A Tribute to My Town

(English translation by Nick Joaquin)

When I remember the days
that saw my early childhood
spent on the green shores
of a murmurous lagoon;
when I remember the coolness,
delicious and refreshing,
that on my face I felt
as I heard Favonius croon;
when I behold the white lily
swell to the winds impulsion,
and that tempestuous element
meekly asleep on the sand;
when I inhale the dear
intoxicating essence
the flowers exude when dawn
is smiling on the land;
Sadly, sadly I recall
your visage, precious childhood,
which an affectionate mother
made beautiful and bright;
I recall a simple town,
my comfort, joy and cradle,
beside a balmy lake,
the seat of my delight.
Ah, yes, my awkward foot
explored your sombre woodlands,
and on the banks of your rivers
in frolic I took part.
I prayed in your rustic temple,
a child, with a childs devotion;
and your unsullied breeze
exhilarated my heart.
The Creator I saw in the grandeur
of your age-old forests;
upon your bosom, sorrows
were ever unknown to me;
while at your azure skies
I gazed, neither love nor tenderness
failed me, for in nature
lay my felicity.
Tender childhood, beautiful town,
rich fountain of rejoicing
and of harmonious music
that drove away all pain:
return to this heart of mine,
return my gracious hours,
return as the birds return
when flowers spring again!
But O goodbye! May the Spirit
of Good, a loving gift-giver,
keep watch eternally over
your peace, your joy, your sleep!
For you, my fervent pryers;
for you, my constant desire
to learn; and I pray heaven
your innocence to keep!

Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town)

When early childhoods happy days
In memory I see once more
Along the lovely verdant shore
That meets a gently murmuring sea;
When I recall the whisper soft
Of zephyrs dancing on my brow
With cooling sweetness, even now
New luscious life is born on me.
When I behold the lily white
That sways to do the winds command,
While gently sleeping on the sand
The stormy water rests awhile;
When from the flowers there softly breathes
A bouquet ravishingly sweet,
Out-poured the newborn dawn to meet,
As on us she begins to smile.
With sadness I recallrecall
Thy face, in precious infancy
Oh mother, friend most dear to me,
Who gave to life a wondrous charm.
I yet recall a village plain,
My joy, my family, my boon,
Besides the freshly cool lagoon,
The spot for which my heart beats warm.
Ah yes! My footsteps insecure
In your dark forests deeply sank;
And there by every rivers bank
I found refreshment and delight;
Within that rustic temple prayed
With childhoods simple faith unfeigned
While cooling breezes, pure, unstained,
Would send my heart on rapturous flight.
I saw the Maker in the grandeur
Of your ancient hoary wood,
Ah, never in your refuge could
A mortal by regret by smitten;
And while upon your sky of blue
I gaze, no love or tenderness
Could fail, for here on natures dress
My happiness itself was written.
Ah, tender childhood, lovely town,
Rich fount of my felicities,
Oh those harmonious melodies
Which put to fight all dismal hours,
Come back to my heart once more!
Come back, gentle hours, I yearn!
Come back as the birds return,
At the budding of the flowers!
Alas, farewell! Eternal vigil I keep
For thy peace, thy bliss, and tranquility,
O Genius of good, so kind!
Give me these gifts, with charity.
To thee are my fervent vows,To thee I cease not to sigh
These to learn, and I call to the sky
To have thy sincerity.

When Jose Rizal was fifteen years old and a student of

Ateneo, he composed a poem entitled Recuerdo a Mi
Pueblo (In Memory of My Town) which vividly described
his childhood years in Calamba.
Jose Rizal wrote Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (A Tribute
To My Town) when he was 15 years old in 1876. He was
then a student in Ateneo de Manila. Rizal, being away
from his family, reminisced his memories of childhood in
his hometown, Calamba, Laguna and wrote this poem to
express his love and appreciation for the place where he
grew up.
Analysis
Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo or A Tribute to My Town
consists of seven stanzas, eight lines per stanzas and
six syllables per line. It is seen that Rizal expresses his
genuine emotions by giving citation to memories of his
past.
On the first stanza, it is reflected that Rizal is recalling
the sweet memories of his childhood, when he stayed in
the green fields with cold wind breeze enjoying the fresh
smell of nature. While on the third stanza, Rizal
expresses his feeling of longing for the life near the lake
while his mother cradles him with joy and love. He
mentioned that he misses the simple life way back
home. The fourth stanza signifies the candid Rizal,
playing barefooted on the woods and swimming on river
banks. Moreover, he mentioned his devotion as a
catholic; that he misses praying in rural churches with
his pure intentions in his heart. The fifth stanza is all
about Rizals amusement and appreciation of Gods
creations. He expressed so by using words that describe
the aged forest and blue sky. The sixth stanza is
considered as the climax of this poem. Rizal gives
significance to the beauty of his hometown, a place
founded by joyous memories the he longs for. He also
mentioned that all the pain of loneliness is eased by the
memories of his treasured hometown, that the hour he
thinks of it is so precious. Lastly, the seventh stanza
symbolizes his dream for his hometown to be as
peaceful and as happy as when he was there.

Emotions of the poem

First and Second Stanza - Happy Reminiscing
Third and Fourth Stanza - Longing
Fifth Stanza - Admiration, Awe (emphasis on God and
Nature)
Sixth Stanza - Amazement, Excitement (emphasis on
beauty of Town)
Seventh Stanza - Parting, Hope
As seen in the title, and in the words Rizal used, we can
safely assume that this was written during a time when
Rizal wasn't in his hometown anymore.
A time when these memories were fresh enough for him
to remember how much he loved his town so dearly, but
these memories were also old enough for it to give him a
feeling of nostalgia.
You can feel how much he loves his town when he still
wishes it all the best even though they're parting ways.

Implications of the poem

Key phrases in understanding the deeper meaning
within the poem:
4th Stanza - I prayed in your rustic temple, a child, with a
childs devotion.
5th Stanza - upon your bosom, sorrows
were ever unknown to me;
6th Stanza - that drove away all pain:
return to this heart of mine
Even though he was much more educated by the time
he was writing the poem, a part of him still preferred
being naive and innocent. (I.e. having a child's devotion.)
And wherever Rizal was, he wasn't as happy as when
he was still in his town ('return to this heart of mine that
which drove away all pain' and 'sorrows were ever
unknown to me'.)
these are the phrases that emphasize more how much
he longs to go back to what once was, compared to the
extremely detailed descriptions of what he misses.
Message to the present

Cherish everything around you.

Use your feelings and emotions to your

advantage.

Goodbyes don't always mean what we think they

mean.

Don't be in a hurry to grow up.

Never lose hope.

Humble yourself.

There are things out of your control.

Have an anchor.

To love something you just have to accept it.