Rizal's Intellectual Legacy in Selected Poems

Sa Aking Mga Kababata

Rizal wrote this poem when he was eight years old. This poem had a strong sense of nationalism expressing Rizal’s love for our own language. He emphasized the significance and the usage of our mother tongue. Mother tongue was the language we learned since birth (which was Filipino). It gave us a sense of identity. Language could not only be our way to communicate but it also served as the reflection of our culture. Rizal also highlighted on this poem that all languages were equal in terms of its significance and usage. Filipino language like other languages had its own alphabet and words. The values and attitude that still valid and usable today is we should be more proud of our nationality and identity, and by enriching our language we could show our sense of pride as Filipinos.

Kapagka ang baya'y sadyang umiibig

sa kanyang salitang kaloob ng langit,

sanlang kalayaan nasa ring masapit

katulad ng ibong nasa himpapawid.

Pagkat 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 isang 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

Interpretation: Sa Aking mga Kababata

Kapagka ang baya’y sadyang umiibig

Sa langit salitang kaloob ng langit

Sanlang kalayaan nasa ring masapi

Katulad ng ibong nasa himpapawid

This first stanza in Rizal's poem shows that long before he sprouted the first fruits of his youth, he had already placed distinguished value in the importance of one's mother tongue.  According to these verses, if a nation's people wholeheartedly embrace and love their native language, that nation will also surely pursue liberty.  He likens this idea to a bird soaring freely in the vast, eternal sky above

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.

            Language here is likened to a people born into freedom.  In Rizal's time, Filipinos were held in slavery by Spain.  Rizal, however, believed that if the people treasured and loved and used their mother tongue, it would become a symbol of relative freedom, and of identity.

Ang hindi magmahal sa kanyang salita
Mahigit sa hayop at malansang isda
Kaya ang marapat pagyamanin kusa
Na tulad sa inang tunay na nagpala

It is here in these lines of verse that we find Rizal's famous quote: "He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and smelly fish."  He further adds that Filipinos must work to make the language richer, and likens this endeavor to a mother feeding her young.  The native tongue is now compared to a helpless child that must be nurtured in order to grow and flourish.

Ang wikang Tagalog tulad din sa Latin,
Sa Ingles, Kastila, at salitang anghel,
Sapagkat ang Poong maalam tumingin
Ang siyang naggagawad, nagbibigay sa atin.

The Tagalog language is, according to these lines, equal in rank to Latin, English, Spanish, and even the language of the angels.  It is not inferior to any other language, nor must it be considered so.  For it is God who has bestowed upon the Filipinos this gift, just as he has blessed the other nations and lands with their native tongues.

Ang salita nati’y tulad din sa iba
Na may alfabeto at sariling letra,
Na kaya nawala’y dinatnan ng sigwa
Ang lunday sa lawa noong dakong una.

            These last lines may very well be referring to the Alibata, or the old Filipino alphabet whose characters are unique in every essence, finding no likeness in any other alphabet.  The Tagalog language, according to Rizal, has letters and characters of its very own, similar to the way other "elite tongues" do.  These letters, however, were overthrown by strong waves and lost, like fragile, fickle boats in the stormy sea, many long years ago.

Education Gives Luster to Motherland

Wise education, vital breath

Inspires an enchanting virtue;

She puts the Country in the lofty seat

Of endless glory, of dazzling glow,

And just as the gentle aura's puff

Do brighten the perfumed flower's hue:

So education with a wise, guiding hand,

A benefactress, exalts the human band.

Man's placid repose and earthly life

To education he dedicates

Because of her, art and science are born

Man; and as from the high mount above

The pure rivulet flows, undulates,

So education beyond measure

Gives the Country tranquility secure.

Where wise education raises a throne

Sprightly youth are invigorated,

Who with firm stand error they subdue

And with noble ideas are exalted;

It breaks immortality's neck,

Contemptible crime before it is halted:

It humbles barbarous nations

And it makes of savages champions.

