El Popol Vuh, libro sagrado de los mayas k'iche', da cuenta del universo maya, de la pluralidad de sus dioses, de la diversidad del mundo natural y del origende la humanidad. Es un relato a la vez mítico e histórico, actual y ancestral. Por su honda reflexión sobre la existencia, supera la dimensión cultural maya y se presenta como una obra universal. El refinamiento poéticoy la riqueza sim­bólica hacen del Popol Vuh obra cumbre de laliteratura indígena y patrimonio poético de la humanidad.

En esta edición del Popol Vuh, traducida y editada por especialistas en cultura maya, se ha respetado la estructurapoética k'iche', al representar gráficamente el compás semántico de la versificación maya; para generar esa lectura, se alineó el texto a la derecha.

Traducción al español de MICHELA E. CRAVERI
Edición y cronología de LAURA ELENA SOTELO

Prólogo de LAURA ELENA SOTELO y MICHELA E. CRAVERI

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

"...everything was clear,
everything was in from of him...
there was now a way to see
there was a book
Popol Wuj was what they named it."

The Popol Vuh, sacred book of the K'iche' Mayas, gives an account of the Mayan universe, the plurality of their gods, the diversity of nature, and the origin of humanity. It is a story that is both mythical and historical, current and ancestral. Due to its deep reflection about existence, it surpasses the Mayan cultural dimension and it becomes a universal work. A great poetic elegance and a richness in symbolism make the Popol Vuh the epitome of indigenous literature and becomes one of humanity's poetic patrimonies.

This edition of the Popol Vuh, translated and edited by Mayan culture specialists, is being true to the K'iche' poetic structure, by explicitly representing the semantic compass of Mayan versification. In order to achieve that reading that was intended, the text was aligned to the right.