El Apellido Nicolas Guillen English Translation [updated] Jun 2026

If you are looking for the best way to experience this poem in English, these are the most highly-regarded versions:

Mi abuelo negro, muerto, con un paliacate al cuello, resbala en el recuerdo... Sus tierras eran una voz perdida y triste, que de su pecho掀起. El Apellido Nicolas Guillen English Translation

Me arrancaron del África. Me trajeron a América. Nací en América. If you are looking for the best way

The surname "Guillén" is presented as a brand or a garment that does not quite fit. con un paliacate al cuello

Guillén famously writes: "Nací del dolor de África y del llanto de España" (I was born from the pain of Africa and the weeping of Spain). In the English translation, this line loses the alliteration ( dolor...llanto ) but retains the duality.