And like the spring that nourishes

The plants, the bushes of the meads,

She goes on spilling her placid wealth,

And with kind eagerness she constantly feeds,

The river banks through which she slips,

And to beautiful nature all she concedes,

So whoever procures education wise

Until the height of honor may rise.

From her lips the waters crystalline

Gush forth without end, of divine virtue,

And prudent doctrines of her faith

The forces weak of evil subdue,

That break apart like the whitish waves

That lash upon the motionless shoreline:

And to climb the heavenly ways the people

Do learn with her noble example.

In the wretched human beings' breast

The living flame of good she lights

The hands of criminal fierce she ties,

And fill the faithful hearts with delights,

Which seeks her secrets beneficent

And in the love for the good her breast she incites,

And it's th' education noble and pure

Of human life the balsam sure.

And like a rock that rises with pride

In the middle of the turbulent waves

When hurricane and fierce Notus roar

She disregards their fury and raves,

That weary of the horror great

So frightened calmly off they stave;

Such is one by wise education steered

He holds the Country's reins unconquered.

His achievements on sapphires are engraved;

The Country pays him a thousand honors;

For in the noble breasts of her sons

Virtue transplanted luxuriant flow'rs;

And in the love of good e'er disposed

Will see the lords and governors

The noble people with loyal venture

Christian education always procure.

And like the golden sun of the morn

Whose rays resplendent shedding gold,

And like fair aurora of gold and red

She overspreads her colors bold;

Such true education proudly gives

The pleasure of virtue to young and old

And she enlightens out Motherland dear

As she offers endless glow and luster.

Interpretation: Education Gives Luster to Motherland

Wise education, vital breath
Inspires an enchanting virtue;
She puts the Country in the lofty seat
Of endless glory, of dazzling glow,
And just as the gentle aura's puff
Do brighten the perfumed flower's hue:
So education with a wise, guiding hand,
A benefactress, exalts the human band.

                In this first stanza, Rizal expresses that education is what builds up a country and allows her to rise above the rest in matters of honor and a good name. He likens a guided and relevant education to the vibrance of a flower.

Man's placid repose and earthly life
To education he dedicates
Because of her, art and science are born
Man; and as from the high mount above
The pure rivulet flows, undulates,
So education beyond measure
Gives the Country tranquility secure.

                From the time of a man's birth to the moment of his death, he is constantly engaged in the journey of learning. This can come in the form of a formal education and a structured curriculum, or in the essence of daily living. And in this continued journey, people begin to discover and innovate, create and recreate, giving birth to great discoveries and breathtaking wonders. Rizal likens education to a rivulet, a stream, a brook, that provides a certain peace as the water endlessly flows.

Where wise education raises a throne
Sprightly youth are invigorated,
Who with firm stand error they subdue
And with noble ideas are exalted;
It breaks immortality's neck,
Contemptible crime before it is halted:
It humbles barbarous nations
And it makes of savages champions.

                Knowledge and wisdom enliven and embolden the young. With the sword of education they are able to identify errors and correct them. They are able to find fault in the seemingly faultless fabric of earthly knowledge and smother it with truth. They are well-respected for the ideas they bring to the world.

                A good education is an effective remedy to the problem of criminal acts and unlawful pursuits. Even nations who wish nothing more than to divide, conquer, and control are silenced when they open their ears to the voice of wisdom, which stops hatred in its tracks and promotes the welfare of the people. Even savages, turn into champions when they are afforded a good education.

And like the spring that nourishes
The plants, the bushes of the meads,
She goes on spilling her placid wealth,
And with kind eagerness she constantly feeds,
The river banks through which she slips,
And to beautiful nature all she concedes,
So whoever procures education wise
Until the height of honor may rise.
From her lips the waters crystalline
Gush forth without end, of divine virtue,

                Knowledge is likened to a spring that nourishes everything its water touches. The spring of knowledge is everlasting; there is no end to it.

