Treasure Chest: El Filibusterismo
By Rudy Arizala
With reference to Simoun's treasure chest thrown by Fr. Florentino into the depths of the "etermal seas" and hidden up to these days amid the corals and pearls where such treasure could no longer do harm, the following words of Fr. Florentino caught also my attention: "Cuando para un fin santo y sublime los hombres te necesitas, Dios sabra sacarte del seno de la olas. . .Mientras tanto, alli no haras el mal, no torceras el derecho, no fomentaras avaricias!. . . ."
Indeed, those words of Rizal through the mouth of Fr. Florentino as stated by you is a vision of Rizal "of a treasure chest hidden among the corals and pearls of the eternal seas (is) on a level of poetic depths and prophetic tension far beyond the ken of treasure seekers."
Be that as it may, Rizal also gave us the hope that someday for "a purpose holy and sublime, God will know how to raise you (the treasure chest) from the bottom of the sea. . ."
At the risk of losing the "rhythm" and "complete elan of the original language in Spanish, may I translate those pertinent passages in Tagalog as follow: "Kapag dumating ang araw na kakailanganin ka sa dakila at banal na layunin, malalaman ni Bathala kung papaano ka hahanguin buhat sa pusod ng karagatan. . . Samantala, sa iyong kinalalagyan ngayon, hindi ka magagamit sa kasam-an; yuyurakan ang katarungan; maghahasik ng kasakiman. . ."
WHERE ARE THE YOUTH?
Fr. Florentino - El Filibusterismo by Rizal
Original Spanish versión by Rizal
"¿Done esta la juventud que ha de consagrar sus rosdas horas, sus ilusiones y enthsiasmo al biende su patria? Donde esta la que ha de vertir generosa su sange para lavr tantas vergüenzas, tantos crimines, tanta abominación? Pura y sin mancha ha de ser la victima que habeis de encarna en vosotros el vigor de la vida que ha huido de nuestras venas, la pureza de las ideas que se ha manchado en nuestras cerebros y el fuego del entusiasmo que se ha apagado en nuestros corazones? Os esperamos, o jóvenes, venid que os esperamos!"
Translation to English by Derbyshire
"Where are the youth who will consecrate their golden hours, their illusions and their enthusiasm to the welfare of their native land? Where are the youth who will generously pour out their blood to wash away so much shame, so much crime, so much abomination ? Pure and spotless must the victim be that the sacrifice may be acceptable. Where are you, youth, who will embody in yourselves the vigor of iife that has left our veins, the purity of ideas that has been contaminated in our brains, the fire of enthusiasm that has been quenched in our hearts ? we await you, O youth ! Come, for we await you ! »
Rodolfo A. Arizala Translation to Tagalog
" Nasaan ang mga kabataan na mag-aalay ng kanilang mga ginintuang panahon, mga kanilang panaginip, kanilang sigla sa ikabubuti ng lupang tinubuan? Nasaan ang mga kabataan na magbubuhos ng kanilang dugo upang hugasan ang napakahalay, napakasamang gawain at kasump-sumpa? Dapat na ubod ng linis at walang bahid ang nilapastangan upang ang mga pagpupunyagi ay maging karapatdapat. Nasaan ka, kabataan, na kakatawan sa daloy ng buhay na matagal nang lumisan sa aming mga ugat, ang kadalisayan ng kaisipan na nabahiran ng kasaman, ang alab ng sigla na naglaho sa aming mga puso? Hinihintay ka namin O, kabataan! Halina at kami'y nagihintay!"
Wakas