Rizal: Philippine Nationalist and Martyr
Encyclopedia
Rizal, subtitled Philippine Nationalist and Martyr, is the biographical book about Philippine
national hero José Rizal
written by British
author Austin Coates
. The book was published by the Oxford University Press
in Hong Kong
in 1968.
or "Life and Writings of Dr. José Rizal" written by W.E. Retana that was published in 1907, thus Coates's book on Rizal was the first European
biography of Rizal since that year). The first-edition copies of the hardcover
version of the book were bound in green color, only three of which has José Rizal’s monogram
stamped on the book cover
. One is the file copy at the Oxford University Press. Another copy is owned by Coates himself. The third copy was given as a present to former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos
. Softcover reprint
s were also available.
Regarded as one of the “better biographers” of Rizal, Coates's book on Rizal is considered as one of the “very best biographies” on the Filipino
national hero. In the biographical literature, Coates emphatically explained that Rizal was the “very first exponent” of nationalism
in Asia
.
of Rizal's poem written in the Spanish-language retroactively titled “Mi Último Adiós
”, translated by scholars into the English language
as “My Last Farewell”. Although not explored enough, it sheds light on Rizal’s “final statement,” “state of mind,” and “intimate view” of the Philippine Revolution
before his death by firing squad. Floro Quibuyen discussed and compared Coates’s translation of the poem’s second stanza
to the translation into English made by Nick Joaquín
and into the first Tagalog
version made by Andrés Bonifacio
, with emphasis on the phrase in the second line that says “sin dudas sin pesar”. According to Quibuyen, the second stanza of the poem captured Rizal’s connection between personal martyrdom and the Philippine Revolution.
The original Spanish is written by Rizal as:
Coates translated the stanza as:
Quibuyen Coates's translation of "sin dudas sin pesar" which says “without hesitation or thought for the consequence.” Compared to Joaquin’s translation that says "without doubts, without gloom", Quibuyen revealed and described that Coates’s interpretation is not only misleading and less closer to Rizal’s Spanish original but is a “twist in translation” and not a “innocent stylistic transcription” that enabled Coates to insert his personal estimation about Rizal’s ambivalent position towards Philippine Revolution. According to Coates, the second stanza (based on a 1977 lecture by Coates about the poem during a celebration of Rizal Day
) that “a war (...) is going on. [Rizal] is [involved] or [connected] to it. [Rizal] admires those who are fighting, but [Rizal] does not entirely agree with what” was being done. Compared to Bonifacio’s Tagalog version, "sin dudas,sin pesar" became "walang agam-agam, maluwag sa dibdib" with the addition of the phrase “matamis sa puso at di-ikahapis” that is not available in the versions of Coates, Joaquin, and Rizal’s original. In effect, Bonifacio’s version of Rizal’s poem became “more joyously affirmative”. “Walang agam-agam” is equal to Joaquin’s “without doubts”. However, the phrase “maluwag sa dibdib” is beyond Joaquin’s “without gloom” because it encompasses “whole-hearted acceptance” without qualms or worries.
Quibuyen also compared Coates's translation of the third, fourth, and fifth lines of the second stanza of Rizal’s final poem to Joaquin’s English version and Bonifacio’s Tagalog version. Coates’s translated El sitio nada importa, cipres, laurel o lirio, / Cadalso o campo abierto, combate o cruel martirio, / Lo mismo es si lo piden la Patria y el hogar as How it takes place is not important. / Cypress, laurel or lily, / Scaffold or battlefield, in combat or cruel martyrdom, / It is the same when what is asked of you is for your country and your home /.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
national hero José Rizal
José Rizal
José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by...
written by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
author Austin Coates
Austin Coates
Austin Coates was a British civil servant, writer and traveller. He was the son of noted English composer Eric Coates.Austin Coates wrote extensively on topics related to the Asia-Pacific region, particularly Hong Kong and Macau...
. The book was published by the Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in 1968.
Description
Coates's Rizal Philippine Nationalist and Martyr is the second biographical account of the life and career of Rizal authored by a non-Filipino (the first was Vida y Escritos del Dr. José RizalVida y Escritos del Dr. José Rizal
Vida y Escritos del Dr. José Rizal, translated as “Life and Writings of Dr. José Rizal”, is a biographical book about Philippine national hero and "Father of Filipino Nationalism" José Rizal written in the Spanish language by Wenceslao Emilio Retana y Gamboa , a 19th-century Spanish civil...
or "Life and Writings of Dr. José Rizal" written by W.E. Retana that was published in 1907, thus Coates's book on Rizal was the first European
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
biography of Rizal since that year). The first-edition copies of the hardcover
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
version of the book were bound in green color, only three of which has José Rizal’s monogram
Monogram
A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series of uncombined initials is properly referred to as a...
stamped on the book cover
Book cover
A book cover is any protective covering used to bind together the pages of a book. Beyond the familiar distinction between hardcovers and paperbacks, there are further alternatives and additions, such as dust jackets, ring-binding, and older forms such as the nineteenth-century "paper-boards" and...
. One is the file copy at the Oxford University Press. Another copy is owned by Coates himself. The third copy was given as a present to former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
. Softcover reprint
Reprint
A reprint is a re-publishing of material that has already been previously published. The word reprint is used in many fields.-Academic publishing:...
s were also available.
