In the climax of the poem, Guillén explicitly rejects the completeness of his Spanish surname.
Whether you are translating a biography or researching your own heritage, the name Nicolás Guillén represents a bridge between Greek, Germanic, and Hispanic histories. To help you dive deeper into this name or its history:
Understanding "El Apellido" by Nicolás Guillén: Meaning, Context, and English Translation
Guillén explores the conflict of being both black and Spanish, a defining aspect of Cuban identity.
Compare Guillén's work with other authors of the . el apellido nicolas guillen english translation
The original African name was replaced by a European one.
, Guillén uses this poem to reclaim his Afro-Cuban roots and challenge the Eurocentric narrative of Cuban identity. A "New" Shield
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.
: The poem reflects the "poetic mestizaje"—a synthesis of Spanish and African cultural elements that defines the Caribbean identity. Collective History In the climax of the poem, Guillén explicitly
In English, "Guillén" is often pronounced gee-YEN , while "Nicolás" follows the standard nee-ko-LAS .
To fully understand the poem's tension, it's essential to know the meaning of Guillén's own Spanish surname. The surname is the Spanish equivalent of William in English, derived from Old German elements meaning "resolute protector" or "tenacious protector." . It emerged in the northern Spanish regions of Aragon and Navarra during the medieval period. Guillén's use of his surname as a title and central theme is deeply ironic: he carries a name that signifies European power and protection, while he laments the lost names that would have connected him to his African ancestors.
Guillén laments that the slave trade completely wiped away his original African lineage. He asks his readers, and himself, what his name should have been before it was replaced by a Spanish moniker:
To understand the weight of "El Apellido," one must understand its author and the era in which it was written. Compare Guillén's work with other authors of the
The poem contrasts the bureaucratic, written world of the Spanish colonizer (registries, notary seals, paper) with the organic, oral, and natural world of Africa (trees, rivers, animal spirits). The English translation highlights this friction between legalistic European language and ancestral memory. Universal Afro-Caribbean Identity
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In "El Apellido," Guillén confronts the fragmentation of his identity caused by colonialism. He interrogates his own surname, a Spanish name, questioning its origin and the bloodline it represents. The poem highlights:
You have given me your name,the name of your ancestors,the name of your kings,the name of your judges and executioners.But what about my name?The name that belonged to my blood,the name that belonged to my skin,the name that my mother spoke in her cradle,the name that my father carried like a shield?