A La Juventud Filipina / To The Filipino Youth by Jose Rizal
Posted on August 2nd, 2006 |
I got several search queries on my site looking for Dr. Jose Rizal’s poem “A La Juventud Filipina” also known as “To The Philippine Youth / To the Filipino Youth” or “Sa Kabataang Pilipino” in Filipino. Here it is. In 1879, Artistic Literary Lyceum of Manila, a society of literary men and artists held a literary contest. Jose Rizal at that time only eighteen years old, submitted the poem, A La Juventud Filipina (To the Filipino Youth) where he earned first prize. This was the first poem ever written by a native Filipino and it aroused the nationalistic concept among the Filipinos.
This poem titled “A la Juventud Filipina,” which he wrote in 1879 at the age of 18, Rizal approved the idea of a Philippine identity different from that of Spain, but there he also acknowledges the the benefits that mother country had bestowed on the Philippines.
(The image on the left is his picture when he was 18 while studying at University of Santo Tomas. As you can see Uso din noon ang hair style ng kabataan ngayon)
| A La Juventud Filipina Spanish version Alza su tersa frente, Juventud Filipina, en este día! Luce resplandeciente Tu rica gallardía, Bella esperanza de la Patria Mia!Vuela, genio grandioso, Y les infunde noble pensamiento, Que lance vigoroso, Mas rápido que el viento, Su mente virgen al glorioso asiento.Baja con la luz grata De las artes y ciencias a la arena, Juventud, y desata La pesada cadena Que tu genio poético encadena. Ve que en la ardiente zona Tu, que buscando subes, Tu, de celeste acento, Tu que la pena dura Y tu, que el vario encanto Corred! que sacra llama Dia, dia felice, |
To The Philippine Youth English version Unfold, oh timid flower !Lift up your radiant brow, This day, Youth of my native strand ! Your abounding talents show Resplendently and grand, Fair hope of my Motherland !Soar high, oh genius great, And with noble thoughts fill their mind; The honor’s glorious seat, May their virgin mind fly and find More rapidly than the wind. Descend with the pleasing light See that in the ardent zone, You, who heavenward rise You of heavenly harmony, You at th’ impulse of your mind And you, who with magic brush Run ! For genius’ sacred flame Oh, joyful, joyful day, |
Sa Kabataang Pilipino Filipino version Itaas ang iyong Malinis na noo Sa araw na ito, Kabataang Pilipino! Igilas mo na rin ang kumikinang mong Mayamang sanghaya Magandang pag-asa ng Bayan kong Mutya!Makapangyarihang wani’y lumilipad, At binibigyang ka ng muning mataas, Na maitutulad ng ganap na lakas, Mabilis na hangin, sa kanyang paglipad, Malinis na diwa, sa likmuang hangad.Ikaw ay bumaba Na taglay ang ilaw Ng sining at agham Sa paglalabanan, Bunying kabataan, At iyong kalagiun ang gapos mong iyang Tanikalang bakal na kinatalian Ng matulain mong waning kinagisnan. Ikaw na lagi nang pataas nag lipad, Ikaw na may tinig At ikaw, na siyang Hayo na’y tumakbo! Sapagka’t ang banal Malwalhating araw, |
Looking for more of Rizal’s poems with translations? Write to me and I will see what I can do.
You might also be interested to read his other work, Mi Ultimo Adios / My Last Farewell / Pahimakas.
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August 14th, 2006 at 2:13 pm
Great post! Hope you can provide more of Rizal\’s poems
August 16th, 2006 at 8:38 pm
Thank you. Thank you. I am composing a speech for someone running for next year’s elections as mayor in one of Metro Manila’s bigger cities.
You were a big help. Thanks again.
August 23rd, 2006 at 1:04 pm
thanks for posting this!
September 1st, 2006 at 7:13 pm
the poem was a great showcase of rizal’s nationalistic work. i hope that you would provide a background and interpretation with regards to this poem.
September 14th, 2006 at 8:37 pm
hehe.. para samo PI nga report.. =)
September 27th, 2006 at 11:43 am
Please, can you give me the exact date when JRizal wrote A La Juventud Filipina.
Thank you very much.
September 27th, 2006 at 11:54 am
i dont know the exact date, sorry
October 3rd, 2006 at 10:04 am
thanks again……
October 6th, 2006 at 11:38 pm
thank you so much.. it really helped me on my project.. hehe
Godspeed!
