Popol Vuh 15Part Two, Chapter 5: The Birth of Hun-ahpu and Xbalanque · Parte II, capítulo 5: El nacimiento de Hun-ahpu y Xbalanque
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Indigenous & Shamanic Traditions · Mesoamerican
Popol Vuh 15
Part Two, Chapter 5: The Birth of Hun-ahpu and Xbalanque · Parte II, capítulo 5: El nacimiento de Hun-ahpu y Xbalanque
AIEnglishAI translation
XiménezSpanish
Here we shall write of the birth of Hun-ahpu and Xbalanque.
Aquí escribiremos el nacimiento de Hun-ahpu y de Xbalanque.
And this was their birth, which we shall tell: when the time to be born had come, they were born of the maiden called Xquic, and the old woman did not see them when they were born, and the two newborn ones got up at the same moment. Hun-ahpu and Xbalanque they were called; they rose up in the wilds, and then they came into the house. And they would not sleep, and the old woman said, "They cry too much. Go, throw them out." And they went and put them on an anthill, and there they slept soundly; and taking them from there, they put them on thorns. This was what Hun-batz and Hun-choven wanted: that they should die there on the anthill and on the thorns, out of the envy of Hun-batz and Hun-choven, and that they should not be received into the house by those who were their brothers but did not acknowledge them. And so they grew up in the wilds. And Hun-batz and Hun-choven were great flute players and singers; and having grown up through the great hardship and pain they suffered, they were very wise, flute players, singers, painters and carvers as well; they could do everything. And they certainly knew of the twins' birth, that they were wise and the replacements of their fathers who had gone to the underworld; and Hun-batz and Hun-choven were great sages in everyone's opinion, for so they were judged. Yet when their two brothers were growing up, they did not show their knowledge, out of envy; instead the vengeance of their hearts lay in them, though they had not been wronged by any deed of Hun-ahpu and Xbalanque. And these did nothing but shoot with the blowgun every day; and they were not loved by their grandmother, nor by Hun-batz and Hun-choven, and they were not given food when the meal was ready; instead, when Hun-batz and Hun-choven had already eaten, then they came. And they did not grow angry or furious, but endured it. And they knew who they were, for they saw it as clearly as daylight. And they brought their birds when they came each day, and Hun-batz and Hun-choven ate them, and gave nothing to the two, Hun-ahpu and Xbalanque; Hun-batz and Hun-choven only went on playing the flute and singing. And once Hun-ahpu and Xbalanque came without bringing birds, and as they came in the old woman grew angry and said to them, "What, are you not bringing any birds?" so it was said to Hun-ahpu and Xbalanque. "It happened, grandmother, that our birds got stuck in the trees, and we cannot climb up the trees, lady. Let our brothers come with us; let them go and bring the birds down." And it was said to them, "Very well, we shall go with you in the morning"; this is what their brothers said, when they were beaten and overcome.
Y así fue el nacimiento de ellos, que diremos cuando ya estaba justo el tiempo de nacer, nacieron de la doncella que se llamaba Xquic, y no los vio la vieja cuando nacieron, y luego se levantaron los dos nacidos á un tiempo. Hun-ahpu y Xbalanque eran llamados, en el monte se levantaron, y luego entraron en la casa, y no dormían, y dijo la vieja: mucho gritan, anda arrójalos, y los fueron á poner en un hormiguero, y allí durmieron sabrosamente, y sacándolos de allí, los pusieron otra vez sobre espinas: esto era lo que querían Hun-batz y Hun-choven, que muriesen allí en el hormiguero y sobre las espinas, por su envidia de Hun-batz y Hun-choven, y no que fuesen recibidos en casa por los que eran sus hermanos pero no los conocían. Y así se criaron en el monte, y así fueron grandes flauteros y cantores los dos Hun-batz y Hun-choven, y habiendo crecido en gran trabajo y dolor que pasaron, fueron muy sabios, y también flauteros, cantores, pintores y entalladores, que todo era acabado por ellos; y ciertamente sabían su nacimiento, que eran sabios y substitutos de sus padres que fueron al infierno, y eran grandes sabios el Hun-batz y Hun-choven en la inteligencia de todos, que así lo juzgaban, cuando se criaron los dos sus hermanos y no mostraron su saber por su envidia, sino que en ellos estaba la venganza de sus corazones, y no por alguna obra fueron ofendidos por Hun-ahpu y Xbalanque, y solo se entretenían en tirar con cerbatana todos los dias, y no eran amados de su abuela y de Hun-batz y Hun-choven, y no les daban de comer hecha ya la comida, sino que habiendo ya comido Hun-batz y Hun-choven, entonces venian y no se enojaban ni encolerizaban sino que sufrían. Y ellos sabian quienes eran, porque como claridad miraban y traian sus pájaros, cuando venian todos los dias y comían Hun-batz y Hun-choven y nada les daban á los dos Hun-ahpu y Xbalanque, sino que solo se estaban tocando flauta, y cantando el Hun-batz y Hun-choven. Y vinieron una vez el Hun-ahpu y Xbalanque, sin traer pájaros, y entrando se enojó la vieja, y les dijo: ¿cómo, no trais pájaros? les fué dicho á Hun-ahpu y Xbalanque. Fué el caso, abuela, que se nos han quedado atorados los pájaros en los árboles, y no podemos subir nosotros sobre los palos, Señora, que vayan nuestros hermanos con nosotros, que vayan á bajar los pájaros. Y se les fué dicho: está bien, iremos con vosotros por la mañana; esto dijeron sus hermanos, cuando fueron vencidos y ganados.
