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In this episode of Elixir, Helen is talking to Raycel, who is from Cuba, about the poem ‘Yo soy un hombre sincero’ by José Martí (1853-1895) as sung by Pablo Milanés (1942-2022).
Topics of discussion:
The political history of ‘Yo soy un hombre sincero’ by José Martí
The poverty of life in Cuba (verses e.g. European countries)
Raycel’s love story that took him across the world
Text of the poem:
Yo Soy Un Hombre Sincero
Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crece la palma
Y antes de morirme quiero
Echar mis versos del alma.
Yo vengo de todas partes
Y hacia todas partes voy
Arte soy entre las artes
Y en los montes, monte soy.
Oculto en mi pecho bravo
La pena que me lo hiere
El hijo de un pueblo esclavo
Vive por él, calla y muere.
Yo he visto al águila herida
Volar al azul sereno
Y morir en su guarida
La víbora del Veneno.
Temblé una vez, en la reja
A la puerta de la viña
Cuando la bárbara abeja
Picó en la frente a mi niña.
Gocé una vez, de tal suerte
Que gocé cual nunca, cuando
La sentencia de mi muerte
Leyó el alcaide llorando.
Mírame, madre, y por tu amor no llores
Si esclavo de mi edad y mis doctrinas
Tu mártir corazón llené de espinas
Piensa que nacen entre espinas flores.
Un verso forjé
Donde crece la luz
¡Y América y el hombre digno sea!
José Martí
https://www.letras.com/pablo-milanes/227189/english.html
Translation of the poem:
I Am a Sincere Man
I am a sincere man
From where the palm tree grows
And before I die I want
To cast my verses from the soul.
I come from all places
And towards all places I go
I am art among the arts
And in the mountains, I am a mountain.
Hidden in my brave chest
The sorrow that wounds it
The son of a slave town
Lives for it, stays silent, and dies.
I have seen the wounded eagle
Fly to the serene blue
And die in its lair
The viper of venom.
I trembled once, at the gate
Of the vineyard
When the barbaric bee
Stung my girl's forehead.
I once rejoiced so much
That I rejoiced like never before, when
The sentence of my death
Was read by the warden.
Look at me, mother, and do not cry for your love
If a slave to my age and my doctrines
I filled your martyr heart with thorns
Think that flowers are born among thorns.
I forged a verse
Where the light grows
And may America and the worthy man be!
José Martí
https://www.letras.com/pablo-milanes/227189/english.html
About José Martí
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/José_Martí
https://allpoetry.com/poem/8531743-A-Sincere-Man-Am-I---Verse-I--by-Jose-Marti
https://www.insumisos.com/M4T3R14L/BD/Marti-Jose/Guantanamera.PDF
https://web.seducoahuila.gob.mx/biblioweb/upload/Versos%20sencillos.pdf
About Pablo Milanés
http://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2022/11/21/fallece-el-cantautor-cubano-pablo-milanes/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Milanés
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMG25yQa--o
