Alida Castañeda Guerra

Alida Castañeda Guerra

Ñawinchay, mayqin simipi: Runasimi castellano

Alida Castañeda Guerra –poet, narrator, scriptwriter, journalist, translator, social communicator, and radio and television producer. Director of the WillaqCuna storytellers’ collective.

I was born in Tambobamba (Cotabambas - Apurímac) on December seventeenth, nineteen hundred and forty-eight. I studied at the San Antonio Abad National University in Cusco and at CETUC Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Transhumant steps led me to work in different parts of the country — Cusco, Lima, Arequipa, Cerro de Pasco, Huaral and Huamanga (Ayacucho). I spent almost 30 years in Ayacucho.

I witnessed the entire era of the violence. Daily, death swept through the countryside. I wrote verses about the spilled blood. In the very pupil of pain. That which occurred is not something to be told again; I cried and I cried, so much that I became ill with the sorrow.

I worked on Perú’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission where I translated the most painful testimonies from Quechua into Spanish —once again, deep sorrows. To see how, passersby of different colors, some from above and others from below, massacred, raped, killed our people, the men and women of the Andes, of the ravines, of the valleys. Without knowing what or why, they were stripped of all that they loved, orphaned of everything. Without having anything to eat or to drink, the survivors were forced to flee, stumbling with each step, orphans, leaving behind their beloved ayllu communities and the disappeared, the tortured and the cruelly killed.

Spinning their bewilderment on injured, damaged spinning wheels they began to walk.

Chaymantan kay hariwikunata apachimuni, teqsimuytinmi yachanan imaynas qhelli makikuna k’anchariq llaqtakinata saruparan chayta. Amaña hayk’aq kutimunapaq.

Long literary silences have characterized my life. Sometimes for up to ten years I’ve lost the thread of my writing and many other things, yet when I returned the doors were always opened for me. I have published the following collections of poems: Voces Alzadas, Kayani: Astilla de luz/ Qayani kanchay qillpa, Ausencias y esperanzas and Quqawchayniy José María Arguedasman Haylli–Mi Sustento: Canto A José María Arguedas. I have also published the book Crónicas, memorias y algo más.

I direct the WillaqCuna storytellers’ collective and am the group’s lead script writer. We perform oral narrations that integrate a variety of artistic genres so that our voices might be heard more clearly. Our great strengths are that all members of the group are at least 65 years old, and we promote the Quechua culture in all of our presentations. We have performed in different settings, including: universities, cultural events, and at national and international writers’ conferences. We have performed throughout Perú, in Ecuador and most recently, for the University of Wisconsin.

I have narrated The Little Prince in Quechua for the Casa de la Literatura Peruana’s program Rimaykusunchis, translated the film Volver a ver into Quechua and I have dubbed the film Ciudad Jardín into Quechua, among other activities.

Alida Casteñada Guerra narrates the Quechua translation of The Little Prince for the “Rimaykusunchis” radio program sponsored by the literary association, Casa de la Literatura Peruana (House of Peruvian Literature).

Author's books

Chukllachallay

Chukllachaypa
taksachalla punkuchan
chullachalla kusillaki kamaqchan
chay kusillakicham
allichallamanta
pakapachalla
rikran mastarisqa yaykumuspam
tullpa patapi wiñay suyaq
kuyakuyta muchaykun

Ninanchikta
rawrarichimusun
muspaq qusñiqa
mana musyayllam
tutawan kuchka
wanpunqa

Manaya tariwasunchu

Killa mastarikuy pachapich
Kutimuy nanayta usiachisun
imaynaraq
ichaya ultima visllaña.

Qasquypin
huñukuykunqa
sunquchallaykiq kuyakuynin
pacha paqariytataq
ripuypataman purisaq

Icharaq kutimuyta
atiyman
ichallaraq.

Sik’isqa Súmaq Raphi

Tayta inti q’ello
q’ellunmanta tutayaypi
tikrakushiaqtinmi
wayrata mañakurqani
kutimunaykama sutiyki
waqaychananpaq

Tutayaq ñankunatan
hasp’irqani
qanta mashkaspay.
utuskurunapas
qaparimuspanmi
nimuwaran
manan rikunichu.
Manan hayk’aqpas
rikunichu nispa

K’irisqa puriyniytaqmi
salqa puriq chakiyta
churarqan q’alay q’alay
panpaman
manchakuy
sasachakuykunapi
urmanankama

Manaña tukukuq
llakiytaqmi kallpaytapas
tutayachiran.
Kikin hanaq pachapi
yupin saqeq yarqhatapas
hasp’ispaymi
purirqkani qanta
mashkaspay,
saphiykimanta sik’isqa
sumaq raphi.

Chiri paraq rit’inta
aparikuspaytaqmi
lluqsirqani intiwan
kushka. Ichaqa lliwmi
¡Chaniq ch’in!

Tuparqanin chunka,
pachak, waranqa ñoqa
hina puriqkuna
ch’uspanpi upallachisqa
qoqawnin apashaqwan.

