1.

TO MY FELLOW CHILDREN (Sa Aking Mga Kababata, 1869)

-- The famous poem was a nationalistic undertaking to promote the usage of Tagalog language
by the Filipino people. The poem “To My Fellow Children” was believed to be the national hero’s
first written Tagalog poem at the age of eight. However, it was said that this poem was published
posthumously a hundred years after his death sentence.
Doubts concerning the real author of this poem have emerged. Critics say that he could not
possibly have written “Sa Aking mga Kababata” due to his juvenile age. Normally, the age
ranging from 7 to 8 is the developmental age by which a child is just beginning to read. Hence, it
is quite nonsensical that a child at this age could write a five-stanza poem with profound words
at that. Besides, records say that Jose Rizal had correspondence with Paciano, his brother,
concerning some of his difficulties in the Tagalog language particularly in translation.
Furthermore, the use of mature insights and terminologies is quite unrealistic for an eight year
old boy. Allegedly, he had only encountered the word “kalayaan” (used several times in the
poem) when he was already 21 years old. From the National Library of the Philippines, records
show that “Sa aking mga kabata” was not published in the original Tagalog but in a free Spanish
translation of the Tagalog by Epifano delos Santos as “A mis companeros de ninez”. The poem is
still believed to be written by the hero, but the claim for authorship is still open.

2. MY FIRST INSPIRATION (Mi Primera Inspiracion, 1874)

-- Most likely, Mi Primera Inspiracion was the first poem Jose Rizal wrote during his schooling stint
in Ateneo. This poem was written in honor of his mother’s birthday as evidenced by the terms
“perfume of the flowers”, “the songs of the birds”, “feast your day of bloom” and “festive day”.
Jose Rizal’s poetic verses show his eternal love and appreciation for his mother. This is somehow
his way of paying tribute to all the efforts of her dear mother.

3. FELICITATION (Felicitacion, 1875)

-- The poem “Felicitation” was written by the Philippine National Hero in 1875 during his
schooling in the Ateneo de Municipal. The 14 year old Rizal wrote this poem to congratulate his
brother-in-law, Antonio Lopez (husband of his sister Narcisa), on Saint’s day.

4. THE EMBARKATION, a hymn to Ferdinand Magellan’s fleet (El Embarque: Himno a la

Flota de Magallanes, 1875)
-- Rizal wrote the above poem while he was a boarding student at the Ateneo Municipal de
Manila. It is believed to have been his first poem that had the honor of being read in a public
programme held at that school. “Hymn to Magellanta’s fleet”talked about the departure of
Ferdinand Magellan, the first man to colonize the Philippines.

5. AND HE IS SPANISH: ELCANO, THE FIRST TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE THE WORLD (Y Es

Espanol: Elcano, el Primero en dar la Vuelta al Mundo, December 1875)
-- The poem “AND HE IS SPANISH: ELCANO, THE FIRST TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE THE WORLD”is
about Juan Sebastián Elcano, a Spanish Basque, Ferdinand Magellan’s second in command, who
upon Magellan’s death on the shores of Mactan in the Philippines, took over and completed the
first circumnavigation of the world.

6.The Battle: Urbiztondo, Terror of Jolo (El Combate: Urbiztondo, Terror de Jolo,
December 1875)
-- The poem “The Battle: Urbiztondo, Terror of Jolo” is a reflection of Rizal’s liking for history. It
was written to hail Urbiztondo for the successful battle against the Muslims. In the poem, the
hero narrated how the great warrior defeated the Moros under Sultan Mahumat of Jolo.

7. IN MEMORY OF MY TOWN (Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo, 1876)

-- Rizal loved his hometown Calamba in Laguna. He fondly remembered his memories of the said
town. In 1876, a 15 years old student in the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, he wrote the poem “In
Memory of My Town”. The poem was written to express his love and appreciation for the place
where he grew up.

8. INTIMATE ALLIANCE BETWEEN RELIGION AND GOOD EDUCATION (Alianza Intima

Entre la Religion y la Buena Educacion, 1876)
-- Jose Rizal believed that religion is concomitant with good education, hence the strong
relationship between education and faith. Accordingly, he wrote the poem “Intimate Alliance
between religion and good education” at the age of fifteen while he was in Ateneo.

