Francisco Balagtas

Poet

Francisco Baltazar, also known as Francisco Balagtas, was a prominent Filipino poet, and is
widely considered one of the greatest Filipino literary laureates for his impact on Filipino
literature. Wikipedia
Born: 2 April 1788, Balagtas, Bulacan
Died: 20 February 1862, Orion
Full name: Francisco Balagtas y de la Cruz
Books: Florante at Laura, Orosmn at Zafira, Florante
Education: Colegio de San Jose, Colegio de San Juan de Letran,Ateneo de Manila University
Parents: Juana de la Cruz, Juan Balagtas

Francisco Baltazar (born Francisco Balagtas y de la Cruz; April 2, 1788 February 20,
1862), also known as Francisco Balagtas, was a prominent Filipino poet, and is widely
considered one of the greatest Filipino literary laureates for his impact on Filipino literature. The
famous epic, Florante at Laura, is regarded as his defining work.

The name "Baltazar", sometimes misconstrued as a pen name, was a legal surname Balagtas
adopted after the 1849 edict of Governor-General Narciso Claveria y Zaldua, which mandated
that the native population adopt standard Spanish surnames instead of native ones. His trainer is
Jose Dela Cruz, also called Huseng Sisiw

Early life

Francisco Balagtas was born on April 2, 1788, in Barrio Panginay, Bigaa, Bulacan as the
youngest of the four children of Juan Balagtas, a blacksmith (Panday) and Juana de la Cruz. He
was baptized on April 30 that same year.[1] He studied Canon Law, Philosophy, Latin, and the
Classics in Colegio San Juan de Letran and Colegio de San Jose. He finished school in 1812.

Life as a poet

Balagtas learned to write poetry from Jos de la Cruz (Huseng Sisiw), one of the most famous
poets of Tondo, in return of chicks. It was De la Cruz himself who personally challenged
Balagtas to improve his writing. Balagtas swore he would overcome Huseng Sisiw as he would
not ask anything in return as a poet.

In 1835, Balagtas moved to Pandacan, where he met Mara Asuncin Rivera, who would
effectively serve as the muse for his future works. She is referenced in Florante at Laura as
'Selya' and 'MAR'.
Balagtas' affections for MAR were challenged by the influential Mariano Capule. Capule won
the battle for MAR when he used his wealth to get Balagtas imprisoned. It was here that he
wrote Florante at Laurain fact, the events of this poem were meant to parallel his own
situation.

He wrote his poems in Tagalog, during an age when Filipino writing was predominantly written
in Spanish.

Balagtas published Florante at Laura upon his release in 1838. He moved to Balanga, Bataan in
1840 where he served as the assistant to the Justice of the Peace. He was also appointed as the
translator of the court. He married Juana Tiambeng on July 22, 1842, in a ceremony officiated by
Fr. Cayetano Arellano, uncle of future Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Cayetano
Arellano. They had eleven children but only four survived to adulthood. On November 21, 1849,
Governor-General Narciso Claveraissued a decree that every Filipino native must adopt a
Spanish surname. In 1856, he was appointed as the Major Lieutenant, but soon after was
convicted and sent to prison again in Bataan under the accusation that he ordered a rich man's
housemaid's head to be shaved.

He was again released from prison in 1860 and continued writing poetry, along with translating
Spanish documents, but two years later, he died on February 20, 1862, at the age of 73. Upon his
deathbed, he asked a favor that none of his children become poets like him, who had suffered
under his gift as well as under others. He even went as far as to tell them it would be better to cut
their hands off than let them be writers.

Balagtas is so greatly idolized in the Philippines that the term for Filipino debate in
extemporaneous verse is named after him: Balagtasan.

Legacy

An elementary school was erected in honor of Balagtas, the Francisco Balagtas Elementary
School (FBES), located along Alvarez Street in Santa Cruz, Manila. There is also a plaza and
park (Plaza Balagtas) erected in Pandacan, Manila while most of the streets were named after
various Florante at Laura characters in honor of Francisco Balagtas. His birthplace, Bigaa,
Bulacan, was renamed to Balagtas, Bulacan in honor of him. A museum, historical marker,
monument and Elementary School has been placed in his birthplace at Panginay, Balagtas,
Bulacan. A Mercurian crater was also named after him. A barangay in Orion, Bataan (formerly
Udyong) was named after his surname (Balagtas).