October 25th, 2006 at 11:16 pm
stories about the poem. heard these from my professor. pretty amazing!
one of the rules of the contest was not to put the names of the writers in their piece but a number instead. so when the judges (spanish) chose A La Juventud Filipina as the best piece, they weren’t expecting a mestizo de sangley–not even a spaniard! you see, the term filipino then refers to the insulares (philippine-born spaniards). but rizal was actually referring to the natives (indios & mestizo de sangleyes) of the philippines. now we can say that the word Filipino with its modern meaning was born and was first used in 1879.
Rizal’s prize for winning the contest was a golden pen amounting to 4 pesos. doesn’t sound much now but a peso during that time was made of pure gold!
October 26th, 2006 at 5:01 pm
will use this soon. rizal is awesome.
November 7th, 2006 at 12:41 pm
Rizal is a true form of what a Filipino is. His poems are works of beauty and intelligence
November 14th, 2006 at 6:01 pm
this detail is so great.this my assignment in MR.DETARO
November 22nd, 2006 at 4:33 pm
para din sa aming pi report
November 28th, 2006 at 8:14 am
thanks for posting rizal’s poems…nagamit ko sa report ko sa rizal..thank you talaga!!!
December 14th, 2006 at 4:27 pm
have to memorize the spanish version of a la juventud filipina…hope i can make it!!!
January 1st, 2007 at 2:23 pm
thanks 4 posting this poe, i nid 8 4 my report thaks mwahhhhhhhh
January 5th, 2007 at 11:05 am
jose rizal’s poems are really inspiring to filipinos!!!
hay, this is for our project…
January 9th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
nice…
January 11th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
ei.. tenks sa info.. naka-tulong sa assignment.. (hehe) tsaka danda ng web design.. (i like black)
January 11th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
thankx nga pala… need ko kasi ito sa report ko kailagn maganda tlga ung presentation ko kasi delikado ako sa subject na 2 hahaha berdugo kc ung prof nmen… hayzzz
sana may makatulong sakin for the interpretation of this poem salamt…
January 12th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
we are blessed to have Rizal. He sees the bigger picture. grabe sya…he is an unbound pinoy.. his passion for this country is really amazing..i hope our country will be able to produce more Rizals who can bring honor and glory for the Philippines and for God…
January 14th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
rizal made me realize that,education is the only way to progress my ownself..and fate sent me to browse this page..i found it exciting
January 22nd, 2007 at 7:43 pm
hey….thankzzz…..nkatulong ng mabuti sa akin……thank you poh….love you….
January 24th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
hewow.. my teacher seemed to be saying that there was a work that rizal did not write but rizal somehow took it as his own?.. is this the one?
January 30th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
The poem urges that development be motivated by the noblest of purpose, to free the people from their ignorance and subservience through persuasion. Confident of the enduring possibilities of their energies, Rizal urges the youth to seek freedom and human dignity.
February 2nd, 2007 at 3:09 pm
is there a tagalog version of “to the filipino youth? =>
February 6th, 2007 at 2:49 am
great piece from a great man… indeed it helps a lot!! thank you for making the lives of students like me easier… kip them posted bro!!!
February 11th, 2007 at 10:06 am
Thank you for posting. My sister needs this. Thanks! =3
February 18th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
can you pls explain this poem?=) i really need it next week for our oral exam. pls.. God bless!
February 20th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
i hope you willalso publish the translation of the poems mi ultimo adios and my reatreat
February 20th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
if possible in cebuano translation
February 26th, 2007 at 10:40 am
rizal’s works proved that he is a genius at his age. thanks for posting this. it hepled me a lot.
March 1st, 2007 at 11:03 am
wow…..naka2inspire naman toh….juh todo na 2 tnxs……….
March 10th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
hay dahil sa answer ni Bizaree na answeran ko na ung proj ko!!!well thanks talagang napapakita sa poem ang pagiging makabayan ni rizal!!!!!GOD BLESS US ALL!!!!!!!
March 15th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
yung prof namin walang kwenta
March 16th, 2007 at 10:42 am
hehehe………tnx guys nagawa ko na final project namin sa tulong ng mga post comments nyo……..tnx a lot ha…
May 10th, 2007 at 11:41 pm
-why don’t you make a review about the poem explaining its delicate lines? good day to you..
July 11th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
buti nlang may tagalog version d2,,hehe,,madali kong maiintindinhan ung malalalim ng english,,thanks!!!