And prudent doctrines of her faith
The forces weak of evil subdue,
That break apart like the whitish waves
That lash upon the motionless shoreline:
And to climb the heavenly ways the people
Do learn with her noble example.

                In the education and enlightenment of the soul, man is able to overcome the powers of evil, which in this stanza, are likened to the waves that lash upon the shore. Yet when man opens his eyes to the divine revelation and acquires knowledge in matters of the spirit, he is able to defeat the oppression of evil and "climb the heavenly ways."

In the wretched human beings' breast
The living flame of good she lights
The hands of criminal fierce she ties,
And fill the faithful hearts with delights,
Which seeks her secrets beneficent
And in the love for the good her breast she incites,
And it's th' education noble and pure
Of human life the balsam sure.

                Here, education is likened to a balsam, producing medicinal effects to the many afflictions of the human race, which are generally and singularly rooted in the propensity for evil. The acquisition of good wisdom enables man to magnify his passion for good and continually shun temptation.

And like a rock that rises with pride
In the middle of the turbulent waves
When hurricane and fierce Notus roar
She disregards their fury and raves,
That weary of the horror great
So frightened calmly off they stave;
Such is one by wise education steered
He holds the Country's reins unconquered.

                An educated man does not sway when trials come. He stands firm in the midst of trouble and remains courageous in times of despair. Great horrors cannot frighten him as they do other people. Education provides her country with strong and respectable citizens who are ready to fight for her honor no matter the cost.

His achievements on sapphires are engraved;
The Country pays him a thousand honors;
For in the noble breasts of her sons
Virtue transplanted luxuriant flow'rs;
And in the love of good e'er disposed
Will see the lords and governors
The noble people with loyal venture
Christian education always procure.

                The achievements of an educated man are not forgotten, and he passes his wisdom on to the generations that come after him. He becomes a beacon to his family and sets a good example for the youth. In this stanza, Rizal also stresses the great importance of a Christian education, as opposed to one that lacks the spiritual aspect, which he obviously considers an essential cornerstone.

And like the golden sun of the morn
Whose rays resplendent shedding gold,
And like fair aurora of gold and red
She overspreads her colors bold;
Such true education proudly gives
The pleasure of virtue to young and old
And she enlightens out Motherland dear
As she offers endless glow and luster. 

                The poem ends in a splash of color as the author likens a good education to lights of the sun and the aurora. Great wisdom picks no favorites; young and old benefit from it and delight in its joys. Rizal closes the verse with an image of his country with the sun overhead, a sun that embodies the virtues and wonders of a good education, which he dreams for every citizen to enjoy.

I am really amazed by Rizal because of his unique wisdom which at his young age, he knows this things already. Indeed, it is very true that education gives strong bondage to every community and to every people. Without education, we can’t achieve unity and peace, we can’t achieve our dreams and goals, and we can’t achieve the freedom that we’re aiming for. I don’t need to give anymore the explanation above but just one reminder to everyone especially to all youths like me, “Don’t make your studies taken for granted. For without knowledge, you are nothing.”-MJL

To the Filipino Youth

When he was studying in UST, he submitted a poem entitled “To the Filipino Youth” 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.

Unfold, oh timid flower! 

Lift up your radiant brow,
This day, Youth of my native strand! 
Your abounding talents show
Resplendently and grand,
Fair hope of my Motherland! 

Soar high, oh genius great,
And with noble thoughts fill their mind;
The honor's glorious seat,
May their virgin mind fly and find
More rapidly than the wind.

Descend with the pleasing light
Of the arts and sciences to the plain,
Oh Youth, and break forthright
The links of the heavy chain
That your poetic genius enchain.

See that in the ardent zone,
The Spaniard, where shadows stand,
Doth offer a shining crown,
With wise and merciful hand
To the son of this Indian land.

