The Gueguence A Comedy Ballet in the Nahuatl-Spanish Dialect of Nicaragua Part 28

_Gueguence._

Sor. Regidor Real, asaneganeme Castilla en chocola de vino.

_Regidor._

Siguale, Gueguence.

_Gueguence._

Amigo Cap^n Alg^l M^{or} asaneganeme Castilla en chocola de vino.

_Alguacil._

Siguale, Gueguence.

_Gueguence._

Pues nosotros, a la gorra, muchachos!

FIN.

73

_Don For._ Yes, there is, little papa.

_Gue._ Governor Tastuanes, let me offer you some Spanish wine, as a treat.

_Gov._ Follow him, Gueguence.

_Gue._ Mr. Secretary, let me offer you some Spanish wine, as a treat.

_Sec._ Follow him, Gueguence.

_Gue._ Mr. Registrar, let me offer you some Spanish wine, as a treat.

_Reg._ Follow him, Gueguence.

_Gue._ Friend Captain Chief Alguacil, let me offer you some Spanish wine, as a treat.

_Alg._ Follow him, Gueguence.

_Gue._ Then, for us, boys; we'll get it for nothing, and drink it ourselves.

END.

NOTES.

_Page 4._ The Dramatis Personae. These have been discussed in the Introduction, page xlv. I may add that the "Regidor de Cana" may be for "Regidor Decano." Otherwise I do not see a meaning to it. The term "Alguacil" might be translated "constable," or "bailiff."

_Page 6._ The salutations exchanged between the Alguacil and Governor are repeated frequently between the characters. In the first, the words would seem to be the Nahuatl _matataca_, to beg, to pray, and _miecpialia_, to watch over, to protect; in the reply, for the latter is subst.i.tuted _miequilia_, to prosper, followed by _qualli_, good, or well. The terminal _s_, in _mispiales_, _miscuales_, is probably a remnant of the Spanish _os_, you. _No pilse_ is the vocative _nopiltze_, my dear son, compounded of the inseparable possessive p.r.o.noun of the first person, _no_, and _tepiltzin_, an affectionate or reverential form, from the root _pilli_. The expression need not be taken as literally meaning relations.h.i.+p, as the Nahuas used the formula _nopiltzintzine_ in addressing all persons of position. "_Ma moyolicaizin_, _Nopiltzintzine_, seas bien venido, o il.u.s.tre Senor." Carochi, _Gram. Mex._, p. 20.

_Ya tiguala neme_, I take to be _ye tiqualli tinemi_, in which _ye_ is a particle of contraposition, and both the adjective-adverb _qualli_, and the verb _nemi_, to live, to be, are preceded by the second personal p.r.o.noun _ti_. The compound _mascamayagua_ appears to be from _maxca_, yours, literally, your thing (_mo_, your, _axca_, thing), and the optative particle _mayecuele_, equivalent to the Spanish _ojala_; hence the meaning is "yours to command," or "at your service."

In his next words the Governor uses a phrase which is repeated by various speakers with a "d.a.m.nable iteration" throughout the comedy.

_Simocague_ would, in pure Nahuatl, be _ximocauoltia_, the imperative second person singular, of the compulsive form of _mocaua_, to cease, to stop, or to suspend something. The noun _mocacaua_ is the word for the pauses or intervals in music. The reason for the frequent repet.i.tion of the request, I suppose to be that in the ancient exhibitions of the drama numerous a.s.sistants joined in dancing, singing and playing on musical instruments; and when a specified ballet was to be performed, or an important conversation to be repeated, they were courteously addressed, and requested to be silent for a time. Dr. Valentine tells me that in Guatemala the term _gente princ.i.p.al_ is commonly used to designate the most prominent inhabitants of a pueblo.

_Necana y paltechua_, Nahuatl words, united by the Spanish conjunction. The former is Nah. _nequaniliztli_, dancing motions; the latter, elsewhere written _palechua_ and _paleguisa_, is a corruption of _paleuqui_, suitable, or appropriate things. _Hemo_, a form of Sp. _hemos_, is an antiquated expression for _tenemos_.

The word _mo_ in the expression _mo Cabildo Real_ may be the Spanish _mio_, my; or the Nah. _mo_, thy, thine. The _Cabildo_ was originally the chapter of a religious house, and later a council, but at present it is applied in Central America to the munic.i.p.al courts, and the house in which they sit.

