which exist, because of our lord God, His really abundant wondrous things,

tix yantac U yabal U sihsah babalil - tusinil              [p.195]
and among all of His many created things that existed anywhere,

U nohlayl U yax cheel cab lae =
the greatest is the first tree of the world here.

Lahcaten U uichancil = hunppel haab = tumen hunhunppel .V. u yantal u uich
Twelve times²²⁵ it bears in one year, because once in each moon comes forth its fruit;

Cu than San Ju^o evangelista = yoklal yilah
so speaks St. John the evangelist because he saw it,

etsabix ti = tumenel = huntul angel = heix tancah parayso lae
and it was shown to him by an angel,²²⁶ here in the middle of this paradise;

laahcappiz .V. tulumil u hool²²⁷ ti lemlemnac = ti sac takin = yt. ti kankan takin
twelve measured moons encircled its boundary, shining with silver and with gold;

Laahcatul angel = Uaantacoob - tumil u hool²²⁸
twelve angels standing, encircled its boundary;

chakaxthantzil yilabal tijx cu tox yalil = hunppel sayab = hach cij
it is wondrous to be seen there where it pours out, the water of a spring, really sweet;

likul tu chun - U silla U kanche culic ah tepal yalan yoc Jhesu christo
at its source is the chair, the seat, on which sits the ruler, under the feet of Jesus Christ.

Cu hokol sayab lae hach cha kaax thantzil yilabal
There comes forth a spring here, really wondrous to be seen,

U mactzilil = U ciotzilil U cuchil pakal ca yumil ti Dios -
the marvel, the delight of the garden of our lord God;

te parayso terenal sihsahcij yax yum ti aDan cuchi loe.
it was there in the Earthly Paradise that He created first father Adam long ago.

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