WELCOME TO
THIS POST!
RED AND WHITE ROSES FOR THE ROMANTIC HERO
Click to enlarge
Source: Pixabay, Public Domain
WHO WAS
MANUEL RODRIGUEZ?
This famous
historical figure was a well educated Chilean, a lawyer, who became an inspired
and expert guerrilla fighter, spy and tactician during the wars for Chilean Independence.
He held
several important civilian and military positions in the initial years of the Chilean
efforts to break from the dominance of Spain.
The
Independence Wars were spread over a relatively long period, from 1810 to 1818
and fluctuated from success to utter defeat and then at last success.
The final
effort was brought off by a joint army of Chileans and Argentineans that crossed
over the Andes Mountains from Argentina through several of the known passes and
then defeated the Spaniards in the important Battle of Chacabuco.
While the “Liberating
Army” was training and organizing the final campaigns, Manuel Rodriguez was
charged with gathering information in Chile and spreading as much confusion as
possible amongst the Spanish forces.
This he did
admirable, by forming a band of irregulars with which he attacked various enemy
outposts and in general created havoc through short and violent surprise attacks.
He was an
expert at disguising himself; he could be a priest, a drunk, a laborer, a
gentleman, as best suited his needs at that moment.
There is a
well known anecdote according to which he dressed as a laborer, and as he
wanted a close-up impression of the Spanish Governor, he came up to the
official coach and helped this man by holding the door open for him.
Manuel
received a coin for his servility and the Governor never knew that the most searched
for enemy of Spain in Chile was standing right beside him.
Unfortunately,
there were various factions amongst the patriots and they were constantly
falling out with each other.
Manuel Rodriguez was deemed to be too fond of taking
risks and some considered him an outright danger to the cause of independence. In
addition he was far too popular with the “people”, far more so than with the
richer classes. The common folk adored him, and would support him unconditionally.
In the end,
as Chile struggled to find its way as a new born nation, he fell out of favor with
the new ruling class, and the Governor General, Bernardo O’Higgins, ordered him
to be confined under the military.
On May 25th,
1818, he was removed from his place of imprisonment under strong guard with the
idea of transferring him to Valparaiso.
He was escorted
by a Company of patriot soldiers belonging to one of the Chilean Army Battalions,
the Cazadores de Los Andes.
On the
evening of the 26th of May, 1818, as they made camp by a small
stream near Til Til, Manuel Rodriguez was shot in the back and his body was
thrown into a ditch and abandoned.
Some
laborers found him, recognized him and secretly moved his body to a small
chapel in Til Til, where the priest helped them to bury him under the altar.
A LIKENESS OF THE YOUNG WARRIOR
Click to enlarge
Source: Anon. Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
PABLO
NERUDA AND THE PATRIOTIC BALLADS OF HIS CANTO GENERAL
This famous
Chilean poet, a Nobel Prize winner (1971), wrote a magnificent epic poem in
honor of Spanish America. He called it Canto General which translated as “General
Song”
There is a
section in it dedicated to the heroes of Chile’s independence, and it includes
his famous Ballad of Manuel Rodriguez.
This poem
starts off with some incomplete sentences, portraying the idea that Manuel's underground work for the liberation of Chile was organized through whispers and
rumors, with very little definite information (it could be him… it might or might
not be him…)
Another verse
includes various place names. These represent the different localities where
his irregulars were sighted, in their efforts to confuse the Spanish forces.
If
you searched for them on a map of central Chile, you would observe that there
is no consistent pattern, and that they spread both north and south of
Santiago, the capital.
And
finally, the poem closes with his traitorous death.
The Canto General was published in Mexico in
1950.
A MONUMENT IN HONOR OF THE PATRIOT
Click to enlarge
Source: Richard Espinoza, CC BY SA 3.0. Wikimedia Commons
THE MUSIC
FOR THE BALLAD OF MANUEL RODRIGUEZ
Some of
Pablo Neruda’s poems were set to music by Vicente Bianchi, a well-known Chilean
composer.
The
original singers were Silvia Infantas and the Baqueanos, directed by Vicente
Bianchi, the composer.
I was
fortunate enough to find a Vintage Version on YouTube, which is included at the
end of this post.
LYRICS FOR
TONADAS DE MANUEL RODRIGUEZ, MY FREE TRANSLATION
Ballad of
Manuel Rodriguez
VERSE
Lady they
say that somewhere,
My mother
they say, they said,
The water
and the wind say
They saw
the warrior.
LIFE
It might be
a bishop,
It might be
and it might not be,
It could be
just the wind
Blowing
over the snow:
Over the
snow, yes indeed,
Mother
don’t look,
There he
gallops,
Manuel
Rodriguez.
The warrior
is coming,
Down by the
stream.
VERSE
Out of
Melipilla,
Galloping
through Talagante,
Crossing
through San Fernando,
Meeting the
dawn in Pomaire.
PASSION
Going
through Rancagua,
And San
Rosendo,
Through
Cauquenes, and Chena,
And
Nacimiento:
Through
Nacimiento, yes,
Coming from
Chiñigùe,
He comes
from everywhere
Manuel
Rodriguez.
Give him
this flower,
Let’s join
him.
VERSE
Let the guitars
be silent,
The Nation
is in mourning.
The earth
darkens.
They killed
the warrior.
DEATH
They killed
him at Til Til
The
murderers,
His back is
bleeding
By the
road:
Yes, by the
road,
Who would
have believed it,
He was our
blood,
And our
happiness.
The earth
is crying,
Let’s be
silent.
THE
ORIGINAL SPANISH VERSION
(This Blog is Bilingual)
TONADAS DE MANUEL RODRIGUEZ
VERSO
Señora dicen que donde,
Mi madre dicen, dijeron,
El agua y el viento dicen
Que vieron al guerrillero.
VIDA.
Puede ser un obispo,
Puede y no puede,
Puede ser sólo el viento
Sobre la nieve:
Sobre la nieve, sí,
Madre no mires,
Que viene galopando
Manuel Rodríguez.
Por el estero.
VERSO
Saliendo de Melipilla,
Corriendo por Talagante,
Cruzando por San Fernando,
Amaneciendo en Pomaire.
PASION
Pasando por Rancagua,
Por San Rosendo,
Por Cauquenes, por Chena,
Por Nacimiento:
Por Nacimiento, sí,
Desde Chiñigûe,
Por todas partes viene
Manuel Rodríguez.
Pásale este clavel,
Vamos con él.
VERSO
Que se apaguen las guitarras,
Que la Patria está de duelo.
Nuestra tierra se oscurece.
Mataron al guerrillero.
MUERTE
En Til Tl lo mataron
Los asesinos,
Su espalda está sangrando
Sobre el camino:
Sobre el camino, sí,
Quien lo diría,
El, que era nuestra sangre,
Nuestra alegría.
La tierra está llorando.
Vamos callando.
THE MUSIC COMPOSED BY VICENTE BIANCHI
Singers: Silvia Infantas and the Baqueanos
FINAL WORDS
Pablo Neruda’s great epic poem, the Canto General, includes on overview in
verse of Chilean history. It is like a painting in words that describes the
principal periods through which the Chilean Nation was formed.
I plan to include some more sections of this
masterpiece in future posts.
I hope you enjoyed this one, and I’ll see you
soon.
© 2013 jveronr (Joan Robertson)
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