9. EDUCATION GIVES LUSTER TO THE MOTHERLAND (Por la Educacion Recibe Lustre la

Patria, 1876)
-- Our national hero, despite his young age, had expressed high regards for education. He
believed in the significant role which education plays in the progress and welfare of a nation as
evident in his writing of the poem “Education Gives Luster to the Motherland”.
Education gives knowledge, knowledge gives wisdom. Great wisdom benefits everyone. Jose
Rizal believed that education is a vehicle for a country’s prosperity and success, hence through
the poem he encouraged Filipinos to acquire education for them to be able to fulfill their dreams
and to improve their motherland. His high regards for education was evident in his determination
to seek the best education possible even across the shores of his country.

10. The Captivity and the Triumph: Battle of Lucena and the Imprisonment of
Boabdil(El Cautiverio y el Triunfo: Batalla de Lucena y Prision de Boabdil, December
1876)
-- At 12 years old, Rizal was believed to have read El ultimo Abencerraje, a Spanish translation of
Chateaubriand's. novel, Le Dernier des Abencérages. This is the story of the last member of a
famous family in the Muslim Kingdom of Granada in the 15th century which inspired him to
compose the above poem as a student at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila.
In this poem, he described the defeat and capture of Boabdil, last Moorish sultan of Granada.

11. TRIUMPHANT ENTRY OF THE CATHOLIC MONARCHS INTO GRANADA (Entrada

triunfal de los Reyes Católicos en Granada, December 1876)
-- The above poem of Jose rizal relates the triumphant entry of Ferdinand and Isabella, Spain's
"Most Catholic Kings," into the city of Granada in 1492. This entry is one of the most powerful
symbolic moments in Spanish history.

12. THE HEROISM OF COLUMBUS (El Heroismo de Colon, 1877)

-- Jose Rizal wrote this epic poem in December 1877 during his academic years in Ateneo
Municipal de Manila. This poem praises Columbus, the discoverer of America.

13. Columbus and John II (Colon y Juan II)

-- This poem relates how King John II of Portugal missed fame and riches by his failure to finance
the projected expedition of Columbus to the new world.

14. CHILD JESUS (Al Nino Jesus, November 1875) A translation from the Spanish by
Nick Joaquin
-- During his student days, the 14 year old Jose Rizal wrote “Al Niño Jesus” (Child Jesus), a brief
religious ode which expressed his devotion to Catholicism.

15. VIRGIN MARY (A La Virgen Maria, to Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage)
-- The above undated poem was another religious writing Jose Rizal wrote in praise of the Virgin
Mary, “A La Virgen Maria” (To the Virgin Mary).

16. TO THE PHILIPPINE YOUTH (A la Juventud Filipina, November 1879) A Translation

from the Spanish by Nick Joaquin
-- The above is a winning poem in 1879 submitted to the literary contest held by the Liceo
Artistico-Literario (Artistic-Literary Lyceum) of Manila--a society of literary men and artists. The
inspiring poem written by Jose Rizal at the age of eighteen was said to be of flawless form which
aimed to implore the Filipinos to rise from indolence. It is said to be a classical piece of Philippine
literature for reasons that (1) Spanish literary authorities recognize it as an impressive poem
written in Spanish by a Filipino and (2) it was the foremost literary piece to display the
nationalistic belief that Filipinos were the “fair hope of the Fatherland”
However, the poem hinted rebellion for the Spaniards. According to Bantug, one newspaper
writer even said that the poet-doctor “had better devote his time to his doctoring than to his
rhyming”.

17. ABD-EL-AZIS AND MOHAMMED (ABD-EL-AZIS Y MAHOMA, December 1879)

-- This epic poem was written by Jose Rizal in 1879 and declaimed by Manuel Fernandez on the
night of December 8, 1879 in honor of the Ateneo’s Patroness. It recalls the struggle between the
Spaniards and the Moors in Spain.

