Raúl Gómez García: The Poet of The Centenary Generation
This descendant of Mambises and active defender of peoples, wrote the Manifesto del Moncada (Moncada Manifesto) to the Nation. After the events of July 26th, 1953, he was imprisoned, tortured and murdered
Ana Margarita Sánchez Soler, asanchez@enet.cu
Raúl Gómez García wrote the Moncada Manifesto on the instructions of Fidel Castro, with whom he became friends during the putsch on March 10th, 1952. There the hope of the town was fulfilled when assuring that this stage “(…) rises to continue the unfinished revolution that Céspedes initiated in 1868, that Martí continued in 1895, and that Guiteras and Chibas updated during the Republican period. The triumph of the Cuban Revolution is based on the disgrace of the Cuban men.”
His revolutionary words, influenced by Martí’s thoughts, were expressed in this Manifesto; but he was always willing to write chants, articles and reflections full of patriotic fervor.
Raúl Gómez García was the poet of a generation leading the events of July 26th, 1953. He was the man of letters, the teacher, the journalist. He was that descendant of mambises that since his adolescence defended his revolutionary concepts through publications, radio stations and student activities.
He was also the author of the famous poem Ya estamos en combate, written as an inspiring anthem for the armed struggle. In his verses he makes reference to Maceo, Martí and all the martyrs of the Nation…Those were the right words to ennoble and support the spirit of those who would go to the heroic deed of Moncada to put, as the poet said, on top of the Turquino The Lone Star.
For Defend the Idea of those who have died.
To throw the bad guys out of the historical Temple
For the heroic gesture of Maceo,
For the sweet memory of Martí.
In our blood boils the random of destiny
Of the generations that gave everything,
In our arms rises the clamorous dreams
That vibrate in the superior soul of the Cuban
We are already in combat ……
On behalf of the mothers and children of our heroic Land
In the name of honor and decorum that built his story
By the magnificent stanza of the hymn
«That to die for the country is to live»
Freedom nests between the breasts of those who live men
And to see her in the lonely star is an honor to fight
The centenary generation is honored,
To build the homeland that the Immortal Master dreamed of.
We are already in combat …… Go ahead!
Forward to the top nest of glory
To be born in this new aurora
The dignified and dignified republic
That was the last yearning of Chibas.
It does not matter that in the fight more worthy heroes fall
They will be more guilt and mud for the fierce tyrant
When you love the homeland as a beautiful symbol
If you do not have weapons you fight with your hands.
We are already in combat …… Go ahead!
The true Cuba depends on our heroic struggle
The crazy fury of Gomez and Agramonte …
The one of the pure fight of Mella and Guiteras …
Go ahead, Cubans …… Come on!
For our honor of men we are already in combat
Let’s ridicule the selfish attitude of the Tyrant
Let’s fight today or never for a Cuba without slaves
Let us feel deep down the feverish thirst of the fatherland
Let’s put the Lonely Star on the top of Turquino.
On every anniversary of the birth of Raúl Gómez García (December 14, 1928) the Day of the Culture Labor in Cuba is celebrated. And on July 26th, his words of combat are renewed.
Tranlated by ESTI