You, who heavenward rise
On wings of your rich fantasy,
Seek in the Olympian skies
The tenderest poesy,
More sweet than divine honey;

You of heavenly harmony,
On a calm unperturbed night,
Philomel's match in melody,
That in varied symphony
Dissipate man's sorrow's blight;

You at th' impulse of your mind
The hard rock animate
And your mind with great pow'r consigned
Transformed into immortal state
The pure mem'ry of genius great;

Run ! For genius' sacred flame
Awaits the artist's crowning
Spreading far and wide the fame
Throughout the sphere proclaiming
With trumpet the mortal's name
Oh, joyful, joyful day,
The Almighty blessed be
Who, with loving eagerness
Sends you luck and happiness.

Interpretation: To the Filipino Youth

Unfold, oh timid flower!

Lift up your radiant brow,
This day, Youth of my native strand!
Your abounding talents show
Resplendently and grand,
Fair hope of my Motherland!

Soar high, oh genius great,
And with noble thoughts fill their mind;
The honor's glorious seat,
May their virgin mind fly and find
More rapidly than the wind.

                The first line, "unfold, oh timid flower," implies that the youth is silent, maybe daunted, and consequently has not yet gone into full bloom for whatever reason there is that may have silenced them. In the beginning 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.

                The second verse can be rearranged in contemporary English to say: "Oh genius great, soar high; and fill their mind with noble thoughts. May their virgin mind fly and find the honor's glorious seat more rapidly than the wind." Here, 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.

Descend with the pleasing light
Of the arts and sciences to the plain,
Oh Youth, and break forthright
The links of the heavy chain
That your poetic genius enchain.

                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.

See that in the ardent zone,
The Spaniard, where shadows stand,
Doth offer a shining crown,
With wise and merciful hand
To the son of this Indian land.

                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."

You, who heavenward rise
On wings of your rich fantasy,
Seek in the Olympian skies
The tenderest poesy,
More sweet than divine honey;

You of heavenly harmony,
On a calm unperturbed night,
Philomel's match in melody,
That in varied symphony
Dissipate man's sorrow's blight;

                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."

You at th' impulse of your mind
The hard rock animate
And your mind with great pow'r consigned
Transformed into immortal state
The pure mem'ry of genius great;

                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."

And you, who with magic brush
On canvas plain capture
The varied charm of Phoebus,
Loved by the divine Apelles,
And the mantle of Nature;

                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.

Run ! For genius' sacred flame
Awaits the artist's crowning
Spreading far and wide the fame
Throughout the sphere proclaiming
With trumpet the mortal's name
Oh, joyful, joyful day,
The Almighty blessed be
Who, with loving eagerness
Sends you luck and happiness.

                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.

My Retreat

Beside a spacious beach of fine and delicate sand 
and at the foot of a mountain greener than a leaf, 
I planted my humble hut beneath a pleasant orchard, 
seeking in the still serenity of the woods 
repose to my intellect and silence to my grief. 

Its roof is fragile nipa; its floor is brittle bamboo; 
its beams and posts are rough as rough-hewn wood can be; 
of no worth, it is certain, is my rustic cabin; 
but on the lap of the eternal mount it slumbers 
and night and day is lulled by the crooning of the sea. 

The overflowing brook, that from the shadowy jungle 
descends between huge bolders, washes it with its spray, 
donating a current of water through makeshift bamboo pipes 
that in the silent night is melody and music 
and crystalline nectar in the noon heat of the day. 

If the sky is serene, meekly flows the spring, 
strumming on its invisible zither unceasingly; 
but come the time of the rains, and an impetuous torrent
spills over rocks and chasms—hoarse, foaming and aboil—
to hurl itself with a frenzied roaring toward the sea. 

The barking of the dog, the twittering of the birds, 
the hoarse voice of the kalaw are all that I hear; 
there is no boastful man, no nuisance of a neighbor 
to impose himself on my mind or to disturb my passage; 
only the forests and the sea do I have near. 

The sea, the sea is everything! Its sovereign mass 
brings to me atoms of a myriad faraway lands; 
its bright smile animates me in the limpid mornings; 
and when at the end of day my faith has proven futile, 
my heart echoes the sound of its sorrow on the sands. 

