Readings in Philippine History - Text 4

Emilio Jacinto
¡¡ Gising na, mga tagalog!!, October 23, 1895
Source: Archivo General Militar de Madrid: Caja 5677, leg.1.83

This stirring rallying call to the patriotic cause has the rhythm of oratory, and so
far as is known it was never published.

The piece is in Jacinto’s handwriting, but for some unknown reason he has signed
it “J. Aging” rather than with his usual alias “Pingkian.”

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Tagalog text 

¡¡ Gising na, mga tagalog!!

Mahigit sa tatlong dan taun - ¡kahangahangang kalaunan! - na lumubug sa

kalunuran ng bangis at daya ang araw ng ligaya nitong Katagalugan! Mahigit sa
tatlong dan taung tayo’y na sa dilim, dilim na nakapangingilabot ng gabi ng
kaalipinan! ¡At ang gabing ito’y tahimik na katulad ng mga libingan! ¡at sa
katahimikang ito’y walang ibang nadidingig liban ang kalansing nga mga tanikala, o
kaya ang mapanglaw na daing o kaya naman ang binging galit ng pusung tinuhug
ng kalis ng ganid! Ang gabing ito’y malaun nang tutoo! ang himbing ng tulug ay
nakakukutaya [?] na!...

....¿Hangang kailan, hangang kailan, mga tagalog, sisikat ang araw ng inyong
lakas kasabay ng inyong kaginhawahan? ¡Ay! kung nakikita ang inyong kalagayan,
pusu’y nagpuputuk, mata’y nagdidilim, dugu’y kumukulu at kusang napapahiaw ang
tapat na dibdib: - ¿Diyata, mga kapatid? ¿diyata’t kayo’y mamamalagi na sa
ganitong kabulagan at kaalipinan? ¿saan napatungo ang dahas at tapang ng inyong
mga magulang niyaong sila’y nakipaglaban sa mga tagaibang lupang yaan nang di
pagharian ng sino mang pusung itong bayang tagalog? ¿saan napatungu ang dugu
ni Kalipulako, ang masiglang hari sa Maktan, niyaong pinatay niya ang lilong si
Magallanes? ¿at saan nandoon ang matibay na pusu ni Soliman? ¿Diyata mga
kapatid? ¿diyata’t kayo’y lagi nang nakagapus diyan sa dustang haligi niyang
lubhang nakapupoot na kapusungan? ¿diyata’t sa inyong buhay wala nang makikita,
kung di hirap, dalita, sakit, lumbay, dusa’t kaamisan?...

¡Hayo na, hayo na bayan ko’t ikaw ay gumising! ¡ikaw ay magbangun, buksan
ang mata mo’t ikaw ay magmasid, ay bayang kong sawi!

¿Nakikita mo yaung maghapunang nanga kabilat sa init ng araw,

nangababasa sa ulan, at sa agus ng kanilang pawis at sa pagud ng kanilang
katawang hapu na’y pinabubukal sa lupa ang bungang nagbibigay buhay sa lahat at
nagbibigay sarap sa mga katawang may masamang loob? Sila’y mga tagalog.

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Tignan mo ngayon itong maghapunan ding nangakahilig sa malabambut at

mayayamang upuan. Ang lalung masasarap na pagkain ay kanila, kanila ang lalung
malalaking bahay, at ang lalung magagandang babai ay kanila din: lahat ay
kanilang iniikaw, at sila’y pinapupugayan at hinahagkan ng kamay ng bata’t
matanda. Ito’y mga kahalili ng Dios, mga fraileng kastila.

Saan man patungu ang iyong mga mata’y walang makikita kun di tagalog na
magdadalita at kastilang mayaman, tagalog na naaapi’t kastilang umaapi!

¿Bakit? ¿bakit ang mga sundalong tagalog na nakikihamuk sa ngalan ng

kastila at sa mga kalaban ng kastila; nagtitiis ng pagud, gutum at uhaw; na
gumugugul ng buhay at dugu; at ninananakaw sa nagpalaking magulang ang
kabataa’t lakas na ipatutungkud sa dustang katandaan, bakit inaalipusta ng Kastila?

¿At bakit naman ang mga sundalung kastila na inilalayu ang dibdib sa sandata
ng kalaban kung makikihamuk, pagkatapus nito’y nilalawitan ng sarisaring pala sa
kahirang tapang na walang makapantay? ¿Bakit ang damit nila’y hiniyasan ng mga
guhit at bituing ginto, pagbubuka ng kanilang bibig isang mapait na tungayaw,
pagkilos ng kanilang kamay, isang mahapding hampas? ¿at bakit na lalu silang
iginagalang ng tagalog?