And having consulted together about defeating Hun-batz and Hun-choven, they said, "We shall only change their bellies into something else. Truly, when it is done, it will be for the great grief and pain they have caused us; they wanted us dead and lost, these brothers of ours. In their minds we came only as boys, and so we shall defeat them; but we shall only make a sign of them." This is what they said to each other. And then they went to the foot of a tree called cante, and their brothers went with them; and they began to shoot with the blowgun, and the birds in the trees could not be counted, all calling out, and their brothers marvelled when they saw so many birds; but not one of the birds fell down. "They are not falling. Go, bring them down here," they said to their brothers. "Very well," they said, and then they climbed up the tree; and the trunk grew thick and swelled, and when they wanted to come down, Hun-batz and Hun-choven could no longer get down from the tree. And they said from up in the tree, "What is this that has happened to us, brothers? Poor us! This tree is frightening, brothers." This is what they said from up in the tree. And Hun-ahpu and Xbalanque said to them, "Untie your loincloths and sashes and tie them below your bellies; let the end hang loose and pull it out behind you, and in that way you will be able to move about and come down." This is what their brothers said to them. "Good," they said; and as soon as they pulled out the ends of their sashes, at once these turned into tails, and they became monkeys. And then they went off over the tops of the trees and over the hills, the great hills, and into the forests, and they shrieked and bounced and swung from the branches. And such was the defeat of Hun-batz and Hun-choven by Hun-ahpu and Xbalanque, and they did this only by a miracle. And then they went to their house, and when they came to their grandmother and their mother they said, "Ah, lady! What can have happened to our brothers, that their faces turned green and they went off like animals?" "But if you have done something to your brothers, you have scorned me and brought me to misery. Do not do this to your brothers," the old woman said to Hun-ahpu and Xbalanque. And they said to their grandmother, "Do not grieve, grandmother; they will come back again, and you will see their faces. Only this matters for you in this attempt: do not laugh in any way. Try your fortune." And then they began to play the flutes, and they played the tune Hun-ahpu-monkey.
Y habiendo todos consultado entre sí, sobre el vencer á Hun-batz y Hun-choven, solo los convertiremos en otra cosa sus barrigas; ciertamente cuando sea hecho por la gran pena y dolor que nos han causado, fuimos muertos y perdidos, esto querian nuestros hermanos: solo como muchachos venimos en su inteligencia de ellos, y así los venceremos; pero solo haremos señal de ellos, esto dijeron entre sí. Y luego fueron debajo de un árbol que se llamaba cante, é iban en su compañia sus hermanos, y empezaron á tirar con la cerbatana, y no se podían contar los pájaros que estaban sobre los árboles, que estaban gritando, y se maravillaron sus hermanos cuando vieron tantos pájaros, y ninguno cayó abajo de los pájaros. No caen, andad, bajadlos acá, les dijeron á sus hermanos. Está bien, dijeron ellos, y luego subieron sobre el árbol, y se engrosó el tronco é hinchó, y luego que quisieron bajar, ya no podían bajar de sobre el palo el Hun-batz y Hun-choven. Y dijeron de sobre el árbol: ¿cómo se nos ha dicho esto, hermanos nuestros, pobres de nosotros, que espanta este árbol hermanos nuestros?, esto dijeron de sobre el árbol. Y les dijeron Hun-ahpu y Xbalanque: desatad vuestras bragas y ceñidor, y atadlo debajo de vuestros vientres, largad su punta, y sacadlo para atrás, y de ese modo podréis andar y bajar, esto les fué dicho por sus hermanos. Bien, dijeron ellos, y luego que sacaron la punta de su ceñidor, luego al punto se convirtieron en colas, y se volvieron micos, y luego se fueron por cima de los árboles y sobre los montes, los montes grandes, y á las selvas, y gritaban y se meneaban, y columpiaban de las ramas, y así fué el ser ganados el Hun-batz y Hun-choven por Hun-ahpu y Xbalanque, y solo por milagro hicieron esto. Y luego se fueron á su casa, y dijeron cuando llegaron con su abuela y su madre: ha Señora! ¿qué será lo que les ha acontecido á nuestros hermanos, que verdes sus caras se fueron como animales? Mas si algo les habéis hecho á vuestros hermanos, y me habéis menospreciado y puesto en miseria; no hagáis eso con vuestros hermanos, les dijo la vieja á Hun-ahpu y Xbalanque. Y ellos le dijeron á su abuela: no te aflijas, abuela, que volverán otra vez, y verás sus caras, y solo esto importa á vos en esta diligencia, y de ningún modo os riáis, probad fortuna; y luego empezaron á tocar flautas y tocaron el son de Hun-ahpu-mico.