At night it is a mystery! … Its diaphanous element 
is carpeted with thousands and thousands of lights that climb; 
the wandering breeze is cool, the firmament is brilliant, 
the waves narrate with many a sigh to the mild wind 
histories that were lost in the dark night of time. 

‘Tis said they tell of the first morning on the earth, 
of the first kiss with which the sun inflamed her breast, 
when multitudes of beings materialized from nothing 
to populate the abyss and the overhanging summits 
and all the places where that quickening kiss was pressed. 

But when the winds rage in the darkness of the night 
and the unquiet waves commence their agony, 
across the air move cries that terrify the spirit, 
a chorus of voices praying, a lamentation that seems 
to come from those who, long ago, drowned in the sea. 

Then do the mountain ranges on high reverberate; 
the trees stir far and wide, by a fit of trembling seized; 
the cattle moan; the dark depths of the forest resound; 
their spirits say that they are on their way to the plain, 
summoned by the dead to a mortuary feast. 

The wild night hisses, hisses, confused and terrifying; 
one sees the sea afire with flames of green and blue; 
but calm is re-established with the approach of dawning 
and forthwith an intrepid little fishing vessel 
begins to navigate the weary waves anew. 

So pass the days of my life in my obscure retreat; 
cast out of the world where once I dwelt: such is my rare 
good fortune; and Providence be praised for my condition: 
a disregarded pebble that craves nothing but moss 
to hide from all the treasure that in myself I bear. 

I live with the remembrance of those that I have loved 
and hear their names still spoken, who haunt my memory; 
some already are dead, others have long forgotten— 
but what does it matter? I live remembering the past 
and no one can ever take the past away from me. 

It is my faithful friend that never turns against me, 
that cheers my spirit when my spirit’s a lonesome wraith, 
that in my sleepless nights keeps watch with me and prays 
with me, and shares with me my exile and my cabin, 
and, when all doubt, alone infuses me with faith. 

Faith do I have, and I believe the day will shine 
when the Idea shall defeat brute force as well; 
and after the struggle and the lingering agony 
a voice more eloquent and happier than my own 
will then know how to utter victory’s canticle. 

I see the heavens shining, as flawless and refulgent 
as in the days that saw my first illusions start; 
I feel the same breeze kissing my autumnal brow, 
the same that once enkindled my fervent enthusiasm 
and turned the blood ebullient within my youthful heart. 

Across the fields and rivers of my native town 
perhaps has traveled the breeze that now I breathe by chance; 
perhaps it will give back to me what once I gave it: 
the sighs and kisses of a person idolized 
and the sweet secrets of a virginal romance. 

On seeing the same moon, as silvery as before, 
I feel within me the ancient melancholy revive; 
a thousand memories of love and vows awaken: 
a patio, an azotea, a beach, a leafy bower; 
silences and sighs, and blushes of delight … 

A butterfly athirst for radiances and colors, 
dreaming of other skies and of a larger strife, 
I left, scarcely a youth, my land and my affections, 
and vagrant everywhere, with no qualms, with no terrors, 
squandered in foreign lands the April of my life. 

And afterwards, when I desired, a weary swallow, 
to go back to the nest of those for whom I care, 
suddenly fiercely roared a violent hurricane 
and I found my wings broken, my dwelling place demolished, 
faith now sold to others, and ruins everywhere. 

Hurled upon a rock of the country I adore; 
the future ruined; no home, no health to bring me cheer; 
you come to me anew, dreams of rose and gold, 
of my entire existence the solitary treasure, 
convictions of a youth that was healthy and sincere. 

No more are you, like once, full of fire and life, 
offering a thousand crowns to immortality; 
somewhat serious I find you; and yet your face beloved, 
if now no longer as merry, if now no longer as vivid, 
now bear the superscription of fidelity.

