Prayer Index: Native Faiths - South American Prayers

Prayer of Offering
Prayer in Lamentation

I Shall Never Disappear
Prayer for Healing
Prayer for Death

Prayer of Offering (Incan)

Creator! You who dwell at the ends of the earth unrivaled, you who gave being and power to men, saying to man: "let this be man!" and saying to woman: "let this be woman!" So saying, you made them, shaped them, gave them being.

These you created; watch over them! Let them be safe and well, unharmed, living in peace. Where are you? Up in the sky? Or down below? In clouds? In storms? Hear me, answer me, acknowledge me, give us perpetual life, hold us forever within your hand. Receive the offering wherever you are, Creator!

Prayer in Lamentation (Aztec)

I lift my voice in wailing.
I am afflicted,
as I remember that we must leave the beautiful flowers, the noble songs.

Let us enjoy ourselves for awhile.
Let us sing, for we must depart forever,
we are to be destroyed in our dwelling place.

It is indeed known to our friends how it pains and angers us that never again can they be born, never again be young on this earth.

Yet a little while with them here, then never more shall I be with them, nevermore enjoy them, nevermore know them.

Where shall my soul dwell? Where is my home? I am miserable on Earth.
We take, we unwind the jewels, the blue flowers are woven over the yellow ones, that we may give them to the children.

Let my soul be draped in various flowers.
Let it be intoxicated by them;
for soon I must weeping go before the face of our Mother.

I Shall Never Disappear (Nezahualcoyolt)

I am intoxicated. I weep. I grieve. I think. I speak.
Within myself, I discover this:
Indeed I shall never die, Indeed I shall never disappear.

There where there is no death, there where death is overcome, let me go there.
Indeed I shall never die, Indeed I shall never disappear.

Prayer for Healing

Happily I recover.
Happily my interior becomes cool.
Happily I go forth.

My interior now feeling cool, may I walk.
No longer sore, may I walk.
As it used to be long ago, may I walk.

Happily, with abundant dark clouds, may I walk.
Happily, with abundant showers, may I walk.
Happily, with abundant plants, may I walk.

Happily, on a trail of pollen, may I walk.
Happily, may I walk.

Prayer for Death (Incan-Peruvian)

O Creator of men, Thy servant speaks.
Then look on him, O King of Heaven.
Do not forget me, O Thou noble Creator,
O Thou of my dreams.

Dost Thou forget, I am on the point of death?
Wilt Thou ignore my prayer,
Or wilt Thou know make known,
Who Thou art?

Thou mayst be what I thought,
Yet perchance Thou art a phantom,
A thing that causes fear.
Oh, that I might know!

Oh, that it could be revealed!
Thou who made me out of Earth,
And of clay formed me.
Oh look upon me!

Who art Thou, O Creator?
Now I am very old!