When I am empty please dispose of me properly

This is an old story that Don Hernan’s grandfather told to him and that he has shared with me about a dog who could speak and his master Juan Tuyub. The story was recorded in the summer of 2005 and Santiago and I transcribed and translated it in 2006. The Yucatec transcription follows the English version.

The following might be of interest if you are interested in Maya verbal art:

• Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Mayas by Allen J. Christenson
• An Epoch of Miracles: Oral Literature of the Yucatec Maya by Allen F. Burns
• Verbal Art and Performance in Ch’orti’ and Maya Hieroglyphic Writing by Kerry Hull.

Juan Tuyub and Lol Yax Nik
Another story I’m going to tell you all, you all who are my friends, is a story, a little, ancient story about an old man who hated animals, who hated his dog. The name of this old man was Juan Tuyub. This old man was a farmer.

There was a dog, his little dog, by the name of Lol Yax Nik. That was the name of his dog. The name of the area where he made milpa, that forest, was One Chaak. One Chaak was the name of the forest where he made milpa.

When he went there he brought a bit of ground maize, he brought a bit of pozole, enough for three days. When he finished his work for the day he went to his little hut. When he saw the sun setting in the west he took the comal and placed it over the fire. When he finished preparing the fire he took down his maize dough from where it hung from the rafters of his hut and placed a tortilla on the comal. When the tortilla was cooked he picked up a piece of his meat and placed it over the coals. When the meat was cooked he began to eat.

One day while he was eating he heard a voice. He heard a voice that said,

“hey, master please give me some of your food.”

Then the old man turned to look to where the voice had come. When he looked, he saw his dog lying there but he didn’t think it was his dog who had spoken to him. He did not think so. He didn’t do a thing.

The next day, when he came back from work and rested in his small hut, and he saw that the sun was nearing the western horizon he took out his little comal and put it over the fire and took down his maize dough and made his tortillas. He then put them on the comal. When two tortillas were done cooking, he then took his meat and broiled another piece. And then he started to eat. While he was eating he heard someone speak to him.

“Master, give me a bit of the food that you are eating, it smells so good. Please give me a piece.”

The old man turned around to look. When he saw that it was his little dog that was speaking he was amazed. He took his tortillas with the meat and gave them to his little dog.

Yax Nik, Lol Yax Nik did you speak?

The old man then untied his hammock and put it into his backpack.

“Let’s go back to town.”

When he arrived at his house he said to his wife,

“You’re not going to believe this. You won’t believe what I am going to tell you.”

“What is it my husband? I know I will believe whatever you are going to tell me, tell me.”

“You won’t believe it.”

“This dog spoke to me. He asked for the piece of the meat that I was eating, for him to eat.”

“What did you say to him?”

“Well, I didn’t answer him at all.”

“What I did, I– women, my wife, I took my food and gave it to him to eat. Can you believe the dog spoke?”

“Why would I not believe you my husband, she said to him.”

“I have told you for a long time not to insult that dog. It’s not good, not good at all. They have guardian spirits, they have protecting spirits. I have told you often not to insult dogs. Why do you hate that dog of yours?”

Then the old man kneeled in front of the dog. When he had kneeled he then asked the dog,

“Ah, my dog, Lol Yax Nik,”

he said to his dog,

“forgive me for what I have done, forgive me for what I did to you. I never thought you would ask me for food.”

Well, when the old man, Juan Tuyub, died never again had he hit that dog, never again did he insult animals.

The end.

Le u laak’e’ tziikbal in meetik te’exa’ in weet laak’ile’ex, ump’éel tziikba, u chan, úuchben tziikba baax u chan ti untuul nojoch maak, jach u péek’ ba’alche’, jach u péek’ uya’alak peek’. U k’aaba’ e’ nojoch maaka’ Juan Tuyu untuul nojoch maak kolk’a. Yaan untuul u chen u ya’alak peek’ u k’aaba’ ulol yax nik bey u k’aaba’ ya’alak peek’. Le tu’ux ku meentik koolo’ u k’aaba’ le k’aaxo’ juntu chaak. juntu chaak u k’aaba’ le k’aax tu’ux ku beetik koolo’.

