Dr. José de Diego was a journalist, poet, and and advocate for Puerto Rican independence. Today he is known more for his advocacy of independence for Puerto Rico from Spain and the United States than for his poetry.
Translation by Roberto Santiago
BORICUAS: Influential Puerto Rican Writings -- An Anthology
If suffering comes unabated,
if weariness weighs down your spirit,
do as the once barren tree:
flourish.
And like the planted seed:
rise.
Resurge, breathe, shout, walk, fight,
Vibrate, glide, thunder, shine forth...
Do as the river rich with new rainwater:
grow.
Or like the sea approaching a rocky shore:
strike.
Know how to face the angry thrust of storms,
not braying, like a frightened lamb,
but roaring, like a defiant beast.
Rise! Revolt! Resist!
Do as the bull in the face of adversity:
charge
with confident power.
¡Ah desgraciado, si el dolor te abate,
si el cansancio tus miembros entumece!
Haz como el árbol seco: reverdece
y como el germen enterrado: late.
Resurge, alienta, grita, anda, combate,
vibra, ondula, retruena, resplandece...
Haz como el río con la lluvia: ¡crece!
Y como el mar contra la roca: ¡bate!
De la tormenta al iracundo empuje,
no has de balar, como el cordero triste,
sino rugir, como la fiera ruge.
¡Levántate!, ¡revuélvete!, ¡resiste!
Haz como el toro acorralado: ¡muge!
O como el toro que no muge: ¡embiste!