July 13th, 2007 at 11:44 am
Rizal created this poem to awakened Filipino youth from all of the hardships that the Spaniards gave to them. That just like him, Filipino youth should also be heroic enough to prove to the Spaniards that they can struggle to them not through their braveness but through their cleverness. To fight with the use of their intellect and spirit, not with the use of their weapon. To battle without blood and soreness, but with wise and merciful hand. Just like what Rizal did, he use his hand and intelligence to fight.
July 15th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
spellbinding piece of writing…
July 16th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
tenks..it helps me a lot…whew
July 18th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
.. Rizal didnt write that poem when he was 18, he did that a day before he was exiled.
July 18th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
tnx..it helped me a lot in our assinment! Rizal’s work awakened the minds of many Filipino youth. His works inspired many people to fight for ignorance and fight for human dignity…
July 19th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
tnx.. it helped me a lot..
God bless..
July 23rd, 2007 at 1:59 pm
whats d best stanza n dz poem? d best that describes the title and summarizes it?
kndly send it to me if u dnt mind asap.. plz… i really need it tomorrow. tnx!
Godbless
July 31st, 2007 at 4:52 pm
thanks!
it helped me a lot in my research.
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:03 am
hey. thanks a lot. i was looking for this for my review. the poem translated in 3 languages is amazing. you are heaven sent. god bless
August 4th, 2007 at 11:43 pm
thanx for posting the poem… it really helped me in my report.. i hope you could give an interpretation or at least a background of this poem.. thnx a lot! ^^
August 12th, 2007 at 10:10 am
Great!
finally found it! this poem is assigned to me in our poem interpretation. thanks for posting it! wish I could have help in paraphrasing i though. Thanks again! 
September 3rd, 2007 at 7:21 pm
YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I WON I WON! SALAMAT SA IBINIGAY NIYONG IDEYA PARA GABAY SA AKING BUHAY… KABILANG AKO SA MGA INTERESADO SA BUHAY NA MERON SI RIZAL….
BY: ANTHONY PROTACIO ALONZO
September 3rd, 2007 at 7:46 pm
the poem gives the readers the enough feelings to motivate themselselves on how to appreciate the many sacrifices that rizal done.this poem ,one of the best well_knowned, made me realized to give more importance to the good results and outcome of rizal’s work
September 8th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
i need the interpretation of this poem by lines/by stanza..report ko kc 2..can you send me the interpretation?plss.as soon as possible.
September 14th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
Its A NICe One, A GREAt one B’CoZ It HElp
ME To Do My PRoJECT!!! i Do BELEIVe ThaT THis
PoEm Is a Poem With Full of LoVE When DR.RiZAl
MADe This!!!
October 9th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
sana hindi na to gnawa ni rizal… tuloy my project pa kmi tunkol dito…. arggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!
October 9th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
dpat aq na lng yung national hero pra masya!!!! hehehehehehe
October 10th, 2007 at 8:39 am
the poem of Dr Jose Rizal ay iterisante kaya nga may rizal para ma 22tayong manga kabataan kasi tau ang pag asa nang ating bayan ^^
October 15th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
so where’s the cebuano translation of the poem???^^,
October 18th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
Nagtatanong kami tungkol sa Jose Rizal as a Youth Bakit walang sagot RIZAAAAAALLLL TULUNGAN MO SI JOY SUIMANIB KA SA KANYA PLLLLEEEEASE
November 11th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
ang ganda naman ng gawa ni rizal no!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 14th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
I’m suggesting if could just explain each stanza…
especially the 4th stanza…
Thanks!
December 2nd, 2007 at 1:08 am
I get this sad observation that this poem is more relevant and mandatory now that it was during Rizal’s time. Our country’s young generation so abjectly lacks nationalistic fervor to make a difference.Let us be motivated by Rizal!
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:33 pm
I need an interpretation of this poem!!!!
December 5th, 2007 at 7:54 pm
gracias..
it helped me a lot:)
December 6th, 2007 at 2:00 am
thanks for the speech which was provided…….i really appreciate 8! dr. jose rizal was indeed a great leader and a motivator for the future hope of the nation.no one can compete him in terms of intellectual competence…i salute him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 9th, 2007 at 8:09 am
tanx 4 posting dis my assignment nko,,,yeheeeeeeeeeey!!!!!!!!rizal is my idol,,,
December 9th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
salamat dahil may assignment nah kami….(^_^)….
