The primary, and most celebrated, English translation of the poem is Roberto Márquez's version, titled Márquez's work, often in collaboration with David Arthur McMurray, captures the raw, rhythmic power of Guillén's Spanish. The key resource is the bilingual anthology "My Last Name and Other Poems / El apellido y otros poemas" (2004), which presents the Spanish original alongside Márquez's English translation. By presenting the poem side-by-side, the anthology allows readers to appreciate the sonic qualities of the Spanish while accessing the meaning and emotional force in English.
Guillén was the foremost exponent of poesía negra (Black poetry), a literary movement that celebrated Afro-Cuban culture. He integrated the rhythms of son —a traditional Cuban musical genre—into his spoken-word poetry. His work gave a powerful voice to the marginalized Black population of Cuba, blending African speech patterns with traditional Spanish poetic forms. 2. Themes of Social Justice and Mestizaje
Guillén guesses at African ethnicities because he has no records. The translation capitalizes “Black” and keeps “Congo” and “Bantu” as proper nouns – these were real peoples enslaved in Cuba.
Translating Nicolás Guillén into English presents unique challenges for translators: el apellido nicolas guillen english translation
Guillén visualizes a family coat of arms not with European icons, but with symbols of Africa: "Mirad mi escudo: tiene un baobab, tiene un rinoceronte y una lanza. Yo soy también el nieto, biznieto, tataranieto de un esclavo" (Look at my shield: it has a baobab, a rhinoceros, and a lance. I am also the grandson, great-grandson, great-great-grandson of a slave). The poem powerfully concludes with the defiant line, "(Que se avergüence el amo)" (Let the master be ashamed), transforming a source of imposed shame into a badge of pride and resilience.
While "El apellido" is often directly translated as "the last name" or "the surname," Márquez's choice of is superior for its intimate, first-person perspective. It directly reflects the speaker's personal quest for identity, as the poem is less a dry examination of a name and more a visceral demand for recognition: "Look at my shield" and "my last name," he insists.
Here, the English translation must maintain the specific names of the African nations and tribes to preserve the historical specificity of the transatlantic slave trade. The Linguistic Rhythm: Mestizaje and Son Poetry The primary, and most celebrated, English translation of
—Kumba… Ngo… Mbele…
Students of postcolonial literature, Afro-Latinx studies, translation theory, and poetry readers seeking works that blend lyrical beauty with historical memory.
¿Sabéis mi otro apellido, el que me viene de aquella tierra enorme, el apellido sangriento y capturado, que pasó sobre el mar entre cadenas? Guillén was the foremost exponent of poesía negra
Why is there no written record of his true ancestors in the official registry? Linguistic Colonization
The phrase translates to "The Surname" or "My Last Name" .
