[Lyric] Of the Creation of the World (The Quiche People)

This is the account of how all was in suspense, all calm, in silence; all motionless, still, and the expanse of the sky was empty.This is the first account, the first narrative. There was neither man, nor animal, birds, fish, crabs,trees, stones, caves, ravines, grasses, nor forests; there was only the sky.The surface of the earth had not appeared. There was only the calm sea and the great expanse of the sky.There was nothing brought together, nothing which could make a noise, nor anything which might move, or tremble, or could make noise in the sky.There was nothing standing; only the calm water, the placid sea, alone and tranquil. Nothing existed.

There was only immobility and silence in the darkness, in the night. Only the creator, the Maker,Tepeu, Gucumatz, the Forefathers, were in the water surrounded with light. They were hidden under green and blue feathers, and were therefore called Gucumatz. By nature they were great sages and great thinkers. In this manner the sky existed and also the Heart of Heaven, which isthe name of God and thus He is called.Then came the word. Tepeu and Gucumatz came together in the darkness, in the night, and Tepeuand Gucumatz talked together. They talked then, discussing and deliberating; they agreed, they united their words and their thoughts.Then while they meditated, it became clear to them that when dawn would break, man must appear. Then they planned the creation, and the growth of the trees and the thickets and the birth of life and the creation of man.

Thus it was arranged in the darkness and in the night by the Heartof Heaven who is called Huracán.The first is called Caculhá Huracán. The second is Chipi-Caculhá. The third is Raxa-Caculhá.And these three are the Heart of Heaven. Then Tepeu and Gucumatz came together; then they conferred about life and light, what they would do so that there would be light and dawn, who it would be who would provide food and sustenance.Thus let it be done! Let the emptiness be filled! Let the water recede and make a void, let the earth appear and become solid; let it be done. Thus they spoke. Let there be light, let there bedawn in the sky and on the earth! There shall be neither glory nor grandeur in our creation and formation until the human being is made, man is formed. So they spoke.

Then the earth was created by them. So it was, in truth, that they created the earth. Earth! They said, and instantly it was made. Like the mist, like a cloud, and like a cloud of dust was the creation, when the mountains appeared from the water; and instantly the mountains grew. Only by a miracle, only by magic art were the mountains and valleys formed; and instantly the groves of cypresses and pines put forth shoots together on the surface of the earth. And thus Gucumatz was filled with joy, and exclaimed:

“Your coming has been fruitful, Heart of Heaven; and you, Huracán, and you, Chipi-Caculhá, Raxa-Caculhá!”

“Our work, our creation shall be finished,” they answered.

First the earth was formed, the mountains and the valleys; the currents of water were divided, therivulets were running freely between the hills, and the water was separated when the high mountains appeared. Thus was the earth created, when it was formed by the Heart of Heaven, the Heart of Earth, as they are called who first made it fruitful, when the sky was in suspense, and the earth was submerged in the water.So it was that they made perfect the work, when they did it after thinking and meditating upon it