18. To The Philippines, February 1880 A Translation from the Spanish by Nick Joaquin
-- This poem was written by Jose Rizal to serve as a reminder for Filipinos to love their
motherland.

19. Al M.R.P. PABLO RAMON, 1881

-- Jose Rizal truly loved his alma mater Ateneo as well as his professors. He wrote a poem for one
of them, Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon, a lovely tribute to the Very Reverend Pablo Ramon, Rector of the
Ateneo. The poem was written on the occasion of that good Father’s birthday. Reverend Father
Pablo Ramon had been so kind and helpful to the national hero.

20. GOODBYE TO LEONOR, 1882 (A Translation from the Spanish by Nick Joaquin)
-- Leonor was only 13 years of age when she met Jose Rizal in Dagupan. Due to the strong
disapproval of Leonor’s parents of their love affair, they kept in touch by sending letters and
photographs of each other. Their relationship lasted for over a decade. However, the marriage of
Leonor to Henry Kipping brought great sadness to Rizal. Hence, the creation of this sorrowful
poem for his lady love.

21. They Ask Me for Verses (Me Piden Versos, October 1882) A Translation from the
Spanish by Nick Joaquin
-- Rizal had been a member of Circulo Hispano-Filipino (Hispano-Philippine Circle), a society of
Spaniards and Filipinos in Madrid. In the New Year’s Eve reception of the Madrid Filipinos held in
1882, he declaimed his written “Me Piden Versos”, a poem he wrote due to the request of the
society’s members. In March 31, 1889, this poem was published in the La Solidaridad.

22. To Miss C.O. y R., 1883 A Translation from the Spanish by Nick Joaquin
-- Jose Rizal, though not really a handsome man in today’s perspective, attracts ladies easily.
Perhaps his exceptional talents and charisma made him attractive to women. Furthermore, his
gift of poetry made him even more likable. He composed a poem entitled “To Miss C.O. y R” to
express his admiration to Consuelo Ortiga y Perez, the beautiful daughter of Don Pablo Ortiga y
Rey. Nevertheless, he did not pursue his feelings for her due to the fact that he was still engaged
to Leonor Rivera then and his friend, Eduardo de Lete also had feelings for Consuelo.

23. THE FLOWERS OF HEIDELBERG (A los Flores de Heidelberg, April 1886)

-- At some time in his life, Jose Rizal stayed in Heidelberg, a city in the state of Baden-
Württemberg in Germany. In 1887, the 25-year old Rizal completed his eye specialization under
the renowned Prof. Otto Becker in the University of Heidelberg. In spring, flowers bloom along
the banks of Neckar River. Rizal admired particulary the light blue spring flower “forget-me-not”.
These beautiful flowers made him think of their flowers in Calamba. Amid his homesickness of his
hometown in the spring of 1886, he came up with a nice poem “A Las Flores de Heidelberg” (To
the Flowers of Heidelberg) which expresses prayer for the wellbeing of his native land.

24. THE SONG OF MARIA CLARA, 1887

-- This poem forms part of the Jose Rizal’s infamous novel, Noli Me Tangere. In the novel, one of
the main characters, Maria, upon the insistent requests of her friends, rendered a beautiful song
with the accompaniment of the harp.

25. Hymn to Labor, 1888

-- Jose Rizal wrote the poem “Himno Al Trabajo” before he left Calamba in 1888. This poem is in
response to the request of his friends from Lipa, Batangas. They wanted a hymn to
commemorate the elevation of Lipa from a town to a city in January 1888. Dedicated to the
industrious folks of Lipa, the poem consisted of lyrical conversations of men, wives, maidens and
children.

26. TO MY MUSE (A Mi, 1890, incl. in La Solidaridad)

-- It was against a background of mental anguish in Brussels, during those sad days when he was
worried by family disasters, Rizal wrote his pathetic poem, “A Mi…”(To my Muse).

27. KUNDIMAN, 1891

-- The word “kundiman” connotes a traditional Filipino love song usually used by a man to
serenade a woman being wooed. The above “Kundiman” is a poem written by Jose Rizal to
express his intense love for his motherland. In the verses, we can see that Rizal is optimistic that
the Philippines will be freed from inequality and oppression.

