Zapotec poetry

A working attempt to come up with a good English translation of this beautiful poem by Esteban Rios Cruz.

Diidxa’ guicaa Julio Ubiidxa

Esteban Rios Cruz

1

Beeu chii

Beeu chii  beeu chii  October

October

napa

n-  n-  stat  apa  apa  have

have

yeló

yeló  yeló  eye

eye

lexu

lexu  lexu2  cottontail rabbit

cottontail rabbit

cadxiibi

ca-  ca-  prog  dxiibi  dxiibi  frightened

frightened

.

October has the eyes of a frightened rabbit

Octubre tiene ojos de conejo espantado.

2

Xpeeu

x-  x-  poss  peeu    moon

moon

ni

ni  ni  rel

rel

nayaanizisi’

nay-  n-  stat  aani  aani  lean, hang

lean, hang

ne

ne  ne  and

and

cannibi’

ca-  ca-  prog  nnibi’  nnibi’  move, swing

move, swing

lo

lo  lo  to, at

to, at

yaga

yaga  yaga  tree

tree

,

Its moon hangs and is swinging in the trees

Su luna brillante columpia sobre los árboles,

I'm not sure about the meaning of the -zisi' part

3

ré’

r-  r-  hab  é’  é’  drink

drink

nisa

nisa  nisa  water

water

bizé

bizé  bizé  well

well

,

ruché

ru-  ru-  hab:caus  ché  ché  madden, disturb

madden, disturb

xpiaani’

x-  x-  poss  piaani’  piaani’  light

light

ca

ca=  ca=  plur=

plur

bi’cu’

bi’cu’  bi’cu’  dog

dog

,

it drinks well water, it maddens the dogs

bebe agua en los pozos, alucina a los perros

'disturb the light' seems like an idiom, but I'm not sure; not listed in the Isthmus Zapotec dictionary

4

ni

ni  ni  rel

rel

rebeeca’

re-  re-  hab:rep  bee  bee  wake  =ca’  =ca’  =3pl

wake

xpacaanda’

x-  x-  poss  pacaanda’  bacaanda’  sleep

sleep

gueela’

gueela’  gueela’  night

night

ne

ne  ne  and

and

xquendaridúxhuca

x-  x-  poss  quenda  quenda  nomin  ri-  r-  hab  dúxhu  dúxhu  bark  =ca  =ca’  =3pl

nomin

.

that wake the night's sleep (with?) their barking

que desvelan a la noche con sus ladridos.

5

Naca’

n-  n-  stat  aca’  aca’  be

be

guisbá

guisbá  guisbá  fall?

fall?

,

bi

bi    wind

wind

cadi

cadi  cadi  not

not

gapa’

g-  g-  pot  apa’  apa  have

have

guendarietanala’dxi’

guenda  quenda  nomin  ri-  r-  hab  etanala’dxi’  etanala’dxi’  remember

remember

It is fall, the wind can't remember;

Es otoño, el viento desmemoriado

6

canazá

ca-  ca-  prog  nazá  nazá  wander

wander

nadxi’ña’

nadxi’ña’  nadxi’ña’  mischievous, naughty

naughty

cuxhuxidxi

cu-  g-  pot  xidxi  xidxi  laugh

laugh

ca

ca=  ca=  plur=

plur

diagayoo

diagayoo  diagayoo  window

window

.

it is wandering like a naughty child making the windows laugh.

deambula travieso haciendo reír a las ventanas.

More information about the author here.