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��INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AMERICAN LINGUISTICS

��VOL. I

��At midnight, when the girl is asleep, a candle is lighted and the two figures placed in a jicara or bowl of water where they float. The prayer is then recited and a ceremonial song sung five times to the accompaniment of the musical bow. Five ceremonial circuits of the bowl are then made and the charm is complete. If the figures have floated to- gether, the prayer will be answered; if they have parted, the case is hopeless.

The prayer is replete with allegory and ceremonial allusions.

TRANSLATION

Hail! thou who art called the Intoxicated Woman who wast created beneath the east, intoxicated. We beg thy forgiveness, thou that belongest beneath the seven beautiful heavens. Thou shalt return, formed as thou art with thy beauteous figure. I ask that thou wilt intoxicate the woman whom I crave, who am arrayed with pretty flowers.

Likewise do I beseech the Flower Man. For I am arrayed with the pretty flower of guizache. She must look upon me, this woman whom I covet; I ask that she look upon me, that no other flower shall please her but the one with which I am arrayed, sadly appearing here. She must not crave another flower but that with which I am arrayed, the flower of palo mulato. This only shall she like. And likewise the flowers of rosa maria and garambullo of which I am made. I wish that she shall want me, this woman whom I crave, who was created be- neath the seven beautiful heavens. Beneath the east did she appear, arrayed with pretty flowers. Thence did her father and her mother send her, arrayed with her beauteous form.

Likewise do I beseech her father and her mother that they forgive me. She must give herself unto me, this woman whom I covet. For I am arrayed with the flower of toloache. Therefore do I ask that this woman shall want me, and also she who is called the

��Intoxicated Woman who belongeth beneath the seven beautiful heavens.

Thus do I beseech the Flower Man who dwelleth on the great rocky slopes.

So be it. May God bless you.

��36. TO SECURE A BRIDE

a'nicb6 - 'him a'piam.ha'pum.a-'gat i'nim6 I hither come; thou not thus shouldst think here

konticanboidu'viac to"nimor.va.umni'ok'iD that I did here hither have arrived unbidden*

already to thee speak.

hoga'k-6't api'ctunha'gicda

that-with thou me wilt pardon

porke na''numn6it na'psoi'ma'c

because that I thee behold that thou sad*

appearest.

ku'hoga'kot anicto"nim6r.ba"umnio'k'it

Then that-with I unbidden already thee speak.

ku'animok.modQr namaivanioki dios Then afar-from that he hence already speaks God

na'pua'ptuf ci'vgo'k' o-'hi to'tvak- that he is seven beautiful skies

��pero But

��dam on. create

��nava-rdo"6f who is her mother

ci'vgo'k' seven

��abimo' natpuvaho'madi 1

There that he 1 did already*

��O- 'gat- her father

hi'kom&ra cloud within.

��h&ga that

hoga That

��navaric.to'dok- o-'hi ha'vu.6ra

which is green beautiful jicara within

natpuho'mad'idak natpuhivisaptiik dS'u't- that he did form that he did hide carry her*

mother

o-'gat natpuaniho'vanra'ci'r ta'tpan her father. Then she did hereabouts appear in* the legs

natpuvaso's'oigim natsa'sa kuamiho'dor that she did already sorrowing that she did*

weep. Then there-from

1 The parents seem to be generally spoken of in the singular number, inclusively.

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