December 12th, 2007 at 10:42 am
i also need an interpretation for
this poem ★
December 12th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
thank you for the info. it helps me a lot…kept up..God Bless…Iloveu…
December 12th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
ty sa mga nagmsg..
marming ideya n makukuha,,,
yeeepeey
December 12th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
nayz…
dming idea..
it helps a lot..
ty mga frendz…
;p
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:56 am
tnx….sa poem,saya q sapagkat my assign, na ako…d na ako mahihirapan na mag researe ng mga malalalim na salita na ginmit sa spanish dahil na english&tagalog transltion na…..salamat poh…godbless and happy new year@@@22@……
January 4th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
can you pls explain this poem?.
peddeee ??. kelangan ku xc ngaun ee. pliss
January 4th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
interpretation of this poem plzz…!!!
January 4th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
bakit ganun…
iba ang poem na gi post u sa poem na nasa workbuk namin…huhuhuhu…
ang title sa buk namin eh TO THE FILIPINO YOUTH by Jose Rizal (Translated by Mauro Mendez)
January 6th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
@ ivy rose, traslations tend to differ of course.at best one must learn spanish to really appreciate what rizal meant, the tranlations are in a sense good enough, and this here is the closest one to the original.hehe.good work al.happy new year..
January 7th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
PLEASE INTERPRET THIS POEM?
January 7th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
tulungan na kmi koma nga mangted ti interpretasyon daytoy nga poem ni RIZAL.AGYAMANAK LAUNAY KAKABSAT NU MATULUNGANAK..AGYAMANAK MET NU HAAN..
January 7th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
narrative report of this poem… stanza by stanza.. please!
January 22nd, 2008 at 12:39 pm
i think it also means that we Filipino need to prove to the Spaniards that time that were not idiot….Also to prove that even we have a tan pair skin we are a better kind of people rather than Spaniards…hehehe..
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:34 pm
thanks to mhay and bizaare.. you’re answers really help..
thanks a lot..
January 26th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
thanks to bizarre and mhay…now i can make a reaction paper…
uhmmm..can u pls explain this further??asap??i really need this now…
January 27th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
thank you for the great information….it helps us a lot…
February 13th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
wOw . . . what a nice poEm tha rIzal made. . . . . “to the filipino youth”
i was so very proud to rizal that when he was already in 8 years old. . . .
he can already do poetry. . . .
tagalog drAmA. .
thakZ to mS. mEso i learn about history about JOSE RIZAL. .
sO jOse RiZal. . .
i Am So pRoud of yOu. . . .
February 13th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
as a filipino. . .
i am so very very proud that jopse rizal was a filipino because he save all filipionoi. . . . . .
that’s all. . .
February 18th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
wOw. . .
thankZ riZ”s
hehehehe. . . .
this poem helpz me in my project. . .
hehehehehehehhehe. . .
katawa poUd riZaL. .
wahahahaha. . .
pangit nga pOEm. . .
February 19th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Thank you sa nag post ani nga poem, grabe gyod ka daghan salamat……
Kay nakatabang gyod sa akong project sa A.P.
Hoy!! Ana mae kaila baya ka sa ako ha, kay classmate ra baya ta…
Ann unsa-on lugar pag katawa ni rizal nga picture ra man na….Diva…JOKE
Ann si Jose rizal ba kay murag si Earl ba??
“WISH YOU ALL THE BEST”
February 27th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
plzzz…is there anybody willing to help me find the analysis of the poem to the filipino youth???? san you give me the site??? i madly need it! thanx.. xoxo
March 6th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
the works of rizal was truly a gret one!!! we must have to be proud of having rizal as our national hero… he is not just an intellegent filipino but an extraordinary one. thanx for your blogs….
pls email me ur work at litle_stuart1987@yahoo.com
March 6th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
the works of rizal was truly a gret one!!! we must have to be proud of having rizal as our national hero… he is not just an intellegent filipino but an extraordinary one. thanx for your blogs….
pls email me ur work
March 9th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
tenk u poh nakakatulong ng malaki ung pag post nio ng poem ni rizal..
March 12th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
can we have also an interpretation of my last farewell
March 12th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
tnx! malaking tulong ito, guess kung saan? sa PI(Life and Works of Rizal) namin! hahaha! Tnx alot!
March 13th, 2008 at 11:07 am
tnx!i’ll recite dis poem today!wish me luck
April 16th, 2008 at 8:24 am
the poem expresses strong feeling of encouragement to young filipino youtrh that time. for them to stand out and show their talents to the spaniards. and prove them that we can do better than them.