Le kan xi’ik tune’ ku bis ump’íit juuch, ku bis ump’íit keyem ti’al ox p’éel k’in ti’. Le kan tz’ook u meyaje’ ku ta te chen u najil koolo’ le kan ilaj taytu u t’u le k’íino’ te chik’íino’ ku chiik le xamache’ ku tz’ik k’aak’ tz’ookole’ ku yensik u yóoch juuche’ ku tak’ik u yóoch waaj. Le kan tz’o'ok u tak’ik yooch waaje’, ku chiik un xeet’ u yóoch baake’ ku tz’ik te yo [yokol] te’ chuko’. Le kan ta jake’ u chen óoch baake’ ku k’aas ku jaana.

Chen tun ump’éel k’inile’ tu janle’ ka tu yubaj u t’ana’ chen ka tu yubaj beya’,

aa, in yuumi tz’a ten u xeet’ awooch.

Ka’ tu beetej nojoch maak beyo’ kike’ [ku yilike’] bey chilik uya’alak peek’a’ pero ma’ tu tukle’ wa leti’e’ u ya’alak peek’ ta najo’ ma’ man tu tukuli’. Haali’ be p’at beyo’

Tu laak diia tuune’, ka’a uutut meyaje’, ka’a tu jelsubaj tu najil u chan koole’. le ka tie’la’ un wala’che’ u bin u t’uubul le k’in te’ chik’ino’ ka tu cha’ u chan xamache’ ka’a tu ka tz’a te’ k’aak’a’ ka’a tu yensaj u chan ooch juch ka’a tu tak’aj u chan óoch waaj ka’a tu tz’aj te’ xamacho’. Le kan tz’ook u tajal le ka’a p’eel u chan óoch waajo’ ka tu cha’ u chan óoch baake’ ka’a tu kaj k’a taj u laak’ un xeet’. ka joop’ u jana’ ichil tuun tu janle’ chen ka tyubaj uya’al ti’ beya’

In yuumil siten ump’íit awóoch ka jant ko ux [uy] buka’aj ki’i boki’. Siten un xeet’ ti’.

Le ka tu suutu’ ba le nojoch maako’ beya’ ka tie’laje’ letyu u chan ala’ peek’e’ ka jak yo ba’ax tu beete’ u chiik le waajo’ yéetel le baako’ ka tu tz’a ti’ u chan ala’ peek’e’

ay yax nik u lol yax nik teech way t’anajecho’

Ba’ax tu beetaj le nojoch maake’ [ka t]u wach’aj u k’an ka tu jupaj tu ichil u xbuchel

haali’ be ko’ox t kajal

Le ka kuch tu yotooche’ ku u ya’ak ti’ u yatane’

ma’ tun a woojel ump’e ba’ali’

ma’ tan a creetik ba’ax kin y wa’a teech

ba’axij in wiichan

in wojel jincrertik ba’ax ka a wa’aten a’a tene’

ma’ tu a wojel um p’e ba’ali’

le peek’a’ tu t’anen tu k’aataj ten um p’íit le baak kin jantka’, utia’al u jante’

baan tun ta wa’aj ti’

pues ma’ ti nukaj mixba ti’

ba’ax tin meentaj tene’ koole’ in waatan tin ch’a'aj in woocho’ ka tin tz’a u jante’

je wa creetik u t’ane’ um p’e peek’e’

pero baanten mi crertik in wiichan, ka tu[kia] ya’alaj ti’

uuch jop ki wa’ak teeche’ ma’ k’eyiko’ le peek’o’ ma’ utzi’ ma’ utzi’. yaan u nojocho’ob, yaan u nuukilo’. Kaada k’im wa’ak teeche’ ma’ k’eyk peek’o'ob. Ba’ax ten a p’éek’o'?

Haali’ be’ le nojoch maako’ ka’a xolaj tu tane’ peek’o’. Le ka’aj xolaje’ ka tu k’aataj ti’ e’ peek’o’

Ay in wa’alak peek’ u lol yax nik ki’ ti u ya’alak peek’, sasten ba’ax tim beetaj, sasten ba’ax kim beetik teecha’. Ma’ tin tukul ta’ wa bi’in a k’aat ten a woochi’.

Pues, kim le nojoch maako’ le Don Juan Tuyuo’ ma’ ka sunaj u jatz’e le peek’o, ma’ ka sunaj u k’ey le ba’alche’obo’.

Ti’i tz’ookij