And then they sang and played the flutes and the drum; they took up the flutes and their drums and sat the old woman down with them; and as they played and sang their song, that song was called Hun-ahpu-coy ("a hunter monkey"). And as they played, calling Hun-batz and Hun-choven, these came dancing; and when the old woman saw the ugly faces they made and their ugly features, seeing this seriously she could not hold back her laughter; and in an instant they were gone, and she did not see their faces again; they went leaping off into the forest. "What is this you are doing, lady? We shall try only four times, and so we shall call them only three more times with the flute and the song. Hold back your laughter." "Come, try again," it was said to Hun-ahpu and Xbalanque. And then they played their flutes again, and then the monkeys came back into the middle of the house; and again they made monkey faces with which they made the old woman laugh, and then the old woman laughed, because their monkey faces, their skinny bellies and the wagging of their tails when they came in made her laugh, and this was what the old woman laughed at. And then they went off again into the hills. "What are we to do, grandmother? We shall try only this third time," said Hun-ahpu and Xbalanque. And they played again, and the monkeys came back dancing. "Hold back your laughter, oh grandmother!" And they ran about over the building. Their eyes were very red, their mouths stuck out like snouts, and they were rubbing their faces; and seeing these figures their grandmother rolled over with laughter, and they never saw their faces again, because of the old woman's laughter. "Only this once more shall we call them." And the fourth time she laughed, and they did not come the fourth time, and at once they went off into the forest. And they said to the old woman, "We have made the attempt, and they did not come, though we called them. Do not be sad, for here we are, their grandsons; and we love you now, and our mother; for we remain in memory and in place of our brothers, called Hun-batz and Hun-choven." So it was said to the old woman and to their mother. And Hun-ahpu and Xbalanque spoke, and they were invoked by the flute players and the singers; the men of old already invoke them, the painters and carvers. They were turned into brute monkeys because they grew proud and mistreated their brothers and held them like slaves; and so they were branded, when Hun-batz and Hun-choven were lost and were turned into monkeys. And they had always stayed in their houses, and they were flute players and singers, and they did great things while they were with their mother and grandmother.
Y luego cantaron y tocaron las flautas y el tambor, cuando tomaron las flautas y sus atambores, y asentaron á la vieja consigo, y cuando tocaron y cantaron en su canto, se llamó aquel canto Hun-ahpu-coy (un tirador mico) y tocando, llamando á Hun-batz y Hun-choven, vinieron bailando, y viendo la vieja los malos gestos que hacian y sus malas caras, viendo esto serio, no pudo sufrir la risa; y en un instante se fueron, y no les vio otra vez sus caras, y saltando se fueron al monte: ¿qué es esto que hacéis, Señora? solo cuatro veces probaremos, y así solo otras tres veces los llamaremos con la flauta y con el canto, sufrid la risa. Ea, probad otra vez, les fué dicho á Hun-ahpu y Xbalanque; y luego tocaron otra vez sus flautas, y luego volvieron al medio de la casa; y así mismo hacían monerías con que provocaban á risa á la vieja, y luego se rió la vieja, porque provocaban á risa sus gestos de micos y lo delgado de sus barrigas y el menear de sus colas cuando entraron, y esto era lo de que la vieja se reía; y luego se fueron otra vez á los montes. ¿Qué hemos de hacer? abuela mia, solo esta otra tercera vez probaremos, dijo el Hun-ahpu y Xbalanque, y tocaron otra vez y volvieron bailando: sufra, ¡oh abuela! la risa, y estuvieron corriendo sobre el edificio. Estaban muy colorados los ojos, y sus bocas ahocicadas, y se estaban sobándose la cara, y viendo estas figuras su abuela, se tendia de risa, y nunca mas les vieron sus caras por la risa de la vieja; solo esta vez los llamaremos. Y la cuarta vez se rió, y no vinieron la cuarta vez, y luego al punto se fueron al monte, y dijeron á la vieja: ya hemos hecho diligencia, y no vinieron, habiéndolos llamado, no te dé pena, que aquí estamos nosotros sus nietos y que queremos á vos ya nuestra madre, que nosotros quedamos en memoria y en lugar de nuestros hermanos llamados: Hun-batz y Hun-choven, les fué dicho á la vieja y á su madre. Y dijeron el Hun-ahpu y Xbalanque, y fueron llamados por los tocadores de flautas y los cantores, ya estos invocan los hombres antiguos, los pintores y entalladores, se volvieron en brutos micos, porque se ensoberbecieron y maltrataron á sus hermanos, y los tuvieron como á esclavos, y así fueron herrados, cuando fueron perdidos el Hun-batz y Hun-choven que fueron convertidos en micos, y se estaban en sus casas siempre, y fueron tocadores de flautas y cantores, é hicieron grandes cosas estos, cuando estuvieron con su madre y abuela.
