Florentine Codex Book 11

1) Second Chapter, which telleth of all the different kinds of birds...
’In shrubs, in trees it makes itself a nest, it lays eggs, hatches its young. It has only two eggs; its young are rare. Its food is flower honey, flower nectar. It is whirring, active [in flight]... it flies, darts, chirps. In the winter it hibernates. It inserts its bill in a tree... and when it thunders for rain, at that time it awakens, moves, comes to life.’ -----

2) Third Chapter, which telleth of all the animals which dwell in the water...
’Thus are turtles captured: only at night when they come out of the sea. And on the sand the fishermen lie in wait as the turtles come out arranged in order. When they have emerged, the fishermen quickly pounce upon them to throw one on its back. There it lies... Later they gather them without haste, for once they have fallen upon their backs, no longer can they right themselves again.’ -----

3) Fifth Chapter, which telleth of the various serpents, and of still other creatures which live on the ground
’Its wings are twofold. It has arms, it has legs, it has antennae. It is a flyer, a constant flyer, a flutterer, a sucker of the different flowers, and a sucker of liquid. It is fuzzy. It trembles, it beats its wings together, it constantly flies. It sucks, it sucks liquid. It is not solid. There are many kinds of butterflies.’ -----

4) Sixth Chapter, which telleth of the various trees, and of the various properties which correspond to them, such as their strength
’The name of the fruit of this nopal is tuna. It is round, with a top like a spindle whorl, the top filled out, round, slender-based. it is prickly, full of thorns. It has a skin; it has a centre. Its flesh is fine-textured, juicy... I pick the tuna. I eat the tuna. I tear the inside of it apart. I break up the inside of it. I peel it. There are many kinds of nopal. They stand in many places.’ -----

5) Seventh Chapter, which telleth of all the different herbs
’It is slender, tall, like a stone column. It spreads an aroma... it has cup-like [blossoms]... a really pleasing odour is their aroma. The tree, the blossom, its foliage, all are of pleasing odour, all perfumed, all aromatic.
I cut [the blossoms], spread them out, arrange them, cover them with leaves, thread them, make a flower mat of them... [The perfume spreads over the whole land, swirls, constantly swirls, spreads constantly swirling, spreads billowing.’ -----

6) ‘It is the maguey from which potable maguey syrup comes... The maguey fibre comes from it, the kind which can be dressed, spun; from which capes are made; which can be twisted, dyed, darkened. From the maguey comes the spine, the one which serves to pierce, to puncture...
I plant the maguey. I transplant the maguey. I set out the maguey. I sow the maguey. I press the maguey in. The maguey takes hold, takes root, buds, sets a node, grows, sends out fresh leaves, enlarges, matures, forms a stalk. I break up the plant. I break up the maguey. I pierce the centre. I pierce the stalk. I clean the surface. I scrape it. I remove the maguey syrup. I remove the maguey syrup... I heat the maguey syrup. I make wine. I scrape the maguey leaf. I dress the maguey fibre to extract the fibre.’ -----

7) ‘I offer flowers. I sow flower [seeds]. I plant flowers. I assemble flowers. I remove flowers. I pick flowers... I seek flowers. I offer flowers. I arrange flowers. I thread a flower. I string flowers. I make flowers. I form them to be extending, uneven, rounded, round bouquets of flowers.
I make a flower necklace, a flower garland, a paper of flowers, a bouquet, a flower shield, hand flowers. I thread them. I string them. I provide them with grass. I provide them with leaves. I make a pendant of them...’ -----

8) Eighth Chapter, which telleth of all the precious stones
’And those of experience, the advised, these look for [a precious stone]. In this manner [they see], they know where it is: they can see that it is breathing, [smoking], giving off vapour. Early, at early dawn, when [the sun] comes up, they find where to place themselves, where to stand; they face the sun. And when the sun has already come up, they are truly very attentive in looking... Wherever they can see that something like a little smoke [column] stands, that one of them is giving off a vapour, this one is the precious stone... And if they are not successful, if it is only barren where the little [column of] smoke stands, thus they know that the precious stone is there in the earth.
’Then they dig. There they see, there they find the precious stone... And thus do they know that this precious stone is there: [the herbs] always grow fresh; they grow green. They say this is the breath of the green stone, and its breath is very fresh.’ -----

9) ‘Quetzalchalchihuitl. The name of this comes from quetzalli [quetzal feather], then from chalchihuitl [green stone], because its appearance is like the quetzal feather, so green, so herb-green is it. And its body is as dense as the green stone. Also it is an attracter of moisture. It attracts, it exudes moisture. It is perfect, fine, well-textured; it has iridescent colours; it is shaded, flint-like, easy to work.’ -----

10) Twelfth Chapter, in which are mentioned, are named, the different kinds of water and the different kinds of earth
’I travel the road, I travel the main road. I widen it, broaden it, narrow it - make it narrow. I sweep the road, I clean it up, I improve it.
’I take it straight ahead; I go directly along it; I go straight on it. I clear it of weeds. I go down it, I go up it; I travel directly along it. I follow its curve, I follow its curves. I double back on it. I follow the winding road. I break off [my journey] along it... -----

11) Thirteenth Chapter, which telleth of all the kinds of sustenance
’It is our sustenance, product of the fields, of the dry lands, of Matlatzinco, of the Mazahua... The yellow maize ear is hardened, hard, transparent; it glistens, it is clear...
’The dried maize ear - the maize of the irrigated lands, of the fertile lands, of the chinampas, of Chalco, of the Tlateputzcatl, or the Tlalhuica, of the east, of Michoacan, of the Totonaca, of Anahuac - is large, a large maize ear. Its kernels are thick, fat, long, the first. They are soft - soft, feather-like, long, spongy.’ -----