Saan man, saan man ay gayon ang makikita.... nguni’t atin nang ihinto, atin
nang hulugan ng masinsing tabing itong mga kalagimlagim na katutuhanan, at ating
isipin ang lalung mabuting kagamutan.... “¿Anong isip isip pa? wala din tayong
magagawa, wala tayong pagkakaisa.” Yto’y siyang biglang isasagut ninyo sa akin na
di na babayaang matapus mangusap.

Sa makatuid naghihinanakit kayo’t walang pagkakaisa, sa makatuid nasa

ninyo ang pagkakaisang ito. Datapuat kayo’y namamali, kundi man kami ay
talagang minamali. ¿Ynaakala ninyong sukat na ang salita, sukat na ang nasa?
Kung sasabihin lamang ninyong kayo’y lumalakad, kung nasain ninyo lamang ang
lumakad, ¿kayo kaya’y tunay ngang lumalakad, ¿kayo kaya’y dumating sa inyong
paroroonan? Gawa, gawa at gawa! Kung kayo’y walang kapangahasang gumawa,
ang inyong pagkakaisang sinasabi ay isang kasinungali ngang ibinabalat kayu sa
inyong karuagan; ang pagkaisang inyong ninanasa ay isang pangarap ng inyong
kaloobang pinamaguran ng hamak na pagsasarili.

¿Ano ang inyong hinihintay? ¿hinihintay baga ninyong sila’y siyang inaawasa
inyo’t ibigay sa awang ito ang nauukul sa inyong mga matuid? ¿hinihintay ninyong
gawin nilang lahat ito, silang nabubuhay dahil sa kayo’y namamatay, silang nasa
ginhawa dahil sa kayo’y nasa hirap, silang panginoon dahil sa kayo’y alipin?
¿Hangang kailan pa mga tagalog kikilanlin ang tunay na pinagbubuhatan ng inyong
mga kaamisan? ¿Kailan ma’y huag antayin sa kanila ang ganitong awa: lalu’t higit
pa nga; nang sila’y mamalagi sa sarap at ginhawa ng kanilang pamumuhay, walang
salang iisipi’t gagamitin ang lahat ng paraan, kanilang sasandatahin ang lakas, ang
daya, ang atin sariling mga kababayan at ang atin sariling mga kayamanang
kanilang sinamsam; at sa ating kamangmangan at bulag na pagasa sa kanilang

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tapat na loob, tayo’y pipigain, tayo’y iinisin at saka lamang bibitiwan kung pati butu
ng ating mga bangkay ay wala nang kapatak man ng taglay na katas.

¡Hayo na mga tagalog kayo ay gumising at magkaisa sa gawa! Ang bawa’t

isa’y lumingap sa lahat at ang lahat ay lumingap sa bawat isa. Kayong lahat ay
tunay na magkakapatid; iisa ang dugung tumatagbu sa inyong mga ugat; iisa ang
lupang inyong tinubuan, iisa ang araw na namulatan ng inyong mga mata’t
nagbigay init sa inyong katawan at iisa ang inyong pighati’t pagkaayop; ¿bakit di
pagisahin naman ang inyong mga kalooban at kaisipan, upang maging isa din ang
lakas ninyong lahat at nang walang mangahas lumibak at yumurak ng inyong mga
banal na matuid?

¡Hayo na bayan ko, hayo na’t gumising! Ang bibig mong malaung napipi
ngayon ay mangusap, ang bingi mong tainga ngayon ay makinyig, at

“Makapangyarihang kanan mo’y ikilos papamilansikin ang kalis ng poot....”

¡Sukat na ang pagdarusa! siya na ang pagtitiis! !siya na ang pananangis!

Yaa’y nababagay lamang sa mga babai at sangol; ang mga lalaking may dangal at
puri, may pusu’t lakas ay gumagawa, nakikilaban at namamatay...! ¡kayo ay
gumawa, makilaban at matutung mamatay, mga tagalog!

J. Aging
23.10.95

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English translation

Wake up, Tagalogs!!

For more than three hundred years – an amazing length of time! – the felicitous
sun in this land of Katagalugan has been submerged and drowned by cruelty and deceit.
For more than three hundred years we have been in darkness, the horrifying dark night
of slavery! And this night is silent, like the graveyards. And in this silence nothing can
be heard except the clanking of chains, or perhaps melancholy lamentations, or perhaps
the sterile anger of a heart pierced by the sword of hate! This night is truly long! Sleep
is heavy, and deep [?]!....