Ch’usaqmi ñankuna
pachapas chinkarunmi

Warma weqeywan
qarpasqay purun
t’ikatan mashkashiani
rap’ichanpi kallpaykita
ñoqaq kallapaytawan
churaykuspa
sut’illanta qanta
nimunaypaq:
¡Tarisqaykin!
Wañunaykama
mashkaspapas
¡Tarirusqaykipunin!

Qarqusqa Ripuy

Pachaq tukuyninpim
warmakawsay puririn
auki taytakunawan kuskanchakuspa

Chakiykunataqmi
qallarisqa yupiyta muntipi saqin

Qarqausqa ripuytaqmi qallaykum

Maykaman purina?
Imam mikuna?
Imatam irqikunaman quna?
Maypim tutayaq punchawpi qanrachasqanku
sumaq warmikunaq mujun?
Imaraq chay tutapunchawpi
kawsaypa paqarimuynin?
Maypiraq sutinku?

Kukapa rapichallanmi
ñawsa tampiyninwan
ichu ichuk sunqunpi
puriyniyta pakan

Warmikunataqmi
llakinpatapi sunita sayan
payukunaqa
ritipa manaña kutimuq
kuchuyninmi

Mulliq huchuychalla ñawinchantaqmi
warma kawsayta pakan,
manchapakuspanmi
llaqtallayqa puririn
kay qarqusqa puriyqa ñuqaqmi nispa

Lliwchaykutaqmi puririniku
kirisqa puskapi
sachakuyniykuta awaspa

Chusaq Chunyaq Pacha, Chinkaq Pacha

Yupiykita qatipaspan
chinkaq runa masiy
mana reqsisqa ñankunapi
thampishiani

Kishkapas manan
kiskachu kasqa
rumipas llamp’u llamp’un
llakisqa puriq runapakqa

Qaqa ñankuna purisqaypitaqmi
ch’aki wayq’o ukukunamanta
wiqiywan karpasqa t’ika
paqarimushian

Imaynas Inti
tukuy p’unchaw purisqanpi k’anchaynita
ñawsayachin
chhaynan hatun llakiq ñit’isqan
suyani
mama killaq
lluqsimuyninta

Manaña samayniyuqtaqmi
wayraman llakiyta
q’ipichishiani
rumi patapi saqeykuspa
qaqaq sonqonpi
waqaychananpaq

Maypiraq kanki wasimasillay
maypiraq llaqtamasiy
maypiraq kanki runa masillay
piraq mana munashiaqta apasunki

Puku pukullan willariwan
yawar mayupin
tullullanña tuytushian
kishka patapin chukchallanña
qheparun nispa

(Taki)
“Ay tuytunki tutunki
yawar mayupis
tuytunki”

Niwantaqmi
manan kunanqa
kinsallachu pacha
nitaqmi uku pacha, kay pacha
hanaq pachallachu.
Ayacuchukunapa
K’irisqa sonqunmantan rikhurimun
huk mana reqsisqa pacha
chinkaq ch’usaq pacha nisqa

Khuyasqayki runa masiykitaqa
ñawinta tutayarachispankun
wikch’uykunku
allpaq sonqonpi
q’osñi yakuyuq
mayuman

Chay yaqa kallpaypa atipasqan
uyarishiaqtiymi
qori rapra siwarq’enti
chay mana hayk’aq
tutakunapi phawaq urpi
rikraypatapi tiyaramuspa
rinrillayman takiykamun

Sutinqa manam
thasnukunqachu
manan ushpayanqachu
sichuri yuyaniykipi
sonqoykupi allinta
mat’iykunki chayqa, nispa.

Kutimunqan
qoyllurkunaq marq’arisqan
tayta intipa kanchayninwan
mama killapa llanthunpi kutimullanqan

Chaymi sunita sayanki
mana hayk’aq qunquraspa
mana piman pituchakuspa mamay.

Chay chunyaq
pachatan
wachachimusun
allin samaypi
musuq kawsayman

Manaña pipas
manaña maypas
manaña hayk’aqpas
muchuy wañuy
kutichimunanpaq

Chaymi llakyniypa q’aytunta
Kururaspa
allinta kallpachakuspay
sunita sayarini
mana qhipata qhawaripa

¡kutimuy! ¡kutimuy!
nispan qaparini

Ñoqa
hatun sonqo warmi
mamakunaq maman
uyariruni nanasqa qoyqukunata

Huñumuy mamay
yana makikunaq kuchusqan
chaki makiyta
umayta, rikrayta kutichimuy

(Taki)
“Siwarq’entillay
qori rapracha
maypitaq kanki”

Kaypin kashiani mamallay
suyashiaykin
kaypipuni
rapraywan wisq´aykusun
wiñaypaq
chay ch’in chay ch´usaq pachata mana hayk’aq
khuyasqayki wawaykikunata mullp´urunanpaq

(Taki)
“Haku mamay puririsun
wawaykita mashkamusun”

Kutimunqan musuq kawsay
hamunqan alli allin kawsay

Hinan kanqa
hinapunin