Recuerdo a Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town)

By: Dr. Jose P. Rizal

            When early childhood’s 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 wind’s 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 recall…recall

            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 river’s bank
            I found refreshment and delight;
            Within that rustic temple prayed
            With childhood’s 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 nature’s 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.

Analysis

Recuerdo a Mi Pueblo or In Memory of My Town consists of seven stanzas,

eight lines per stanzas and eight 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 Rizal’s amusement and
appreciation of God’s 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 child’s 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.

Submitted by: Jefferson S. Pabatang