This is the poem’s most famous image. A scar is permanent, ugly, and evidence of a wound. The English keeps the simile intact because it is culturally universal.
You changed it for your own.You erased it from history.You baptized me with your holy water,and you told me: "From now on, you are Guillén."And I am called Guillén,and my children are called Guillén,and my grandchildren will be called Guillén.But who knows my true name?Who knows the name of my root,the name of my branch,the name of my leaf?
The direct English equivalent of the surname Guillén is .
In a literal genealogical sense, "el apellido Guillén" translates to " the surname William " or " the surname Williams ". el apellido nicolas guillen english translation
One of the most moving stanzas involves the poet seeking his authentic name in the natural world and in history:
In standard English translations (such as those by Roberto Márquez), this becomes:
Desde la escuela me lo dieron. Un nombre escrito en un papel, un nombre que no es el mío, un nombre que me usurparon. This is the poem’s most famous image
: He seeks his "real" name—the one lost in the middle passage or buried in African history.
The text laments the loss of specific tribal origins, family lineages, and geographic roots in Africa.
Why is there no written record of his true ancestors in the official registry? Linguistic Colonization You changed it for your own
The surname "Guillén" is Spanish. It represents the colonizer, the master, the Catholic church, and the legal system. The poem asks: Is this name truly his? Or is it merely a label given to him by the society that enslaved his forefathers? By questioning this, Guillén performs an act of decolonization. He refuses to accept the Spanish surname as the only truth of his identity.
"Is all my skin (I should say) / all my skin, / that which came from the distant / marble of my statues? / Is my name then whole? / Are you sure? / Have you no other signs to give me?" stanza-by-stanza breakdown
When translated into English, some of the natural internal rhyme and syllabic rhythm of the Spanish language can be lost. However, skilled English translations preserve the incantatory, chant-like quality of the poem's climax, where Guillén reclaims his African heritage through the elements of nature: the trees, the rivers, and the ocean that his ancestors crossed. Literary Legacy and Impact
Always credit the translator. If you use this article’s translation, cite as “Anonymous translation, 2024” or seek permission for academic publication.
The poem sharply criticizes the forced assimilation of African peoples through baptism and European naming practices. When the poet states, "You baptized me with your holy water, and you told me: 'From now on, you are Guillén,'" he exposes the complicity of religious institutions in colonial subjugation. Rejecting the name is an act of psychological liberation. 4. The Invisible Name and Nature