2. A L a J u v e n t u d F i l i p i n a
• Directly translates to “To the Filipino Youth”
• Publication Date: 1879
• Publisher: Manila Lyceum of Art and Literature
• Language: Spanish
• Author: Dr. Jose P. Rizal
• Translators:
- Charles Derbyshire
- Alberto S. Veloso
- Nick Juaquin
3. In April, 1877, Rizal, then
nearly sixteen, matriculated
in the University of Santo
Tomas as a medical
student.
D R . J O S E P . R I Z A L
The poem was presented
on a contest where the
board of judges were
Spaniards.
He submitted a poem for the
poetry contest which had been
organized for Filipinos by the
Manila Lyceum of Art and
Literature, and though he was but
eighteen years of age (1879), he
won the first prize, a silver pen.
This poem, one of his most
famous and most difficult to
translate, was dedicated to the
Filipino Youth.
4. ¡Alza su tersa frente,
Juventud Filipina, en este día!
¡Luce resplandeciente
Tu rica gallardía,
Bella esperanza de la Patria Mía!
Vuela, genio grandioso,
Y les infunde noble pensamiento,
Que lance vigoroso,
Mas rápido que el viento,
Su mente virgen al glorioso asiento.
Baja con la luz grata
De las artes y ciencias a la arena,
Juventud, y desata
La pesada cadena
Que tu genio poético encadena.
Ve que en la ardiente zona
Do moraron las sombras, el hispano
Esplendente corona,
Con pía sabia mano,
Ofrece al hijo de este suelo indiano.
Tú, que buscando subes,
En alas de tu rica fantasía,
Del Olimpo en las nubes
Tiernísima poesía
Mas sabrosa que néctar y ambrosía
Tú, de celeste acento,
Melodioso rival Filomena,
Que en variado concento
En la noche serena
Disipas del mortal la amarga pena.
Tú que la pena dura
Animas al impulso de tu mente ,
Y la memoria pura
Del genio refulgente
Eternizas con genio prepotente.
Y tú, que el vario encanto
De Febo, amado del divino Apeles,
Y de natura el manto
Con mágicos pinceles
Trasladar al sencillo lienzo sueles.
¡Corred! que sacra llama
Del genio el lauro coronar espera,
Esparciendo la Fama
Con trompa pregonera
El nombre del mortal por la ancha espera.
¡Día, día feliz,
Filipinas gentil, para tu suelo!
Al Potente bendice
Que con amante anhelo
La ventura te envía y el consuelo.
6. 1st and 2nd Stanza
Hold high the brow serene,
O youth, where now you stand;
Let the bright sheen
Of your grace be seen,
Fair hope of my fatherland!
Come now, thou genius grand,
And bring down inspiration;
With thy mighty hand,
Swifter than the wind's violation,
Raise the eager mind to higher station.
- To have Self Confidence
- Youth as the Hope of the Nation
- Asks the Filipino youth
- Raise your standards and aim high
7. 3rd and 4th Stanza
Come down with pleasing light
Of art and science to the fight,
O youth, and there untie
The chains that heavy lie,
Your spirit free to blight.
See how in flaming zone
Amid the shadows thrown,
The Spaniard'a holy hand
A crown's resplendent band
Proffers to this Indian land.
- Humble yourselves
- Fight with knowledge
- Free yourself from deception
- To see for yourselves how the Spaniards
prosper in our home land and see how the
Filipinos suffer from it
8. 5th and 6th Stanza
Thou, who now wouldst rise
On wings of rich emprise,
Seeking from Olympian skies
Songs of sweetest strain,
Softer than ambrosial rain;
Thou, whose voice divine
Rivals Philomel's refrain
And with varied line
Through the night benign
Frees mortality from pain;
- Rise up and seek what your heart desires
- You are the voice of change and comfort
9. 7th and 8th Stanza
Thou, who by sharp strife
Wakest thy mind to life ;
And the memory bright
Of thy genius' light
Makest immortal in its strength ;
And thou, in accents clear
Of Phoebus, to Apelles dear ;
Or by the brush's magic art
Takest from nature's store a part,
To fig it on the simple canvas' length ;
- You give hope and life
- Your intelligence is for forever
- Pertains to the Filipino youth who make
something
10. 9th and 10th Stanza
Go forth, and then the sacred fire
Of thy genius to the laurel may aspire ;
To spread around the fame,
And in victory acclaim,
Through wider spheres the human name.
