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

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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.

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?

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 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
pinamugaran ng hamak na pagsasarili.

¿Ano ang inyong hinihintay? ¿hinihintay baga ninyong sila’y siyang

maawa 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 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....”

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 ¡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 howl with rage. 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 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

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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.

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

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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

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* I am grateful to Ian Alfonso for pointing out a number of errors in my initial

transcription and translation of this document.