poem source

[Michael McCafferty]

Thank you, John Bierhorst, for your reply. I first saw the poem in 1971 
or 72,  before there was "New Age," in a book titled_Technicians of the 
Sacred_, whence I copied it. I came across it the other day and was 
wondering what the original Nahuatl look like.

Best regards,

Michael McCafferty

Quoting jbierhorst at aol.com:

> Dear Michael McCafferty,
>
>
> The "poem," very popular on New Age websites, given merely as an
> "Aztec poem," is from Seler's Gesammelte Abhandlungen, vol. 2, p.
> 1045: "Im Hause des Schildkrotensitzes ist, kommt sie nieder, gebiert
> sie die Perle, die Schmuckfeder [...]."  Compare Anderson & Dibble
> Florentine Codex, part 2 (1951 ed.), p. 211: "Song of Aiopechtli. /
> There in her home [the goddess] Aiopechcatl, with child, gave birth
> [...]"  Probably the source used is Jerome Rothenberg, Shaking the
> Pumpkin (Anchor 1972), pp. 50 & 407.  And the translator is Anselm
> Hollo (see his page on Wikipedia).
>
>
> Best,
>
>
> John Bierhorst
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael McCafferty <mmccaffe at indiana.edu>
> To: nahuatl at lists.famsi.org
> Sent: Mon, Jul 5, 2010 10:00 am
> Subject: [Nahuat-l] poem source
>
>
> Can anyone point me to the source of this poem. It's supposed to be
> from the Nahuatl. Thank you! Michael
>
> =====================================
>
>
> In the house with the tortoise chair
> she will give birth to the pearl
>                         to the beautiful feather
>
> in the house of the goddess who sits on a tortoise
> she will give birth to the necklace of pearls
>                         to the beautiful feathers we are
>
> there she sits on the tortoise
> swelling to give us birth
>
> on your way on your way
> child be on your way to me here
>                         you whom I made new
>
> come here child - come be pearl
>                         be beautiful feather
>
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>
>



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