You offer me, O illusions, the cup of consolation; 
you come to reawaken the years of youthful mirth; 
hurricane, I thank you; winds of heaven, I thank you 
that in good hour suspended by uncertain flight 
to bring me down to the bosom of my native earth. 

Beside a spacious beach of fine and delicate sand 
and at the foot of a mountain greener than a leaf, 
I found in my land a refuge under a pleasant orchard, 
and in its shadowy forests, serene tranquility, 
repose to my intellect and silence to my grief.

Interpretation: My Retreat

During his four-year exile in Dapitan, Rizal wrote “My Retreat” at the request of his mother who was eager to know how he lived there. It is a sentimental, touching and exquisite poem describing his home and life in lonely Dapitan. The imagery and melody of the poem displayed Rizal‟s descriptive power. Here, he betrays no resentment against his unjust exile for he believed that the day would come when . . . o‟er brutal force idea would prevail.

Let us listen to his graceful and delightful description of the lot and the house: Beside the wide expanse of fine and sandy shore And at the foot of the green covered mountain I built my hut in the groove‟s delightful core, To seek in the woodlands‟ tranquility serene, Repose for my mind and from my griefs refrain. Fragile nipa is its roof, bamboo frail its floor, With rough timber its pillars and its beams are made: But in the mountain lap in dreams it is laid, Day and night the sea lulls it and gives it serenade. His life in exile is vividly described thus: Thus in my obscure retreat the days pass by, From the world where at one time I‟lived, torn away; For my fortune rare I admire God on high: A lost pebble, to be clad with moss wish I To hide from all the gifts I have in me.

There was a holy humility in the life of Rizal who recounted memories of those whom he loved: I live with the mem‟ries of those I have loved before, And their names by others uttered now and then I hear: Now some are dead, others think of me no more; But what does it matter? I live with the thoughts of yore And no one can wrest from me the yesteryears. Rizal, too, recounted the memory of the love he bore for one who had forsaken him: It is my faithful friend which hurts me ne‟er Which when it sees me and always consoles my soul, Which in my sleepless night watches me with pray‟r With me, and in my exile dwells in my sylvan lair, It alone infuses me with faith when I‟m doubted by all.

Then Rizal recalled how he left his country full of bright illusions spending the spring of his life in foreign lands. Then he returned and cast upon on far-flung rock with no hope but the memory of the beliefs of a youth so vigorous and hearty.

Huling Paalam

Salin ito ng huling sinulat ni Rizal nguni’t walang pamagat. Sinulat niya ito sa Fort Santiago, isinilid sa kusinilyang dealkohol, at ibinigay sa kapatid na si Trinidad nang huling dumalaw sa kaniya bago siya (Rizal) barilin.

Ang tulang kilala ngayon sa pamagat na “Ultimo Adios” o “Huling Paalam” ang likhang-guro o obra maestra ni Rizal. Ang orihinal sa kastila ay isinalin na sa mga pangunahing wika sa daigdif, tulad ng Ingles, Prances, Aleman, Italyano, Nippongo, Malyo, at marami pang iba, gayon din sa iba’t ibang wikain sa Pilipinas, tulad ng Tagalog , Ilokano, kapampangan, Pangasinan, Bikol, Sugbuhanion, Hiligaynon, at iba pa.

Maraming nagsalin ng tula sa Tagalog, nguni’t ang pinakakaraniwang bigkasin at siyang matatagpuan sa Luneta ay ang salin ni Jose Gatmaytan na matutunghayan dito. Ang kahuli-hulihang tulang ito ni Rizal ay tigib ng kalungkutan pagka’t maiiwan na niya ang kaniyang mga minamahal sa buhay at mawawalay na siya sa kaniyang bayan. Sa harap ng kamatayan, wala siyang hiniling para sa sarili; ang lahat ay para sa kapakanan ng kaniyang mga kababayan at ng kaniyang bayan.

Paalam na, sintang lupang tinubuan,

Bayang masagana sa init ng araw,

Edeng maligaya sa ami’y pumanaw

At perlas ng dagat sa dakong Silangan.

