| Manuel Fernández Juncos | |
|---|---|
Manuel Fernández Juncos |
|
| Born | December 11, 1846 Tresmonte, Ribadesella, Asturias, Spain |
| Died | August 18, 1928 San juan, Puerto Rico |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | journalist, poet, author, humanitarian |
| Known for | Lyrics to La Borinqueña, Puerto Rico's national anthem. |
Manuel Fernández Juncos [note 1] (December 11, 1846 – August 18, 1928) was a Spanish journalist, poet, author and humanitarian who wrote the official lyrics to La Borinqueña, Puerto Rico's official anthem.
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Fernández Juncos was born in Tresmonte, a section of Ribadesella, Asturias, Spain. At an early age he emigrated to the island where he was to spend the rest of his life.[1][2]
Fernández Juncos first wrote for El Progreso (Progress), a newspaper founded by José Julián Acosta. He also wrote for the Porvenir and El Clamor del País newspapers. Fernández Juncos founded many newspapers with liberal tendencies. Among them, one was called El Buscapie. It promoted a socialist agenda, including the idea that every child should be entitled to a free education. It quickly became the most widely read Puerto Rican paper of its time. He also founded the Revista Puertorriqueña (The Puerto Rican Magazine).[1][2]
As a writer, Fernández Juncos studied and wrote about the roots of the Puerto Ricans as a people. Among his most notable works were: Tipos y Characteres, Libro Cuarto de Lectura, and Canciones Escolares (which he co-wrote with Virgilio Dávila and Braulio Dueño Colon).[1][2]
Fernández Juncos joined the Autonomist Party founded by Román Baldorioty de Castro and became its secretary. Shortly after, when Puerto Rico was granted its autonomy from Spain, Fernández Juncos was elected and became the first Secretary of State. However, in less than a year Puerto Rico was invaded by the United States during the Spanish-American War and its government abolished. He founded the Puerto Rican Red Cross, which continues today to give humanitarian help to those in need.[1][2]
Fernández Juncos wrote the current lyrics to "La Borinqueña" which originally was a danza written by Francisco Ramírez in 1860 (sometimes credited to Félix Astol Artés in 1867). The original lyrics to the anthem, written by Lola Rodríguez de Tio in 1868, were deemed as too subversive for public use. A public contest to provide new lyrics to the tune was held in 1903, with Fernández Juncos as its winner (this explains why the Asturias native is credited for writing the lines "The land of Borinquen / where I was born"). "La Borinqueña" became the official anthem of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in 1952.[1][2]
| External audio | |
|---|---|
| You may listen to Graciela Rivera's interpretation of Fernández Juncos' version of the "La Borinqueña" here. | |
| Spanish (original version) |
translation |
|---|---|
|
donde he nacido yo |
where I have been born |
|
le sirve de dosel |
serves as its canopy |
|
Exclamó lleno de admiración: |
full of awe he exclaimed, |
|
la hija del mar y el sol, |
the daughter of the sea and the sun. |
Manuel Fernández Juncos died on August 18, 1928 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The government of Puerto Rico has honored his memory by naming a school city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico and one of its most important commercial avenues in San Juan after him.