1. K’UHUL AJAW (Ancient Mayan)

[Intro — low priestly invocation] K’in tun… k’in tun… Mih ha’… mih ha’al… K’uhul ajaw… Aj k’in… [Verse 1] K’uhul ajaw, chumul ti tz’am K’uhbaj mayij tu k’uhil Chokow pom ta k’uh nah Chak ha’al—hul way! [Pre-Chorus — clipped call and response] Aj k’in! Joch’ k’ab! Aj k’in! K’uhbaj mayij! K’uhul ajaw! Ak’ ha’! Chak! Hul way! [Chorus] Mih ha’al! Mih ixim! K’in tun ta kab! Nabaj uk’ik’el— Mih ha’al! K’uhul ajaw! K’uhul ajaw! A k’aba’ ti chan, A k’aba’ ta tun— Mih ha’al! [Verse 2] Cham winik ti nah Mih we’, mih ha’ K’a’ ixim ta lum El k’in ti chan K’ak’ yol kab [Pre-Chorus 2 — the ritual accelerates] Chokow pom! Joch’ k’ab! K’uhbaj mayij! Chokow k’ik’! Nabaj uk’ik’el! Ma’ tapal uk’ak’ k’in! [Chorus 2 — priests and crowd in violent response] Mih ha’al! Mih ixim! K’in tun ta kab! Nabaj uk’ik’el— Mih ha’al! K’uhul ajaw! K’uhul ajaw! Ak’ mayij! Ak’ k’ik’! Chak ha’al—hul way! Mih ha’al! [Bridge — the king alone; half-time beneath the pulse] Ni k’aba’ ti chan Ni k’aba’ ta tun Ma’ tapal uk’ak’ k’in Ma’ tzutz ajawlil K’uhbaj mayij! Joch’ k’ab! Nabaj uk’ik’el! Chak ha’al—hul way! [Guitar Solo — jagged dissonance over accelerating ritual drums] [Final Chorus — the crowd answers the king] Mih ha’al! Mih ixim! K’in tun ta kab! Nabaj uk’ik’el— Mih ha’al! K’uhul ajaw? K’uhul ajaw? A k’aba’ ti chan, A k’aba’ ta tun— Mih ha’al! Ma’ k’uhul! Ma’ ajaw! Mih ha’al! [Outro — temple voices collapse into three unison strikes] Tapal uk’ak’! Tzutz ajawlil! Mih ha’al! ———————— English Translation ———————— THE DIVINE KING [Intro — low priestly invocation] Drought… drought… No water… no rain… Divine king… Priest… [Verse 1] The divine king sits upon the throne An offering is laid before his god He casts copal inside the temple Great rain—come here! [Pre-Chorus — clipped call and response] Priest! Pierce the hand! Priest! Lay down the offering! Divine king! Give us water! Rain god! Come here! [Chorus] There is no rain! There is no maize! Drought lies over the land! His blood becomes a pool— There is no rain! Divine king! Divine king! Your name is in the sky, Your name is carved upon the stone— There is no rain! [Verse 2] The people die inside their homes No food and no water The maize dwindles in the soil The sun burns in the sky Fire is the heart of the land [Pre-Chorus 2 — the ritual accelerates] Cast the copal! Pierce the hand! Lay down the offering! Cast the blood! His blood becomes a pool! The fire of the sun must not go out! [Chorus 2 — priests and crowd in violent response] There is no rain! There is no maize! Drought lies over the land! His blood becomes a pool— There is no rain! Divine king! Divine king! Give the offering! Give blood! Great rain—come here! There is no rain! [Bridge — the king alone; half-time beneath the pulse] My name is in the sky My name is carved upon the stone The fire of the sun will not go out Kingship will not end Lay down the offering! Pierce the hand! Let his blood become a pool! Great rain—come here! [Guitar Solo] [Final Chorus — the crowd answers the king] There is no rain! There is no maize! Drought lies over the land! His blood becomes a pool— There is no rain! Divine king? Divine king? Your name is in the sky, Your name is carved upon the stone— There is no rain! Not divine! No king! No rain! [Outro — temple voices collapse into three unison strikes] The fire is extinguished! Kingship ends! There is no rain!