Fernando María Guerrero

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Fernando María Guerrero
Fernando María Guerrero

Fernando María Guerrero (1873-1929) is one of the most outstanding Filipino poets, journalists, politicians, lawyers, polyglots and educators during the Philippine's golden era of Spanish literature, a period ranging from 1890 to the outbreak of World War II.[1]

Contents

[edit] Biography

Guerrero wrote during the years 1898 to 1900. As a lawyer-educator he taught natural law, criminology and forensic oratory. He served as chairman of the board of examiners at the law school La Jurisprudencia. He was a Manila councilor, Secretary of the Senate and Secretary of the Philippine Independence Commission. He was also a director of the Academia de Leyes. Apart from Spanish, Guerrero spoke Latin and Greek. He was once an editor of El Renacimiento, La Vanguardia and La Opinion. He was a member of the First Philippine Assembly, the Academia Filipina and also became an appointee to the Municipal Board of Manila. He was also a correspondent to the association Real Española de Madrid. His book of Spanish poems, Crisalidas, was published in 1914, which was considered as one of the ten best books written about the Philippines by the Enciclopedia Filipinas. His other poems written after the year 1914 appeared in a compilation called Aves y Flores. Guerrero died on June 12, 1929, coinciding with that year's anniversary of the Philippine Republic. A school in Malate, Manila, Philippines was named after him in his honor.[1]

[edit] Guerrero's poetry

A 1913 poem written by Fernando Maria Guerrero:

[edit] Original in Spanish

“

A Hispania

Oh, noble Hispania!
es para ti mi canción,
canción que viene de lejos
como eco de antiguo amor,
temblorosa, palpitante
y olorosa a tradición
para abrir sus alas cándidas
bajo el oro de aquel sol
que nos metiste en el alma
con el fuego de tu voz
y a cuya lumbre, montando,
clavileños de ilusión,
mi raza adoró la gloria
del bello idioma español,
que parlan aún los Quijotes
de esta malaya región,
donde quieren nuevos Sanchos,
que parlemos en sajón.[2]

 ”

[edit] English translation

“

To Spain
O, Noble Spain!
This song is for thee
A song that comes from afar
Like an old love
Trembling, palpitating
Fragrant with tradition
To open thy candid wings
Under the goldness of thy sun
Which we've received into our souls
With the fire of thy voice
In whose brightness ride
The keys of hope,
My race adored the glory
Of the beauty of the Spanish tongue
That is spoken even by the Quijotes
From this Malay region,
Where New Sanchos are longed for
Instead of speaking in Saxon tongue.

 ”

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Fernando Ma. Guerrero (1873-1929), Filipinos in History, Vol. 1, pp. 218-221, National Historical Institute and Comcentrum.ph, 1989, retrieved on: June 13, 2003
  2. ^ Farolan, Edmundo (Director). Philippine Spanish, Philippine Poetry, La revista, Tomo 1 Número 7, Julio 1997 and AOL.com, retrieved on: 10 June 2007
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