Inihahandog ko ng ganap na tuwa

Sa iyo yaring buhay na lanta na’t aba;

Naging dakila ma’y iaalay rin nga

Kung dahil sa iyong ikatitimawa.

Ang nanga sa digmaan dumog sa paglaban

Handog din sa iyo ang kanilang buhay,

Hirap ay di pansin at di gunamgunam

Ang pagkaparool o pagtagumpay.

Bibitaya’t madlang mabangis na sakit

O pakikibakang lubhang mapanganib,

Pawang titiisin kung ito ang nais

Ng baya’t tahanang pinakaiibig.

Ako’y mamamatay ngayong minamalas

Ang kulay ng langit na nanganganinag

Ibinababalang araw ay sisikat

Sa kabila niyang mapanglaw na ulap.

Kung dugo ang iyong kinakailangan

Sa ikadidilag ng iyong pagsilang,

Dugo ko’y ibubo’t sa isa man lamang

Nang gumigiti mong sinag ay kuminang.

Ang mga nasa ko, mulang magkaisip,

Magpahanggang ngayon maganap ang bait,

Ang ikaw’y makitnag hiyas na marikit

Ng dagat Silangan na nakaliligid.

Noo mo’y maningning at sa mga mata

Mapait na luha bakas ma’y wala na,

Wala ka ng poot, wala ng balisa,

Walang kadungua’t munti mang pangamba,

Sa sandaling buhay maalab kong nais

Ang kagalingan mo’t ang paiwang sulit

Ng kaluluwa king gayak ng aalis:

Ginhawa’y kamtan mo! Anong pagkarikit!

Nang maaba’t ikaw’y mapataas lamang,

Mamatay at upang mabigyan kang buihay,

Malibing sa lupang puspos ng karika’t

Sa silong ng iyong langit ay mahimlay.

Kung sa ibang araw ikaw’y may mapansin

Nipot na bulaklak sa aba kong libing,

Sa gitna ng mga damong masisinsin,

Hagka’t ang halik mo’y itaos sa akin.

Sa samyo ng iyong pagsuyong matamis,

Mataos na taghoy ng may sintang sibsib,

Bayang tumaggap noo ko ng init,

Na natatabunan ng lupang malamig.

Bayan mong ako’y malasin ng buwan

Sa liwang niyang hilano’t malamlam;

Bayan ihatid sa aking liwayway

Ang banaang niyang dagling napaparam.

Bayaang humalik ang simoy ng hangin;

Bayaang sa huning masaya’y awitin

Ng darapong ibon sa kurus ng libing

Ang buhay payapang ikinaaaliw.

Bayaang ang araw na lubhang maningas

Pawiin ang ulan, gawing pawang ulap,

Maging panganuring sa langit umakyat,

At ang aking daing ay mapakilangkap.

Bayaang ang aking maagang pagpanw,

Itangis ng isnag lubos na nagmamahal;

Kung may umalala sa akin ng dasal,

Ako’y iyo sanang idalangin naman.

Idalangin mo rin ang di nagkapalad,

Na nangamatay na’t yaong nanganhirap

sa daming pasakit, at ang lumalangap

naming mga ina luhang masaklap.

Idalangin sampo ng bawa’t ulila

at nangapipiit na tigib ng dusa;

idalangin mo ring ikaw’y matubos na

sa pagkaaping laong binata.

Kung nababalot na ang mga libingan

Ng sapot na itim ng gabing mapanglaw,

at wala ng tanod kundi pawing patay,

huwang gambalain ang katahimikan.

Pagpitagan mo ang hiwagang lihim,

at mapapakinggan ang tinig marahil,

ng isang saltero: Ito nga’y ako ring

inaawitanka ng aking paggiliw.

Kung ang libingan kong limot na ang madla

ay wala nang kurus at bato mang tanda

sa nangangabubukid ay ipaubayang

bungkali’t isabog ang natipong lupa.

