Editor’s Note: The Indigenous Literature section of this issue is made up of texts from the new book Daughters of Latin America: An International Anthology of Writing by Latine Women, published by Amistad (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers) and edited by Sandra Guzmán. This anthology includes the work of many writers and translators who have contributed to LALT, and we are happy to share these excerpts with our readers. Click here to purchase the book.
Rech kqak’ama chi jumul ri quxlab’al
Kinch’ab’ej kichoqab’il ri e nab’e taq winaq, ri e qatit,
ri xkitik kan ruk’ ri kiq’ab’ xuquje’ kib’aq’il ri k’aslemal ojk’owi chanim,
nojim kinjiq ri loqalaj kaq’iq’ chech unojsaxik ri wanima,
kch’ax ri jun lab’al chi kutiq ri numuxux ruk’ ri ub’uk’b’utem ri uwachulew,
kch’aw ri jun lab’al jas ri ukowil uch’ab’al ri utun ri Tijax
tajin kusol ri upatzkuyal ri nub’aq’il ruk’ ri nuchomanik,
kopan ri nojinaq ik’ kinkunaj le b’is ink’owi ruk’ jun atinem rech atz’am,
ruk’ ri nusoraj wuqub’ uwach q’ayes kink’asuj ri ub’inem ri kik’ pa wib’och,
e nuk’utb’al b’anikil kech’aw ruk’ uch’ab’al le e q’ayes ,par i uq’aq’al ri tuj kink’asuj wi ri nuchoq’ab’il,
kinqumuj uwal taq q’ayes xuquje’ kotz’ij rech kinjamarisaj nuchomanik.
Kinji’ ri nub’aqil, kintzij ri nuse’r cher xepo, jalajoj ukayib’al,
Sib’ rech k’ok’q’ol xuquje’ pom rech rech kujupij ri sutz’ ri kekanaj kan chi uwach nuk’ux,
Kinch’ab’ej le chajinelab’ rech le b’inel ja, le chajinelab’ rech le juyub’,
Le chajinelab’ rech ri b’e, pa jun tinamit pa jun juyub’,
Jawi kriqitaj wi ri nub’inem
Kinchaw ruk’ ri loqalaj kaqiq’ xuquje’ nojimal kinb’ij chech
Xuquje’ ke’inch’ab’ej rech kinkunatajik xuquje’ kinmej wib’ chi uwach ri nub’e’al,
Ri uwachulew ruk’ utzilal kuk’amawaj rojojel le kwaj kinya chech,
Ronojel le kintiko, le uqoxomal ri wanima on ri kikotemal kuk’exo xuquje’ kumaj ub’e,
Kinch’aw chi jun mul ri lab’al xuquje’ kinxojowik, xa rumal chi we kinxojowik kinkunatajik,
Kinxojow kuk’ ri e k’aslik, kuk’ ri e kaminaq, kuk’ ojer ixoqib’,
Kqasalab’aj ri qab’aqil ruk’ ri qaqan kqak’asuj ri uwachulew
Xuquje’ kojb’ixanik xuquje’ kqak’asuj uwach ri qaqul, ktzalij loq ri qab’e’al,
Kqak’ama chi jumul ri qach’ab’al, Kqak’ama chi jumul ri qab’aqil,
Kqak’ama chi jumul ri qaq’ij, Kqak’ama chi jumul ri qakik’el,
Kqak’ama chi jumul ri quxlab’al, Kqak’ama chi jumul ri man kojq’at ta chi rij
Nojim kojuxlab’ik xuquje’ le utzilal ri ja chi kb’in par ri qab’aqil kuya b’e chiqech kojb’inik
Xuquje’ ktzalij loq ri espíritu, kojxik’xot ruk’ ri ub’inem ri k’aslemal
Kintzalij par ri ulew
Kintzalij chi jumul pa ri uwachulew
To Take Back Our Breath
I call upon the energy of our ancestors, our grandmothers,
all the women whose hands and bodies sowed this life in the present,
I take a deep breath of sacred air to fill my clay-jar heart,
a drum, my navel, and the earth beat as one,
a drum thunders like tijax’s lightning1
splitting the knots in my body and memory,
the full moon is here, I heal my sorrows, I release them in a bath of salt water,
I strike my body with a bundle of seven herbs to awaken my blood flow,
my cells speak the language of plants, I regain my strength in the heat of the tuj,2
I drink herbal and floral teas to ease my restless mind,
I massage my joints, light candles made of lard, of many colors,
I burn incense and pom to blow on the fog trapped in my chest,3
I call upon the keepers of the rivers, the keepers of the hills,
the keepers of the paths, in the city, in the fields,
wherever I set foot,
I speak to the sacred wind and tell it slowly
what I need to heal, and I bow before my truth,
the earth, generous, takes everything I have to offer,
she transforms everything I sow, my worries and joys, and begins again,
I hear a drum and dance, because dancing, too, is healing,
I dance with every woman alive, dead, and from long ago,
we move our flesh and awaken the earth with our feet,
we sing and take back our voice, we take back our truth,
we take back our language, we take back our body,
we take back our time, we take back our blood,
we take back our breath, we take back our freedom,
we take a deep breath, and the dignity of the water in our bodies keeps us flowing,
and our spirit returns, we beat our wings to life’s rhythm I return to the earth
I go back into the world
Kintzalij b’i pa ri ulew
kinel chi lo jun mul chi uwach ulew
¿Jas kinb’ano al Le’n maj chi wuk’ ri ruxlab’ ab’aqil?