_Page 8._ In the second reply of the Alguacil on this page there are evidently several words omitted which I have supplied in brackets in the translation. The same has occurred elsewhere, and it was to be expected, as nearly all the Nahuatl expressions have become unintelligible to the native population of the present generation.

As most of these formulas are repeated several times, we can approximate to what the full expression should be.

_Ya nemo niqui nistipampa_, is a frequent reply in the play to a formal salutation of a superior. I have translated it as some corruption of the Nahuatl words, _ye nemonequi nixtlipampa_, literally, "my presence is proper," _i. e._, "I am present before you, as is my duty." The Alguacil, as having charge of the patrol, hastens to speak of its wretched uniform. The adjective _sesule_, constantly applied to Gueguence, evidently in a depreciatory manner, is probably from the Nah. _tculli_, worthless.

_Page 10._ While the Governor and Alguacil are conversing, Gueguence and his sons enter, and overhear the last directions of the Governor. All three understand whom he means, but it is the cue of Gueguence to a.s.sume a different signification. To the brusque rejoinder of Don Ambrosio he pretends to be deaf, and this feigned difficulty of hearing is depended on as one of the main elements of the comic throughout.

The epithet _mala casta_, of bad blood, as applied by Gueguence to his own (putative) son, becomes intelligible later in the play, where it is stated that he was begotten during his legal father's absence in Mexico.

_Embustero_, which I have rendered "humbug," is more exactly a boasting, bragging charlatan. Dr. Valentine suggests "blower," in the slang sense of that word.

_Page 12._ _Asuyungua._ The numerous words which begin in _asu_, _asa_, and _ase_, seem to be compounds with the Nah _aco_, "perhaps," used in introducing a positive statement mildly, or in presenting a question in the form of an a.s.sertion, as _aco amo timocahua_, "perhaps you have not fasted," meaning "you surely have not." (Carochi.) It is usually combined with other particles, and the a.n.a.lysis of such compounds in the altered form presented in the text becomes exceedingly uncertain.

After the announcement of his person and official position by the Alguacil, Gueguence repeats his t.i.tles in a tone of affected admiration, and inquires after his staff of office, which was not visible. This staff was all-important to the dignity of an alcalde or alguacil. In Nahuatl this official is called _topile_, he who carries the staff, from _topilli_, staff.

_Page 14._ Gueguence, who has no desire to appear before the Governor, makes an excuse that he will learn how to fly, and is about leaving, when he is called back by the Alguacil. The words _te calas_, _qui provincia real_, should probably read, _ticalaquia presencia real_, the first from _calaquia_, to enter, as on page 8.

_Page 16._ Having agreed to take a lesson in etiquette, Gueguence pretends quite to misunderstand the Alguacil, when he claims pay for his instructions.

_Redes_, "nets" of salted fish. The reference is to the method adopted by the Indians of Central America in carrying burdens. This is in a net which is suspended between the shoulders by means of a strap which pa.s.ses across the forehead. Such a net is called in Nicaragua _matate_, and in pure Nahuatl, _matlauacalli_; the strap or band by which it is supported is the _mecapal_, Nah. _mecapalli_.

When the material to be transported is a fluid, a jar of earthenware is suspended in the same manner. A small earthenware cup, found in Nicaragua exhibits this, and also some ingenuity of arrangement. It represents a woman, with one of these jars on her back, seated. (See p. 78.)

_Page 18._ _Ojos de sapo muerto_, lit. "eyes of a dead toad." Such eyes were considered to exercise an evil influence, and to bring bad luck.

_Page 20._ _Doblar._ This Spanish word means to toll a bell, as at a death. Gueguence chooses to understand the Alguacil's demand for _doubloons_ to be a request to _doblar_, and hastens to announce to his sons that the Alguacil has suddenly died.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CUP FROM NICARAGUA.]

_Page 24._ The coins which Gueguence names are those of the old Spanish currency. A cuarto was a bra.s.s piece, equal to a half-penny English, or one American cent (Delpino, _Spanish and English Dictionary_, 1763.) It was worth four maravedis, and eight cuartos equaled a _real de vellon_.

The phrase _maneta congon_ is of uncertain signification. I have translated the first word as the imperative form of _nextia_, to show, to disclose; _congon_ may perhaps be a corruption of _conetontli_, boy.