When, Tagalogs, when shall the sun blaze, when shall you be strong and your
suffering end? Ay! Seeing your situation makes the heart burst, the eyes cloud over, the
blood seethe, and the righteous breast fill with ardent desire. Is that not so, brothers?
Or will you remain blind and enslaved? What has happened to the mettle and courage
of your forebears, who fought against those from other lands so that this country of the
Tagalogs would not be ruled by outsiders? Where now is the blood of Kalipulako, the
defiant ruler of Mactan, who killed the traitor Magellan? And where is the strong heart

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of Soliman? Were they not your brothers? Will you forever be chained to the pillar of
the oppression that causes great anger in your hearts? Will you witness nothing in your
lives but hardship, poverty, sickness, dejection, grief and oppression?

Forward! Forward, my country and awake! Arise, open your eyes, and look
about you, my unfortunate people!

Do you see those who are exposed to the heat of the afternoon sun; who are
soaked by the rain, and who with the drops of their sweat and the fatigue of their
exhausted bodies raise from the earth the harvest that gives life to everyone and gives
comfort to those whose spirits are low? They are Tagalogs.

And now notice those who like in the afternoon to lounge in soft and luxurious
chairs. The most delicious food is theirs; theirs are the biggest houses, and the most
beautiful women are theirs also; they have grabbed everything, and yet they are the ones
to whom we, young and old alike, must doff our hats; they are the ones whose hands we
must kiss. These are the representatives of God, the Spanish friars.

Wherever you turn your eyes, nothing is to be seen but Tagalogs who are poor
and Spaniards who are rich; Tagalogs who are enslaved and Spaniards who are
enslavers!

Why? Why are the Tagalog soldiers who fight in the name of Spain and against
the enemies of Spain; who suffer exhaustion, hunger and thirst; who give their lives and
their blood; who are taken away when their youth and strength should support their old
and weary parents; why are they insulted by the Spaniards?

And why are Spanish soldiers who do not expose their chests to the weapons of
the enemy in combat later heaped with various rewards for their unmatched bravery?
Why are their uniforms decorated with ribbons and gold stars, when they only open
their mouths to utter a foul curse and only raise their hands to strike a painful blow?
And why, above all, do the Tagalogs accord them any respect?

Wherever you look, wherever, the same sort of things can be seen.... But here we
shall stop, let a heavy curtain be drawn over these desolate truths, and turn our thoughts
to the best remedy.… “What on earth are you thinking? We shall achieve nothing. We
have no unity.” This will be your immediate answer, without letting me finish what I
want to say.

You lament there is no unity, which suggests that you want unity. But you are
mistaken; but we shall be truly mistaken. Do you believe that words are enough, that an
aspiration is enough? If you just say you will move forward; if you just have the desire
to move forward, does it mean you actually will move forward? Does it mean that you
actually will reach your destination? Deeds, deeds and deeds! If you do not have the
courage to act, the unity of which you speak is perhaps a lie that conceals your
cowardliness; the unity that you desire is a dream that belies your weak resolve.

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What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for them to take pity on you, and
decide compassionately to grant you your rights? Are you waiting for them to do this,
they who live because you die, they who prosper because you live in poverty; they who
are masters because you are slaves? How long will it still be, Tagalogs, before the true
source of your oppression is recognized? When will you stop waiting for compassion
from them, especially since their lives are always delightful and prosperous, when they
have nothing to worry about and have everything at their disposal – their force of arms,
their deceit, our own compatriots and the wealth they have seized from us. And as a
result of our ignorance and blind hope in their honest character we are squeezed and
suffocated, and they will only let go when they have extracted the last drop of juice from
the bones of our corpses.

Forward, Tagalogs, awake and unite in action! Each one should care for all; and
all should care for each. You are all true brothers; one is the blood that runs through
your veins; one the country of your birth; one the sun under which you opened your eyes
and which gave warmth to your body; one your grief and humiliation. Why not,
therefore, unite your resolve and thoughts in order also to make one your strength, so
that nobody will dare to insult and trample on your sacred rights?

Forward, my country; awake and go forward! Your voice, for so long mute,
should now speak; your ears, for so long deaf, should now listen, and

“The power is yours to act and vanquish the sword of hate”.

Too many afflictions already! No more suffering! No more cruelty! Only women
and babies would bear these things; men who have integrity and honor will fight and
die…! You, Tagalogs, mobilize, fight and learn how to die!

J. Aging

23.10.95