Regarded as one of the “better biographers” of Rizal, Coates's book on Rizal is considered as one of the “very best biographies” on the Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
national hero. In the biographical literature, Coates emphatically explained that Rizal was the “very first exponent” of nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Translation of Rizal’s “Mi Último Adiós” poem
In the book, Coates has a translationTranslation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
of Rizal's poem written in the Spanish-language retroactively titled “Mi Último Adiós
Mi último adiós
"Mi último adiós" is a poem written by Philippine national hero José Rizal on the eve of his execution on December 30, 1896. Although the poem was untitled, this title served as an artifice useful as a quick reference. This poem was one of the last notes he wrote before his execution...
”, translated by scholars into the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as “My Last Farewell”. Although not explored enough, it sheds light on Rizal’s “final statement,” “state of mind,” and “intimate view” of the Philippine Revolution
Philippine Revolution
The Philippine Revolution , called the "Tagalog War" by the Spanish, was an armed military conflict between the people of the Philippines and the Spanish colonial authorities which resulted in the secession of the Philippine Islands from the Spanish Empire.The Philippine Revolution began in August...
before his death by firing squad. Floro Quibuyen discussed and compared Coates’s translation of the poem’s second stanza
Stanza
In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. In modern poetry, the term is often equivalent with strophe; in popular vocal music, a stanza is typically referred to as a "verse"...
to the translation into English made by Nick Joaquín
Nick Joaquín
Nicomedes Márquez Joaquín was a Filipino writer, historian and journalist, best known for his short stories and novels in the English language. He also wrote using the pen name Quijano de Manila...
and into the first Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
version made by Andrés Bonifacio
Andres Bonifacio
Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro was a Filipino nationalist and revolutionary. He was a founder and later Supremo of the Katipunan movement which sought the independence of the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule and started the Philippine Revolution...
, with emphasis on the phrase in the second line that says “sin dudas sin pesar”. According to Quibuyen, the second stanza of the poem captured Rizal’s connection between personal martyrdom and the Philippine Revolution.
The original Spanish is written by Rizal as:
- En campos se batalla, lunchando con delirio
- Otros te dan sus vidas sin dudas, sin pesar
- El sitio nada importa, cipres, laurel o lirio,
- Cadalso o campo abierto, combate o cruel martirio,
- Lo mismo es si lo piden la Patria y el hogar.
Coates translated the stanza as:
- Others are giving you their lives on fields of battle,
- Fighting joyfully, without hesitation or thought for the consequence,
- How it takes place is not important.
- Cypress, laurel or lily,
- Scaffold or battlefield, in combat or cruel martyrdom,
- It is the same when what is asked of you is for your country and your home
Quibuyen Coates's translation of "sin dudas sin pesar" which says “without hesitation or thought for the consequence.” Compared to Joaquin’s translation that says "without doubts, without gloom", Quibuyen revealed and described that Coates’s interpretation is not only misleading and less closer to Rizal’s Spanish original but is a “twist in translation” and not a “innocent stylistic transcription” that enabled Coates to insert his personal estimation about Rizal’s ambivalent position towards Philippine Revolution. According to Coates, the second stanza (based on a 1977 lecture by Coates about the poem during a celebration of Rizal Day
Rizal Day
Rizal Day is a Philippine national holiday commemorating the life and works of José Rizal, one of the Philippines' national heroes. It is celebrated every December 30, the day of Rizal's execution at Bagumbayan, now known as Rizal Park, in 1896.-History:...
) that “a war (...) is going on. [Rizal] is [involved] or [connected] to it. [Rizal] admires those who are fighting, but [Rizal] does not entirely agree with what” was being done. Compared to Bonifacio’s Tagalog version, "sin dudas,sin pesar" became "walang agam-agam, maluwag sa dibdib" with the addition of the phrase “matamis sa puso at di-ikahapis” that is not available in the versions of Coates, Joaquin, and Rizal’s original. In effect, Bonifacio’s version of Rizal’s poem became “more joyously affirmative”. “Walang agam-agam” is equal to Joaquin’s “without doubts”. However, the phrase “maluwag sa dibdib” is beyond Joaquin’s “without gloom” because it encompasses “whole-hearted acceptance” without qualms or worries.
Quibuyen also compared Coates's translation of the third, fourth, and fifth lines of the second stanza of Rizal’s final poem to Joaquin’s English version and Bonifacio’s Tagalog version. Coates’s translated El sitio nada importa, cipres, laurel o lirio, / Cadalso o campo abierto, combate o cruel martirio, / Lo mismo es si lo piden la Patria y el hogar as How it takes place is not important. / Cypress, laurel or lily, / Scaffold or battlefield, in combat or cruel martyrdom, / It is the same when what is asked of you is for your country and your home /.
External links
- Yoder, Robert L. The Execution of José Rizal from “Introduction” Rizal: Philippine Nationalist and Martyr by Austin Coates, The Life and Writings of Dr. José Rizal
- Lietz, Paul S. Rizal: Philippine Nationalist and Martyr by Austin Coates (doi: 10.2307/1842030)