Works

Sources of Balagtas' work

No original manuscript in Balagtas' handwriting of any of his works has survived to the present
day. This is due mainly to two great fires that razed Udyong (Now Orion, Bataan) and destroyed
much of the poet's works.[2][3] The most notable of his works, "Florante at
Laura" or "Pinagdaanang Buhay ni Florante at Laura sa Kaharian ng Albanya" has been
published in numerous editions from its original publication in 1838. the oldest extant edition of
the Florante is believed to be the 1861 edition[4] published in Manila, while a handwritten
manuscript written down by Apolinario Mabini exists and is in the possession of the Philippine
National Library.
The major source of the poet's life and works is from a 20th-century work entitled "Kun Sino ang
Kumatha ng Florante" (He who wrote the Florante) by Hermenigildo Cruz, the poet lists down
Balagtas' works and recreates some of his plays based on scenes and lines memorized by the
poet's children. The book also has an edition of the Florante. Balagtas wrote 10 comedias and 1
metrical romance according to Cruz as well as numerous other poems and short plays that are
recorded in his book. These include 2 laos or short celebratory scenes usually involving a patron
saint and performed during fiestas.

Complete works

Only 3 of Balagtas' works survived complete and intact to this day. Out of the 3, "Florante at
Laura" is considered Balagtas' defining work and is a cultural touchstone for the Philippines.

Florante at Laura or Pinagdaanang Buhay ni Florante at Laura sa Kaharian ng

Albanya, an awit (metrical narrative poem with dodecasyllabic quatrains [12 syllables per
line, 4 lines per stanza]); Balagtas' masterpiece
La India elegante y el negrito amante a short play in one part
Orosman at Zafira a comedia in three parts
Reconstructed/rediscovered works

Majority of the source material for Balagtas' work come from Hermenigildo Cruz' book which
itself is based on the surviving testimonies and memories of Balagtas' children at the turn of the
century. In his book, he reconstructs 5 plays, the most notable and most complete of which is
"Orosman at Zafira."[5]

Orosmn at Zafira a komedya (a Filipino theater form evolved from the

Spanish comedia) in three parts
Rodolfo at Rosemonda
Nudo gordeano
Abdol at Misereanan a komedya, staged in Abucay in 1857
Bayaceto at Dorslica a komedya in three parts, staged at Udyong on September 27,
1857
Minor works

As a folk poet and employee of the courts, Balagtas' prowess in writing was mainly seen in the
yearly fiestas held in nearby towns, a great majority of his plays may have been staged in
outdoor theaters set up in town square and as a poet, a number of his works and writings have
been recorded in collections of poetry such as the "Coleccion de refranes, frases y modismos
tagalos" (Guadalupe, 1890) as well as in the accounts of Spanish officials such as Martinez de
Zuniga who recorded traditional plays and religious events in Philippine fiestas.
Balagtas also wrote in the Ladino style of poems that were popular among his contemporaries.
He is said to have written 2 loas recorded in Cruz's book as well as numerous Ladinos and
didactic works.

Loas
In praise of the Archangel Michael a loa written for the patron saint of the town of
Udyong
In Celebration of the crowning of Queen Isabella II of the Bourbon Dynasty Celebrating
the ascension of Isabella II to the Spanish throne
Minor poems

A number of Minor poems are recorded in Cruz's book.

"Pangaral sa Isang Binibining Ikakasal" (Admonition to a Young Lady About To Be

Married) A didactic work.
 "Paalam Na sa Iyo. . .!" (And So Farewell to You... !) A bilingual poem (Written in
Spanish and Tagalog) written in Ladino style.
Lost works

5 of the 10 recorded plays Balagtas wrote are considered lost. Another work, "Claus" a
translation work from Latin is considered lost for Cruz does not mention any fragments or
elaborates on it in his book. Among his other lost works, one should consider plays and short
poems written by Balagtas in his lifetime for fiestas and celebrations as well as to earn his living.

Don Nuo at Selinda o la desgracia del amor en la inocencia a komedya in three parts
Auredato at Astrome a komedya in three parts
Clara Belmore a komedya in three parts
Alamansor at Rosalinda a komedya staged at Udyong during the town's feast
Mahomet at Constanza
Claus (translated into Tagalog from Latin)

Source:
`https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Balagtas
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