from CHILAM BALAM OF CHUMAYEL UINAL
12c. Mayan Myths. (recorded 16c.)trans. Edward Dorn & Gordon Brotherston (from Maya)
Bay tzolci yax ah miatz Merchise yax ah bovat
Napuctun sacerdote yax ah kin
Lay key uchci u zihil uinal ti ma to ahac cab cuchie

ca hoppi u ximbal tuba tu hunal
Ca yalah u chich ca yalah u dzenaa ca yalah u mim
ca yalah u muu
bal bin c'alab ca bin c'ilab uinic ti be
cu thanob tamuk u ximbalob cuchie minan uinic
cuchi
catun kuchiob te ti likine ca hoppi yalicob
mac ti mani uay lae he yocob lae ppiz ta uoci

ci bin u tban u colel cab
cabin u ppizah yoc ca yumil ti Dios citbil
lay u chun yalci xoc lah cab oc lae lahca Oc

lay tzolan zihci tumen oxlahun Oc
uchci u nup tanba yoc likciob te ti likine

ca yalah u kaba ti minan u kaba kin cuchie
ximbalnahci y u chiich y u dzenaa y u mim y u muu

zi uinal zihci kin u kaba zihci caan y luum
eb haa luum tunich y che zihci u bal kabnab y luum

 It was set out this way by the first sage Melchisedek, the first
prophet, Napuctun, sacerdote, the first priest.
This is the song of how the uinal was realized before the world
was.
He started up from his inherent motion alone.
His mothers mother and her mother, his mothers sister and his
sister-in-law, they all said:
"How shall we say, how shall we see, that man is on the road?"
These are the words they spoke as they moved along, where
there was no man.
When they arrived in the east they began to say:
"Who has been here? These are footprints. Get the rhythm of
his step."
So said the Lady of the world,
And our Father, Dios, measured his step.
This is why the count by footstep of the whole world, xoc lah cab
oc, was called lahca oc 12 Oc.
This was the order born through 13 Oc,
When the one foot joined its counter-print to make the moment of
the eastern horizon.
Then he spoke its name when the day had no name,
as he moved along with his mother's mother and her mother, his
mother's sister and his sister-in-law.
The uinal born, the day so named, the sky and earth,
the stairway of water, earth, stone and wood, the things of sea and
earth realized.
Trans. Copyright © Edward Dorn & Gordon Brotherston 1999, - publ. North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, Cal. 








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