Lamentations of Nezahualcóyotl: Nahuatl Poems

Lamentations of Nezahualcóyotl: Nahuatl PoemsFrom award winning author, editor, and translator Ilan Stavans comes a one of a kind retelling of a legendary Aztec ruler's timeless verses. A king, a warrior, and a poet, Nezahualcyotl was a revolutionary ahead of his time. Born in 1402, the ruler whose name means 'hungry coyote' in the Uto Aztecan language of Nahuatl led the city state of Texcoco through its age of enlightenment. His four decade reign was among the most transformative and prosperous

From award-winning author, editor, and translator Ilan Stavans comes a one-of-a-kind retelling of a legendary Aztec ruler's timeless verses.

A king, a warrior, and a poet, Nezahualcóyotl was a revolutionary ahead of his time. Born in 1402, the ruler--whose name means 'hungry coyote' in the Uto-Aztecan language of Nahuatl--led the city-state of Texcoco through its age of enlightenment. His four-decade reign was among the most transformative and prosperous eras of the Aztec Empire. Today he is a hero in Mexico, seen as a mysterious, powerful, anti-colonial figure.

Brimming with longing, this epic collection of songs and poems was composed by Nezahualcóyotl with members of his illustrious court. Six centuries later, in a powerful translation by Ilan Stavans and with new illustrations by Cuauhtémoc Wetzka, twenty-two poems bring to life a young warrior's journey from exile to historical legend. Anguished and unforgettable, Lamentations of Nezahualcóyotl will thrill readers of Latin American literature for years to come.