¿Jas kinb’ano al Le’n maj chi wuk’ ri ruxlab’ ab’aqil?
Man kinaya ta kanoq tak ali
Itzel ali K’an ali
¡¿Jas kinb’ano?!
Are taq kinchomaj le rislam uxol awa’
Xuquje’ man kinkowin taj kintz’ubu’
Kinmalo, kinok chi upam
On xaq xewi kinwilo atch’analik
Chaya b’e chwech kinmatzej le apam
Kintij la le ki’ taq atz’um
Chakub’a nuk’ux al Le’n
Katwaj rumal ri kinrayij
Chi man utz ta kariqo
Kariqiqej k’ax par ri ak’aslemal
Are chi kattzalij lo wuk’
Chinakuyu al Le’n
Jat atija ronojel ri uwachulew
Xewi chab’ij na kan chwech
¿Jas kinb’ano maj chi wuk’ ri ruxlab’ ab’aqil?
What Am I Going to Do Without Your Smell, Elena?
What am I going to do without your smell, Elena?
don’t leave me, you bitch, you little piece of shit
What am I going to do?
When I think of your pussy and can’t suck, caress,
finger it, or at least see you naked?
let me cling to your belly
sucking your delicious breasts
comfort me, Elena
I love you and that’s why I want your life to go bad
to complete shit
so you come back to me
I’m sorry, Elena
leave, go take on the world
but first tell me
What am I going to do without your smell?
Kanimaj b’i ri qak’u’x wi kqilij taj
Kanimaj b’i ri qak’u’x wi kqilij taj
kuchap b’i ri ub’e we xyakataj royowal
kutij q’an ri ukunab’al wi xyowajik
eb’a’w kcha kan chi qech
maj royowal kanimaj b’ik
maj umak,
wi maj
maj chi qapatan
man oj loq’ob’al ta chik.
The Spirit Leaves If We Don’t Take Care of It
The spirit leaves if we don’t take care of it
forges its own path if it is bothered
takes its own medicine if it gets sick
it leaves, just like that, drifting over the sea
without saying goodbye
it moves on with no remorse
with no guilt.
In its absence
we cease to be sacred
we become something nameless.
Chinach’ab’ej pa ri utzijob’al ri q’ijsaq
Chinach’ab’ej pa ri utzijob’al ri q’ijsaq
chinayikiya’ pa ri kitz’inilem ri ch’umil
chinak’asuj aq’ab’il mojo’q chinwar chi jun mul
are chi katinloq’oj ruk’ ri tijotal waq’
are chi ri kch’anakat ach’ab’al ketz’an chwij
chinatzijob’el ruk’ ri uch’ab’al ri q’ij
chab’ij rax taq tzij chwech are chi kechaq’aj chwij
chab’ana’ jun che ri ab’i’ ruk’ ri wech
xuquje’ chinawaj ruk’ ri keb’ ak’u’x.
Speak to Me in the Language of Time
Speak to me in the language of time
shake me in the silence of the stars
wake me early before drifting back to sleep
so I can love you with my domesticated tongue
so your barefoot voice plays inside my body
speak to me with the sun’s tongue
tell me green words that ripen on my skin
join your name to mine
and love me with your two hearts.
1 Tijax: the K’iche’ name of a personal guardian spirit represented by an obsidian stone or knife; it is also a day of deep healing in the Maya calendar.
2 Tuj: an adobe or stone structure used for medicinal, ritual steam baths.
3 Pom: an incense made from tree resin.
Translated from Spanish to K’iche’ by María Guarchaj and Wel Raxulew
Translated from Spanish to English by Gabriela Ramirez-Chavez
Adapted from Daughters of Latin America, edited by Sandra Guzmán and reprinted with permission from Amistad,
an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright 2023.
