Guillén questions the origins of his Spanish surname ("Guillén"), noting that it is a "distant" name imposed by slave owners while his true ancestral African names were lost or "buried" by history. Genealogical Silence:
Not knowing his African surname means not knowing his lineage, his tribe, his history. The poem is an elegy for a specific loss but also a metaphor for the destruction of African family structures under slavery.
And that’s when I wrote:
. Written in 1954, it serves as a powerful critique of colonial erasure and a reclamation of Afro-Cuban identity. Course Hero 1. English Translations
The poem "El Apellido" is famously included in his collection Elegías (1948–1958). It is often translated as or simply "My Last Name" . el apellido nicolas guillen english translation
: In 1961, Guillén was proclaimed the National Poet of Cuba , recognized for his ability to weave diverse cultural traditions into a cohesive national narrative. English Translation & Availability
At its core, "El apellido" is a powerful . The poem masterfully portrays the psychological fracture inflicted by colonialism, where a Spanish surname—"las trece letras" (the thirteen letters)—is imposed over a forgotten African past. Guillén's speaker confronts the reader with a series of rhetorical questions that are both defiant and vulnerable, asking: "¿Toda mi piel... viene de aquella estatua de mármol español? ¿También mi voz de espanto, el duro grito de mi garganta?" (Does all my skin... come from that Spanish marble statue? My terrifying voice, the harsh cry of my throat, as well?). Guillén questions the origins of his Spanish surname
His complete, legal name was Nicolás Cristóbal Guillén Batista .
It started as Willahelm ( Wil = desire/will + Helm = helmet/protection). Old French: It became Guillaume after the Norman influence. And that’s when I wrote: