GUDBYE NI RIZAL

ANTECEDENTS TO GUDBYE NI RIZAL The Internet holds abundant information on DR. JOSE P. RIZAL, the National Hero of the Republic of the Philippines. His autobiography, life, works, writings, learning, wisdom, and genius may be found in the pages of the Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Google, and Yahoo, JoseRizal, Ph website, and other websites. On his second trip to Europe, he traveled from February 3, 1888, Manila to Hong Kong, to Amoy, to Yokohama in Japan, then on April 28, 1888 to San Francisco, then to Utah, Ogden, Denver, Salt Lake City, Colorado, Nebraska, Omaha, Chicago in Illinois, Albany, and ending his United States sojourn in New York on May 13, 1888. From there he then proceeded to Europe boarding the boat “City of Rome”, reaching Queenstown, Ireland on May 24, 1888. IN this brief interlude in the United States, he saw Niagara Falls, the Missouri River, Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge, and Reno. Four of the greatest Renaissance Men who bequeathed everlasting honor and renown to their countries and to the world are Asians, born in the decade of the 1860s: RABINDRANATH TAGORE (May 7, 1861 – August 7, 1941), The First Asian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913; SUN YAT-SEN (November 12, 1866 – March 12, 1925), the Father of the Chinese Revolution, Founder of Modern China; MOHANDAS KARAMCHAND GANDHI (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948), whom Tagore called “The Great Soul” (Mahatma), who walked to Road to Freedom and Independence for India paved with Satya (Truth) and Ahimsa (Non-Violence, Peace, Love); and DR. JOSE P. RIZAL (born June 19, 1861), The National Hero of the Philippines, Eclectic Patriot and Man of Diverse Talents, Who Loved and Laid Down His Life and Dreams for His Family, Country, and Friends, Wielding Truly A Pen Mightier Than The Sword, and at Thirty Five Years Old Welcoming Death By Firing Squad (The Youngest of these Invincible and Enduring Asians) in the Bagumbayan Field (Luneta now) on the early morn of December 30, 1896, Forever in the Hearts and Minds of Filipinos, Ever the Pride of Asians! On the night of his death by firing squad, in Fort Santiago where he was imprisoned, Rizal wrote his last poem. When he was visited by his mother and sisters Josefa, Trinidad, and Lucia, he told his sisters in English that he had placed something in an alcohol lamp which he handed to them. In the afternoon after the Luneta execution, in his sister Narcisa’s house, she opened the alcohol lamp and lo! and behold! she found Rizal’s poem! The poem had no title but was later known “Mi Ultimo Adios”. There are no less than 35 English translations, the most popular came from an American, Charles Derbyshire (1911). A translation by the Filipino National Artist Nick Joaquin (1944) can be found in the Rizal Park in Manila. This poem also bears 46 Filipino translation and has been translated in at least 37 other languages: Indonesian, Bengali, Bulgarian, Burmese, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Fijian, French, German, Greek, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Igbo (Nigeria), Italian, Japanese, Javanese, Korean, Latin, Maori, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Sanskrit, Sinhalese (Sri Lanka), Somali, Tahitian, Thai, Tongan, Turkish, Urdu (Pakistan), Vietnamese, Wolof (Senegal), and Yoruba (Nigeria) (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia; Derbyshire’s work might be found in The Philippine Education Company, Quiapo, Manila, circa 1965). (To Wikipedia, the farewell poem was given a title in Hong Kong (1897) by J.P.Braga, a publisher. There is a Wikipedia Philippines (English and Tagalog); there is a Google Philippines, Google Pilipinas, Google.com.ph sa English, and one offered in Filipino). During his Asian Tour, President George W. Bush, like what other leaders from different nations do, visited the Rizal Monument in Manila to pay his respects to the Philippine National Hero Jose P. Rizal on Saturday, October 18, 2003, thereafter to address the Philippine Congress, and meet with President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo (see photos of the wreath-laying at the Wikipedia by AFP/Jay Directo and AP Photo/Charles Dharapak). GUDBYE NI RIZAL is crafted in a mix of the English, Pilipino and Tagalog, ample parts in text language, in modern idiom, with splashes of slang. Rizal speaks to YOU in your language today and in idiom you use because many have forgotten Rizal and so many do not even know him, and those who know him no longer cared for what he lived, stood, and died for. Open your hearts and minds to reverberate once again to the touch and tremor of his thoughts, deeds, and writings, and harken to the words of our Nation Hero, for: “He is Pepe, fine man,” like you, my friend, Will someday speak, as if you knew him by the heart And even tell: “Yes, Jose Rizal, great Filipino,” Though softly in your crowd. ………………………………………………………………………….. “Must I now ask if death will finish him as mere a man Or as one Filipino who truly loved his only land? Do you not think, my friend, that, after all, It is a charming, noble land?” BAGONG BAYAN (A New Nation) Seven poems were published in the Philippines. Two are in the Internet, in poetry.com, and The International Library of Poetry (which recently published two books of poetry, Timeless Voices, Editor, Mr. Howard Ely, where the poem “Pushcart Baby: A Tale in Manila” appears and Forever Spoken, where “Love Text” is included) In this collection, the author uses his pen names Johnny N., Jammer K., Ulilangkoboy, and Medardo Kalayaan. My eleven-year old Justin interpreted with a drawing Lindbergh’s flight in his plane, The Spirit of St. Louis, from New York to Paris across the Atlantic (Justin has been to New York and when he was in Paris, saw the Eiffel Tower). Brother-in-law of my wife, Mauro (Bibot) Ignacio, an Architect- Artist- Designer translates and interprets Rizal’s martyrdom. He immersed himself in the study of the life of the Hero and centered his thoughts and vision on a rendering of the poem “Bagong Bayan”. To Adelina Hristova and Chrisel N. Cruz, for such patient, clean, and meticulous typing of the drafts and manuscripts of my books, specially so when I wrote the first drafts in longhand; for the final hardcopy and disk typing and editing which Pamela did with care and dispatch; and Miggy was always there handling the initial computer print for the disks. A Big Thank You to All of You!!! And ever and always my immense gratitude to my parents, my wife Zeny, my sisters Ester, Belen, Edna Lee, and Marion, my late brothers Orlando and David, my children and grandchildren, nephews and nieces, sons and daughters-in-law, kin and kith Monty, Pamel, Giliw Carmen, Andrew, Cecile, Adelina, Russell, Joy, Ryan, Marc, Tricia, Miggy, Chrisel, CJ, Justin, JB and the indefatigable hyper four-year old Bebka. The journey has been roughed and rugged at times, many times, but you were always there to lighten and heal the burdens…… Juan C. Nabong Jr. June 8, 2008 Orlando, Florida