28. WATER AND FIRE (EL AGUA Y EL FUEGO, 1891)

-- This is a very short composition excerpt from the novel El Filibusterismo, Chapter El Cubierta.
In this poem, Jose Rizal expressed his great dream for the Philippines: its freedom and
advancement.

29. SONG OF THE WANDERER/TRAVELER (EL CANTO DEL VIAJERO, 1895)

-- There came a time in Cuba where there was a raging yellow fever epidemic and they got short
of physicians to attend to the needs of the Cuban people. Rizal’s friend, Blumentritt advised Jose
Rizal who was then in exile in Dapitan, to offer his services as a military doctor in Cuba.
A letter from Governor Ramon Blanco notified him that his offer was accepted. Aside from the
fact that his humanitarian offer was granted, he will also be able to travel to Europe and then to
Cuba. His delight in the receiving the news led him in writing his “El Canto del Viajero” (The Song
of the Traveler/Wanderer)

30. TO JOSEPHINE, 1895

-- Rizal dedicated this poem to an Irish woman, Josephine Bracken, whom we called his “dulce
extranjera”(sweet foreigner). The poem somehow manifests that Rizal is “smitten” with
Josephine.
When Josephine was eighteen years of age, she visited Manila for the purpose of seeing Dr. Jose
Rizal to accompany her adoptive father for an eye operation. Then, she developed affection
towards Dr. Rizal despite her stepfather’s objection. Despite several lady loves in the past,
Josephine alone was the one Dr. Jose Rizal sought for marriage.
Josephine prematurely gave birth to an eight-month baby boy, who existed only for hours. Rizal’s
lost son was named “Francisco” in honor of the hero’s father, Don Francisco.

31. HYMN TO TALISAY, October 1895

-- Rizal conducted his school at his home in Talisay, near Dapitan, where he had his farm and
hospital. He frequently met with his boys underneath a talisay tree. A poem entitled “In honor of
Talisay”, was written for his pupils to sing, that they know how to fight for their rights. The poem
speaks about the place Talisay and how Rizal obtained a serene life in exile.

32. MY RETREAT (Mi Retiro, 1895)

-- Upon the request of Dona Teodora, Dr. Jose Rizal came up with a beautiful poem vis-à-vis his
tranquil life in Dapitan. The poem, which was entitled “Mi Retiro” (My Retreat) was sent to his
mother in 1895. It was commended by the critics as one of the best of his literary creations.
In the poem, he gave a narrative account of his peaceful life while exiled in Dapitan--where he
lived a well-rounded life as a farmer, teacher, and a merchant.

33. MY LAST FAREWELL (Mi Ultimo Adios, December 1896)

-- This untitled poem is considered as the most celebrated poem by the national hero. Rizal’s
friend, Mariano Ponce, was the one who titled the poem Mi Último Pensamiento or ("My Last
Thought").

“Mi Ultimo Adios”, a brilliant creation, was assumed to be written the night before Jose Rizal’s
execution on December 30, 1896. A day before his execution, he was visited by her mother,
nephews and siblings Lucia, Josefa, Trinida, Maria and Narcisa. Trinidad was told by Rizal in
English that something is inside the alcohol stove (cocinilla) he was using in Dapitan. This stove
was given by the guard to Narcisa. At their abode, the sisters discovered a folded paper inside
the stove. There the unsigned, undated and untitled poem consisting of 14 five-line stanzas. The
Rizal family reproduced and distributed copies of it and sent copies to the hero’s friends in the
country and abroad.

Widely regarded as the most patriotic poem in the world, it has been translated into at least 38
languages. The poem reflects the hero’s adoration to and patriotism for his country. He requests
his fellowmen to pray for others who also have died and suffered for the country. He begged the
Filipino people to never lose hope and faith in the Lord God. Forceful words were used to
encourage them not to be the discouraged by the oppression of the Spaniards.

At the last part of the poem, Jose Rizal mentioned his “sweet stranger” as his friend and joy. This
implied his farewell to his beloved “dulce estranjera”, Josephine.
A song based on the poem “Mi Ultimo Adios” was composed by Joey Ayala.