There is no Gloss to this hymn, but its signification seems clear. _Huitznahuac_ was a name applied to several edifices in the great temple at Tenochtitlan, as we are informed at length by Sahagun. The word is a locative from _huitznahua_. This term means "magicians from the south" or "diviners with thorns," and was applied in the Quetzalcoatl mythical cyclus to the legendary enemies of Huitzilopochtli, whom he is said to have destroyed as soon as he was born. (See my discussion of this myth in _Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society_ for 1887.) Apparently to perpetuate the memory of this exploit, the custom was, at the festival of Huitzilopochtli, for the slaves who were to be sacrificed to form two bands, one representing the Huitznahua and the other the partisans of the god, and to slaughter each other until the arrival of the god Paynal put an end to the combat (Sahagun, _Historia_, Lib. II., cap. 34). The song here given belongs to this portion of the ancient rite.
1. The _tlacochcalli_, "house of arrows" (_tlacochtli_, arrow, _calli_, house), was a large hall in the temple of Huitzilopochtli where arrows, spears and other arms were kept (Sahagun, Lib. VIII., cap. 32).
2. The "adornment from the south" refers to the meaning of the name _Huitznahua_. (See Glossary.)
3. Sahagun (_ubi sup._) informs us that the slaves condemned to die fought against free warriors, and when any of the latter were captured they were promptly put to death by their captors.
1. Ahuia Mexico teutlaneuiloc amapanitla anauhcampa, ye moquetzquetl, aoyequene y chocaya.
2. Ahuia anneuaya niyocoloc, annoteua eztlamiyaual, aylhuiçolla nic yauicaya teutiualcoya.
3. Ahuia annotequiua naualpilli aquitlanella motonacayouh tic yachiuh quitla catlachtoquetl, çan mitziyapinauia.
4. Ahuia cana catella nechyapinauia anechyaca uelmatia, anotata yn oquacuillo ocelocoatl aya.
5. Ahuia tlallocana, xiuacalco aya quizqui aquamotla, acatonalaya.
6. Ahuia xiyanouia, nahuia xiyamotecaya ay poyauhtla, ayauh chicauaztica, ayauicalo tlallocanaya.
7. Aua nacha tozcuecuexi niyayalizqui aya y chocaya.
8. Ahuia queyamica xinechiuaya, temoquetl aitlatol, aniquiya ilhuiquetl, tetzauhpilla niyayalizqui aya y chocaya.