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Understanding "El Apellido" by Nicolás Guillén: Meaning, Context, and English Translation
Nicolás Guillén was a renowned Cuban poet, writer, and journalist, considered one of the most important figures in Cuban literature. Born in 1902, Guillén is known for his influential work in the Afro-Cuban movement, which sought to promote racial equality and celebrate African-Cuban culture. el apellido nicolas guillen english translation
Before diving into the English translation of "El apellido," we must understand the poet. Nicolás Guillén (1902–1989) was born in Camagüey, Cuba, a nation with a massive population of African descent. Despite Cuba’s mixed-race identity, systemic racism pushed Black Cubans to the margins.
My last name? The Spaniards gave it to me. (They were the first ones to give it to me.) But I don’t ask it of anyone, nor do I owe it to anyone. My last name is mine, mine, mine; but my grandparents did not give it to me — only the conquerors did. I carry it like someone carries a scar. And if anyone asks me for my last name, I tell them: — I have a last name, but I don’t know where it comes from. Could it be from some Black man of my blood? Could it be from some Congo, some Bantu? I don’t know. I only know that I am now named like those who stole my homeland from me. My last name? My true last name? The one the master took from me along with the chain and the whip? I lost it. I lost it like a ring lost in the sea. I lost it like a voice is lost. I lost it like the land is lost. I lost it. Oh, my lost last name, my last name stolen by the executioner, my last name! Will it return? Will it return one day? Will it return from the root of fallen trees? Will it return from the entrails of minerals? Will it return from the depths of rivers? Will it return from the night? Will it return from silence? Will it return from nothingness? Will it return from this very hatred that beats inside me and burns my guts? Oh, my last name! My last name! This public link is valid for 7 days
Students of postcolonial literature, Afro-Latinx studies, translation theory, and poetry readers seeking works that blend lyrical beauty with historical memory.
Guillén once wrote: "El negro en Cuba… tiene un apellido español. Eso es violento. Esa es una herida abierta." ("The Black person in Cuba… has a Spanish last name. That is violent. That is an open wound.") This poem is the suturing of that wound through language. Can’t copy the link right now
Guillén is celebrated as the pioneer of poesía negra (Black poetry) and the incorporation of the son —a traditional Cuban musical rhythm—into formal verse.