8. Alas! would that my flowers would cease from dying; our flesh is as
flowers, even as flowers in the place of flowers.

9. He plays at ball, he plays at ball, the servant of marvellous
skill; he plays at ball, the precious servant; look at him; even the
ruler of the nobles follows him to his house.

10. O youths! O youths! follow the example of your ancestors; make
yourselves equal to them in the ball count; establish yourselves in your
houses.

11. She goes to the mart, they carry Xochiquetzal to the mart; she
speaks at Cholula; she startles my heart; she startles my heart; she has
not finished, the priest knows her; where the merchants sell green jade
earrings she is to be seen, in the place of wonders she is to be seen.

12. Sleep, sleep, sleep, I fold my hands to sleep, I, O woman, sleep.


_Notes._

In default of a Gloss to this hymn, the indispensable Sahagun again
comes to our aid. He informs us in the Appendix to the second book of
his _Historia_ that "When the Indians celebrated the festival called
_atamalqualiztli_, which took place every eight years, certain natives
called Mazateca swallowed living serpents and frogs, and received
garments as a recompense for their daring." We are not informed as to
the purpose of the festival, and its name, which signifies "eating
bread made with water," is merely that of one of the regular systems of
fasting in vogue in ancient Mexico. (See Sahagun, Lib. III., cap. 8.)