"The Last Name" by Nicolás Guillén
For a full translation of this poem, see this online archive or reputable anthologies, such as Poetry Foundation's selection of works by Nicolás Guillén. Summary of Themes
The most devastating images in the poem are the grandparents. They are "mute" because they were violently stripped of their language. When Guillén writes that their "tongues rotted in their mouths," he is referencing the linguistic genocide of enslaved Africans. They could not pass on their tribal surnames because they were forbidden to speak their native tongues (Lucumí, Kikongo, etc.). el apellido nicolas guillen english translation
Legacy: He used "son" (a Cuban musical rhythm) in his meter to give a voice to the Afro-Cuban population. Further Reading If you would like to explore more, I can provide: The full Spanish text for comparison. A stanza-by-stanza breakdown of the historical references.
Nicolás Guillén was born on July 10, 1902, in Yaguajay, Cuba. He began his literary career in the 1920s, publishing his first poems in various Cuban magazines and journals. Guillén's poetry is characterized by its exploration of Afro-Cuban culture, social justice, and the struggle against racism. "The Last Name" by Nicolás Guillén For a
Identity Erasure: The poem acts as a profound inquiry into the origin of the author's surname, "Guillén." He argues that this name was "made by a whip" and imposed by Spanish colonizers, effectively acting as a mask that hides his true African ancestry.
Before examining the translation, one must understand the weight of a "last name" in the context of the African slave trade. When Guillén writes that their "tongues rotted in
The Legacy of Nicolás Guillén: A Literary Icon