THE STORY OF MY LIFE
written by Jose Sabino Uc |
U TZOLAAN BEY IN CUXTAL
dzibtabi tumen Jose Sabino Uc |
Here in the big town of Mérida |
Uay ti noh cah ti Ho, |
today on the 10th day in the month of February in the year 1871 |
helel tu lahunil kin ichil yuil Febrero ti haabil 1871, |
I, Jose Sabino Uc being my name, |
ten Jose Sabino Uc in kaba, |
he of the house of Couoh Uc, |
H-Na Couoh Uc, |
I am going to write the story of my life. |
cin bin dzibic u tzolan bey in cuxtal. |
There at the mouth of the big water (lake) of Akul, |
Te tu chi noh ha Akul |
there I was born in the land of Peten Itza its name. |
ti zihen ichil u luum Peten Itza u kaba. |
He of the house Menche Uc was my father. |
H-Na Menche Uc in yum, |
she of the house Kin Couoh was my mother, |
X-Na Kin Couoh in na, |
descendants of forest people which inhabited the lands, |
kaxil uinicoob tu cahmatil tu cabil u cobol, |
Lacantun was their name. |
Lacantun u kaba. |
There died my mother on the very day that I was born, |
Ti cimi in na tu hahil kin cin zihen, |
on the 30th day in the month of December in the year 1856. |
ti lahuncakal kin ichil yuil Deciembre, tu haabil 1856. |
My mother being dead |
Cimen in na, |
there wasn't another women in the house of my father, |
ma yanhi ulak x-cħuplal ti yotoch in yum, |
just three small children, my older brothers. |
chen hali oxtul mehen, in zucunoob. |
Then came to the Peten the priest Brother Pedro |
Ca tali ti Peten ah kin Fray Pedro |
with other Capuchins. |
yetel ulak Capuchinoob. |
There were baptized my father with my older brothers. |
Ti oci ha tu hol in yum yetel in zucunoob. |
Jose Uc was the name of my father; |
Jose Uc u kaba in yum; |
Juan and Lorenzo and Juan Jose the names of my older brothers. |
Juan yetel Lorenzo yetel Juan Jose u kabaob in zucunoob. |
There wasn't nearby a woman to give me breast milk. |
Ma yan nadzaan x-cħuplal utial u dza ten chuuch. |
My father wrapped me, he put me in a big basket. |
Tu toahen in yum, tu dzahen ti boxac. |
Then he got into a boat, |
Ca ix oci ti cħem. |
then they boated to the big river Kancuen, |
ca ix u cħemul ximbalnahoob ti noh yoc ha Kancuen, |
Pasion is its name. |
Pasion u kaba. |
Then they went up also the little river, Subim is its name. |
Ca ix nacoob xan ti chichan yoc ha, Subim u kaba. |
Two days we traveled. |
Cappel kin c' ximbalnahoon. |
Sour corn was my drink. |
Pah keyem in uukul. |
Then we traveled in the forest, |
Ca ix c' ximbalnahoon ti kax, |
then we arrived in the town of Sacluk. |
ca kuchoon ti cah Sacluk. |
Then my father went to the house of the chief: |
Ti bini in yum tu yotoch batab: |
"Lord, here is my motherless small child. |
"Yume, hela in h-ma na mehen pal. |
Alive I bring him to you, I give him to you. |
Cuxaanto in talez tech, in kubic tech. |
I am going to give my child into your hand to be amongst you." |
Bin in kube in pal ta kab ich a uicnal." |
So were the words of my father, so he spoke to the chief. |
Lay u than in yume, beyo tu alah ti batab. |