El: Apellido Nicolas Guillen English Translation

English Translation of “El Apellido” by Nicolás Guillén

El Apellido " (The Family Name), written by the renowned Afro-Cuban poet Nicolás Guillén , is a seminal work that explores the erasure of African identity through colonial naming conventions. Often subtitled "Elegía Familiar" (Family Elegy), the poem serves as a powerful inquiry into the poet's lost lineage. Key Themes & Analysis

¿No sientes mi llamado, / ancestro de mi nombre, sombra de mi sangre?

"El apellido" is part of Guillén’s collection La paloma de vuelto popular (The Pigeon of Popular Flight), published in 1958—just one year before the Cuban Revolution. el apellido nicolas guillen english translation

Highlighting the struggles of the poor and the marginalized.

Despite the erasure, the poem serves as an act of resistance. Guillén reclaims his African heritage by shouting his grief and pride into the world. Key Stanzas and English Translation Analysis

Through its English translations, the poem continues to serve as a universal anthem for anyone seeking to reclaim an identity fractured by history, migration, and colonization. If you want to explore further, "El apellido" is part of Guillén’s collection La

Translations of "El Apellido" can be found in various bilingual editions of Guillén's work. A highly regarded English version appears in the collection , translated by Robert Márquez and David Arthur McMurray.

Here, the poet confronts the bureaucratic identity given to him by society. He asks if his blood truly belongs only to the Spanish grandfathers (from Galicia or Biscay) or if a massive part of his identity is being ignored. 2. The Search for the African Ancestor

Guillén, who was of mixed European and African descent, wrote "El Apellido" as an elegy for his missing African name, transforming a personal existential crisis into a universal anthem for the Afro-Diaspora. "El Apellido" – Selected Stanzas in English Translation Guillén reclaims his African heritage by shouting his

"Don't you know it? It was given to me. / A foreign name, / a stolen identity."

The voice quickly turns to a series of forceful, almost accusatory questions. Is this European lineage everything? Do others know his "navigable blood" and "geography full of dark mountains"? The speaker challenges those who might try to define him by his Spanish surname only, asking if they see the "drums in my eyes".

While "El Apellido" is more elegiac, it often incorporates the rhythmic, musical elements of the

I have a name of stone and iron,a name that smells of the whip and the sugar mill.But I also have an invisible name,a name made of air, of wind, of shadow.A name that sings in the night,a name that dances in the fire,a name that roars in the thunder.