Our Mother Tongue

Our Mother Tongue
(A poem in Tagalog written by Rizal when he was eight years old)

IF truly a people dearly love
The tongue to them by Heaven sent,
They'll surely yearn for liberty
Like a bird above in the firmament.
BECAUSE by its language one can judge
A town, a barrio, and kingdom;
And like any other created thing
Every human being loves his freedom.
ONE who doesn't love his native tongue,
Is worse than putrid fish and beast;
AND like a truly precious thing
It therefore deserves to be cherished.
THE Tagalog language's akin to Latin,
To English, Spanish, angelical tongue;
For God who knows how to look after us
This language He bestowed us upon.
AS others, our language is the same
With alphabet and letters of its own,
It was lost because a storm did destroy
On the lake the bangka 1 in years bygone.



Jose Rizal biography,timeline,Jose Rizal's poems,Mi Ultimo Adios,My Last Farewell

To the Philippines

To The Philippines

Aglowing and fair like a houri on high,
Full of grace and pure like the Morn that peeps
When in the sky the clouds are tinted blue,
Of th' Indian land, a goddess sleeps.

The light foam of the son'rous sea
Doth kiss her feet with loving desire;
The cultured West adores her smile
And the frosty Pole her flow'red attire.

With tenderness, stammering, my Muse
To her 'midst undines and naiads does sing;
I offer her my fortune and bliss:
Oh, artists! her brow chaste ring
With myrtle green and roses red
And lilies, and extol the Philippines!



Jose Rizal biography,timeline,Jose Rizal's poems,Mi Ultimo Adios,My Last Farewell

Gregoria de Jesus

Biography of Gregoria de Jesus


Gregoria de Jesus

Gregoria was born in Kaloocan on May 15, 1875. Her parents were Jesus de Jesus who was a carpenter and served as gobernadorsillo while her mother was Baltazara Alvarez Francisco.


She married Andres Bonifacio in a Roman Catholic rites at the Binondo Church in 1894 and in another set of rites in the Katipunan in July 1893, the same time when the women’s chapter of the Katipunan was formed. Together with Marina Dizon, Josefa Rizal, Angelica Lopez, Delfina Herbosa and Benita Rodriguez, they were initiated as Katipunan members. She adopted the name Lakambini.

Gregoria and Andres had one child but the child died of small pox and their house in Sta. Cruz was burned. She was designated the keeper of records and the seal of the Katipunan. To escape capture, she often crossed provinces on foot. After Bonifacio’s untimely death, she lived in the mountains of Pasig where she met Julio Nakpil. They were later wed in Quiapo Church in Manila.

They lived in the Quiapo house of Dr. Ariston Bautista, a friend of Filipino propagandists in Spain.

Gregoria died on March 15, 1943.

links
1. autobiography

Philippine National+Heroes,Gregoria de Jesus

Sa Aking Mga Kababata

Isinulat ni Jose Rizal noong 1869 nang siya ay walong taong gulang.

Sa Aking Mga Kabata

ni Jose P. Rizal

Isinalin sa Pilipino di kilala


Kapagka ang baya'y sadyang umiibig

Sa kanyang salitang kaloob ng langit,

Sanglang kalayaan nasa ring masapit

Katulad ng ibong nasa himpapawid.


Pagka't ang salita'y isang kahatulan

Sa bayan, sa nayo't mga kaharian,

At ang isang tao'y katulad, kabagay

Ng alin mang likha noong kalayaan.



Ang hindi magmahal sa kanyang salita

Mahigit sa hayop at malansang isda,

Kaya ang marapat pagyamaning kusa

Na tulad sa inang tunay na nagpala.



Ang wikang Tagalog tulad din sa Latin

Sa Ingles, Kastila at salitang anghel,

Sapagka't ang Poong maalam tumingin

Ang siyang naggawad, nagbigay sa atin.



Ang salita nati'y huwad din sa iba

Na may alfabeto at sariling letra,

Na kaya nawala'y dinatnan ng sigwa

Ang lunday sa lawa noong dakong una.

Jose Rizal biography,timeline,Jose Rizal's poems,Mi Ultimo Adios,My Last Farewell,A La Juventud Filipina

Canto de Maria Clara

Canto de María Clara

by José Rizal

For English translation, see Song of Maria Clara


Dulces las horas en la propia patria

Donde es amigo cuanto alumbra el sol,

Vida es la brisa en sus campos vuela,

Grata la muerte y más tierno el amor!



Ardientes besos en los labios juegan,

De una madre en el seno al despertar,

Buscan los brazos a ceñir al cuello,

Y los ojos sonríense al mirar.



Dulce es la muerte por la propia patria,

Donde es amigo cuanto alumbra el sol;

Muerte es la brisa para quien no tiene

Una patria, una madre y un amor!

Jose Rizal biography,timeline,Jose Rizal's poems,Mi Ultimo Adios,My Last Farewell,A La Juventud Filipina

Ang Awit ni Maria Clara

Ang Awit ni Maria Clara
Isinalin sa Pilipino di kilala

For Spanish version, see Canto de Maria Clara
For English translation, see Song of Maria Clara


Walang kasintamis ang mga sandali sa sariling bayan,
Doon sa ang lahat ay pinagpapala ng halik ng araw,
May buhay na dulot ang mahinhing simoy na galing sa parang.
Pagsinta'y matimyas, at napakatamis ng kamatayan man.

Maapoy na halik, ang idinarampi ng labi ng ina
Paggising ng sanggol sa kanyang kandungan na walang balisa,
Pagkawit sa leeg ng bisig na sabik pa-uumaga na,
Matang manininging ay nangakangiti't pupos ng ligaya.

Mamatay ay langit kung dahil sa ating lupang tinubuan,
Doon sa ang lahat ay pinagpapala ng halik ng araw,
Ang mahinhing simoy ns galing sa bukid ay lubhang mapanglaw
Sa wala nang ina, wala nang tahana't walang nagmamahal.

Jose Rizal biography,timeline,Jose Rizal's poems,Mi Ultimo Adios,My Last Farewell,A La Juventud Filipina

A la Juventud Filipina

A La Juventud Filipina
by Jose Rizal

For English translation, see To the Philippine Youth

For Tagalog translation, see Sa Kabataang Pilipino


A La Juventud Filipina

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,

Más 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 fantasia,

Del Olimpo en las nubes

Tiernisima poesia

Mas sabrosa que nectar y ambrosia.



Tú, de celeste acento,

Melodioso rival Filomena,

Que en variado concierto

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 felice,

Filipinas gentil, para tu suelo!

Al Potente bendice

Que con amante anhelo

La ventura te envía y el consuelo.

Jose Rizal biography,timeline,Jose Rizal's poems,Mi Ultimo Adios,My Last Farewell,A La Juventud Filipina