3.

TO THE PHILIPPINE YOUTH (A la Juventud Filipina, November 1879) A Translation

from the Spanish by Nick Joaquin

Blessed Hope

Hold high the brow serene,

O youth, where now you stand;
Let the bright sheen
Of your grace be seen,
Fair hope of my fatherland!

A Genius Grand

Come now, thou genius grand,

And bring down inspiration;
With thy mighty hand,
Swifter than the wind's violation,
Raise the eager mind to higher station.

Laden with Potentials

Come down with pleasing light

Of art and science to the fight,
O youth, and there untie
The chains that heavy lie,
Your spirit free to blight.

a. Academics

See how in flaming zone

Amid the shadows thrown,
The Spaniard'a holy hand
A crown's resplendent band
Proffers to this Indian land.

b. Sports

Thou, who now wouldst rise

On wings of rich emprise,
Seeking from Olympian skies
Songs of sweetest strain,
Softer than ambrosial rain;

c. Music

Thou, whose voice divine

Rivals Philomel's refrain
And with varied line
Through the night benign
Frees mortality from pain;

d. Memory

Thou, who by sharp strife

Wakest thy mind to life ;
And the memory bright
Of thy genius' light
Makest immortal in its strength ;

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 e. Public Speaking/Arts

And thou, in accents clear

Of Phoebus, to Apelles dear ;
Or by the brush's magic art
Takest from nature's store a part,
To fig it on the simple canvas' length ;

The Call

Go forth, and then the sacred fire

Of thy genius to the laurel may aspire ;
To spread around the fame,
And in victory acclaim,
Through wider spheres the human name.

Day, O happy day,

Fair Filipinas, for thy land!
So bless the Power to-day
That places in thy way
This favor and this fortune grand !

The above is a winning poem in 1879 submitted to the literary contest held by the Liceo Artistico-
Literario (Artistic-Literary Lyceum) of Manila--a society of literary men and artists. The inspiring
poem written by Jose Rizal at the age of eighteen was said to be of flawless form which aimed to
implore the Filipinos to rise from indolence. It is said to be a classical piece of Philippine literature
for reasons that (1) Spanish literary authorities recognize it as an impressive poem written in
Spanish by a Filipino and (2) it was the foremost literary piece to display the nationalistic belief
that Filipinos were the “fair hope of the Fatherland”

However, the poem hinted rebellion for the Spaniards. According to Bantug, one newspaper writer
even said that the poet-doctor “had better devote his time to his doctoring than to his rhyming”.

4.Through Education Our Motherland Receives Light (Por la Educacion Recibe Lustre
la Patria, 1876)

1. Virtue

The vital breath of prudent Education

Instills a virtue of enchanting power;
She lifts the motherland to highest station
And endless dazzling glories on her shower.
And as the zephyr's gentle exhalation
Revives the matrix of the fragrant flower,
So education multiplies her gifts of grace;
With prudent hand imparts them to the human race.

2. Security

For her a mortal-man will gladly part

With all he has; will give his calm repose;
For her are born all science and all art,
That brows of men with laurel fair enclose.
As from the towering mountain's lofty heart
The purest current of the streamlet flows,
So education without stint or measure gives
Security and peace to lands in which she lives.

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 3. Wisdom

Where Education reigns on lofty seat

Youth blossoms forth with vigor and agility;
He error subjugates with solid feet,
And is exalted by conceptions of nobility.
She breaks the neck of vice and its deceit;
Black crime turns pale at Her hostility;
The barbarous nations She knows how to tame,
From savages creates heroic fame.

4. Dignity

And as the spring doth sustenance bestow

On all the plants, on bushes in the mead,
Its placid plenty goes to overflow
And endlessly with lavish love to feed
The banks by which it wanders, gliding slow,
Supplying beauteous nature's every need;
So he who prudent Education doth procure
The towering heights of honor will secure.

5. Empowerment

From out his lips the water, crystal pure,

Of perfect virtue shall not cease to go.
With careful doctrines of his faith made sure,
The powers of evil he will overthrow,
Like foaming waves that never long endure,
But perish on the shore at every blow;
And from his good example other men shall learn
Their upward steps toward the heavenly paths to turn.

6. Enlightenment

Within the breast of wretched humankind

She lights the living flame of goodness bright;
The hands of fiercest criminal doth bind;
And in those breasts will surely pour delight
Which seek her mystic benefits to find,
Those souls She sets aflame with love of right.
It is a noble fully-rounded Education
That gives to life its surest consolation.

7. Guidance

And as the mighty rock aloft may tower

Above the center of the stormy deep
In scorn of storm, or fierce Sou'wester's power,
Or fury of the waves that raging seep,
Until, their first mad hatred spent, they cower,
And, tired at last, subside and fall asleep, --
So he that takes wise Education by the hand,
Invincible shall guide the reigns of motherland.

8. Recognition

On sapphires shall his service be engraved,

A thousand honors to him by his land be granted:
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 For in their bosoms will his noble sons have saved
Luxuriant flowers his virtue had transplanted:
And by the love of goodness ever lived,
The lords and governors will see implanted
To endless days, the Christian Education,
Within their noble, faith-enrapture nation.

9. Success

And as in early morning we behold

The ruby sun pour forth resplendent rays;
And lovely dawn her scarlet and her gold,
Her brilliant colors all about her sprays;
So skillful noble Teaching doth unfold
To living minds the joy of virtuous ways.
She offers our dear motherland the light
That leads us to immortal glory's height.

Our national hero, despite his young age, had expressed high regards for education. He believed in
the significant role which education plays in the progress and welfare of a nation as evident in his
writing of the poem “Education Gives Luster to the Motherland”.

Education gives knowledge, knowledge gives wisdom. Great wisdom benefits everyone. Jose Rizal
believed that education is a vehicle for a country’s prosperity and success, hence through the poem
he encouraged Filipinos to acquire education for them to be able to fulfill their dreams and to
improve their motherland. His high regards for education was evident in his determination to seek
the best education possible even across the shores of his country.

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