Day, O happy day,
Fair Filipinas, for thy land!
So bless the Power to-day
That places in thy way
This favor and this fortune grand !
- Go and spread to the world how great
Filipinos are
- Thank your country for nurturing you
11. Importance of the Poem
In the poem, Rizal praised the rising
generation. This poem can be
considered as Rizal’s first testimony
and presentation of his nationalism.
In this literary piece, he clearly
referred to the Philippines as his
home/motherland, where Rizal
thought of the youth as they key to
nation-building.
The poem “To the Filipino Youth” by Dr.
Jose Rizal is a message primarily to tell
the importance of the youth and their
capability to shape the future of our
Motherland. Dr. Jose Rizal also
expresses his optimism despite the
turmoil our country was in during his
time.
12. Relevance to the Contemporary Times
A La Juventud Filipina is an inspiring poem that
states that Filipino youth are capable of great
heights
It urges the Filipino youth to reach their
potential by harnessing their skills and talents
for the betterment of out countrymen.
It motivates the youth to free Filipinos from
ignorance, and to seek freedom and human
dignity
Editor's Notes
1st Stanza - Rizal encourages the youth, by telling them to hold their heads high for they possess talents and skills and abilities that would make their country proud.
2nd - Rizal calls to genious to fill young minds with noble thoughts and hopes that as they release their thinking from the chains that bind, they may be able to soar swiftly high where the joy of honor is.
Contrary to the second verse, which talked about ascending and soaring to the heights, this third stanza now talks about descent, and a downward motion of the great genius to fill the earthly strokes of art and science with their magnificent ideas. Again, Rizal calls them to break the chains that bind their intellect. "Poetic genius" here does not necessarily pertain to the talent of writing poetry. Instead, the term "poetic" is simply an adjective to describe genius, meaning that it is deep and mystifying and heavy with meaning.
Rizal challenges the youth, that in their pursuit of knowledge and wisdom they may humble the hand of Spain, whose proud chin did not look kindly upon the people whom they labelled as "Indios" and whom they treated with contempt. He dreams that in their journey to intellectual greatness they may humble even the proudest nations that look down on them and rightfully deserve "a crown that shines, even where shadows stand."
In these two stanzas, Rizal calls the youth to seek the beauty of poetry and music, which he himself values greatly as essentials in every manner of life. He claims that poetry is "more sweet than divine honey," and that music can "dissipate man's sorrow's blight."
Speaking to the youth, Rizal says that by the very impulse of their mind, they are capable of bringing to life or animating even someting as lifeless and unmoving as a hard rock. He continues to say that the youth is able, to immortalize their thoughts and their words through the help of great genius (as he has done himself. This stanza can be arranged in a more contemporary English structure as follows: "You can animate the hard rock at the impulse of your mind; and transform, with the great power of your mind, the pure memory of great genius into immortality.“
Rizal here addresses the youth, comparing their abilities to a magic brush that can capture even the most majestic views and the most glorious charms on a blank canvas.
The last stanza is a charge, urging the youth to run, for a glorious crown awaits them. The "sphere" here pertains to the world, showing that Rizal believed the Filipino youth is as brilliant as those in any other nation, and is able to contend with even the strongest powers if they only set their mind to making most of what they already have.
The poem is dedicated to the youth of the Philippines. He wanted the Filipino youth to use their capabilities, talents and skills to stand out not only for their own praise and success but also for the praise and success of their own motherland, the Philippines. Dr. Jose Rizal wanted the Filipino youth to build up their abilities and use them to help those who are in need. Also, Dr. Jose Rizal challenged the youth through this poem to refine and nurture their talents in the arts, to invigorate and reinforce their knowledge of the sciences, and to look forward and continue their chain of servitude.