Fernando María Guerrero

Fernando María Guerrero (1873 — 1929) was a Filipino politician, journalist, lawyer and polyglot who became a significant figure during the Philippine's golden period of Spanish literature, a period ranging from 1890 to the outbreak of World War II in 1940.[1]

Contents

Biography

Guerrero was born to a highly educated family. His father was Lorenzo Guerrero, a painter and art teacher and his mother was Clemencia Ramirez. He began writing literature at a young age. He excelled in the facility of language and obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from the Ateneo Municipal and the Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Santo Tomas and wrote journals during the years 1898 to 1900. He became a lawyer and he taught criminology and forensic oratory. He served as chairman of the board of study at the law school La Jurisprudencia (The Jurisprudence). He also became a councilor, secretary of the senate and secretary of the Philippine Independence commission. He was also a director of the Academia de Leyes (Academy of Regulation). Apart from Spanish, Guerrero spoke Latin and Greek and he was an editor of El Renacimiento (The Renaissance), La Vanguardia (The Outer works) and La Opinion (The Opinion). He was a member of the First Philippine Assembly, the Academia Filipina (Philippine Academy) and also became a leader of the Municipal Board of Manila. He was also a correspondent to the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language in Madrid. His poetry book Crisálidas was published in 1914. Subsequently he published another verse compilation called Aves y Flores. Guerrero died on June 12, 1929, coinciding with that year's anniversary of the República Filipina (Philippine Republic). A school in Paco, Manila was named after him in his honor.[1]

He was writer of the lyrics of songs such as "Flor filipina".

Poetry

A 1913 poem written by Guerrero:

Original in Spanish

“

A Hispania

Oh, noble Hispania! Este día
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]

 ”

English translation

“

To Spain
O, Noble Spain! Today
This song is for thee
A song that comes from afar
Like an old love
Trembling, palpitating
Fragrant with tradition
Opening its candid wings
Under the goldness of that sun of yours
Which we've received into our souls
With the fire of thy voice
In whose brightness ride
The stallions of hope.
My race adored the glory
Of the beauty of the Spanish tongue
That is spoken by the Quixotes
From this Malay region,
Where new Sanchos would like
that we instead spoke in Saxon tongue.

 ”

See also

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

External links