the black, the red; the black ink, the red paint/dye; a metaphor for writings, especially early writings and paintings, such as codices (see attestations)
tlilli, tlapalli; or, in tlilli, in tlapalli; or in itlil, in itlapal = the black ink, the red paint, a metaphor for writing
mochi otechmocahuililitehuac in ipan sancto Euangelio. yhcuiliuhtoc tlapalotoc tlillotoc = before He departed he left for us all that lies written in the red and black [ink of ancient records] (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
Inamox, intlacuilol. Zan ic no yehoatl quitoznequi: intlil, intlapal. = Their books, their writings. This means the same as, their black and their red. (sixteenth century, central Mexico)
auh ayc polihuiz ayc ylcahuiz yn oquichihuaco yn intlillo yn intlapallo yn intenyo yn imitolloca yn imilnamicoca = And what they came to do, what they came to establish, their writings, their renown, their history, their memory will never perish, will never be forgotten in times to come. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
Inamox, intlacuilol. Zan ic no yehoatl quitoznequi: intlil, intlapal. = Their books, their writings. This means the same as, their black and their red. (central Mexico, sixteenth-century)
Auh xicmocujtlavi in tlilli, in tlapalli, in amuxtli, in tlacujlolli: intloc innaoac ximocalaquj in iolizmatque, in tlamatinj = And take care [to understand] the writings, the books, the paintings. Enter with the prudent, the wise (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
We see this phrase used in the Codex Chimalpahin to refer to the ancient writings about Christ, so it was not exclusive to early American writings. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
tictepotztocatihui yn itlil yn itlapal yn itlatecpantzin yn tlacatl tlahtohuani yn neçahualcoyotzin yn ye chicuehpohualxihuitl yhuan ỹ yemah tlacpohual xihuitl yhuan yn oc ye nepa ye huecauh xihuitl = Investigamos el negro y el colorado, y la ordenanza del señor tlatoani Nezahualcóyotl, hecha 170 años atrás, hace muchos años (Tetzcoco, 1585)