Ang mga abo ko’y bago pailanglang

mauwi sa wala na pinaggalingan,

ay makalt munag parang kapupunanng

iyong alabok sa lupang tuntungan.

Sa gayo’y walaa ng anoman sa akin,

na limutin mo ma’t aking lilibutin

ang himpapawid mo kaparanga’t hangin

at ako sa iyo’y magiging taginting.

Bango, tinig, higing, awit na masaya

liwanag aat kulay na lugod ng mata’t

uulit-ulitin sa tuwi-tuwina.

Ako’y yayao na sa bayang payapa,

na walang alipi’t punoing mapang-aba,

doo’y di nanatay ang paniniwala

at ang naghahari Diyos na dakila.

Paalam anak, magulang, kapatid,

bahagi ng puso’t unang nakaniig,

ipagpasalamat ang aking pag-alis

sa buhay na itong lagi ng ligalig.

Paalam na liyag, tanging kaulayaw,

taga ibang lupang aking katuwaan,

paaalam sa inyo, mga minamahal;

mamatay ay ganap na katahimikan.

Interpretation: Huling Paalam

Rizal‟s last poem was untitled and unsigned.  It has come down to us as “My Last Farewell” (Mi Ultimo Adios), the title given by Mariano Ponce when he read a copy of the poem. The poem was given by Rizal to his sister, Trinidad who came with Dona Teodora and her daughters, on the eve his execution, December 29, 1896. It was in a little alcohol cooking stove and lamp. Rizal whispering in English to Trinidad said: “There is something in it.” The poetry and martyr bade farewell to hid country, his family and his friends in lines of dignity and grace devoid of bitterness. His resignation to his fate could be sensed in his willingness to die for his dearly beloved country.

In reading the poem you could hear two voices speaking. The first, is the voice of the patriot who gladly offered his life for love of country. Farewell, my adored land, region of the sun caressed, Pearl of the Orient Sea, our Eden lost, With gladness I give you my life, sad and repressed; And where it more brilliant, more fresh and at its best, I would still give it to you, for your welfare at most. Hail! How sweet „tis to fall that fullness you may acquire.

Although Rizal never advocated actual armed revolution, he pictured battlefields where others willingly gave their lives in answer to the call of the Motherland regardless of place, martyrdom, defeat or victory. Ardently, even after death, he wanted her to hear his song, and feel his presence to his “dust” that covers her earthly space. Finally, in bidding her goodbye, he consoled her with the thought that he was going to a place of faith and justice.

The second voice of Rizal is found in the last stanza. It is a voice of a dutiful son, the understanding brother, the ardent lover and the faithful friend: Farewell, parents, brothers, beloved by me, Friends of my childhood, in the home distressed; Give thanks that now I rest from the wearisome day, Farewell, sweet stranger, my friend, who brightened my way; Farewell, to all I love. To die is to rest.Rizal manifested his magnanimity in ending his poem. Resigned, devoid of remorse and full of tender love, and understanding compassion, he accepted his fate and offered his life so that his country might live. Prophetically, he saw the final victory; he died as he saw “tints of the sky begin to show and at last announce his humble offering of this new day becomes more sublime because he sanctified it with sacrificial love: If you need a hue to dye your matutinal grow, Pour my blood and at the right moment spread it so, And gild it with a reflection of your nascent light!

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EVALUATION: Form word(s) from the given jumbles letters.

REFERENCES:
http://misterhomework.blogspot.com/2013/07/huling-paalam-ni-dr-jose-rizal.html
http://www.slideshare.net/JinkyRoseRicasio/rizals-intellectual-legacy-in-selected-poems-2
http://kwentongebabuhayrizal.blogspot.com/2013/05/rizals-poem-sa-aking-mga-kababata.html
http://thelifeandworksofrizal.blogspot.com

            MEMBERS:
          MIKE-JOSHUA J. LABAGUIS
          PAULO QUILALA
          JOHN CARLO TABIJE
          LLOYD CORPUZ