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Fifteen Poets of the Aztec World

Miguel Leon-Portilla

328 Pages
1992

Fifteen Poets of the Aztec World

University of Oklahoma Press

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Fifteen Poets of the Aztec World - Summary

This groundbreaking work presents the first comprehensive English translation of Nahuatl poetry from the pre-Columbian era, featuring fifteen distinguished poets from the Aztec civilization. Through meticulous research and collaboration with Grace Lobanov, Miguel Leรณn-Portilla unveils the rich tapestry of Aztec literary tradition, bringing to life the voices of fourteen male poets and one female poet who composed their "flower and song" during the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. The book reconstructs their biographies and presents their surviving works in both Nahuatl and English, offering modern readers unprecedented access to the sophisticated literary heritage of the Aztec world.

Key Ideas

1

Cultural Preservation and Translation

The book serves as a crucial bridge between ancient Nahuatl literature and contemporary readers, preserving indigenous poetic traditions that survived the Spanish Conquest through careful translation and contextual analysis.

2

Poetic Expression in Nahuatl Culture

The concept of "flower and song" represents the Aztec understanding of poetry as a means of expressing profound truths about existence, divinity, and the human experience, demonstrating the sophistication of pre-Columbian literary traditions.

3

Historical Documentation

Through biographical accounts and preserved verses, the work provides valuable insights into the intellectual and artistic life of the central Mexican highlands during a pivotal period of indigenous civilization.

FAQ's

The poems survived through a combination of indigenous "codices," oral traditions, and transcriptions made by young native scholars in two manuscripts following the Spanish Conquest.

This is the first major English translation of its kind, offering unprecedented access to Aztec literary works while providing crucial biographical context about the poets who created them.

"Flower and song" is a Nahuatl metaphor representing the combination of poetry, art, and symbolism, reflecting the Aztec understanding of artistic expression as a means of capturing eternal truths.

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