Virtue and Education

REFLECTION OF HIS POEMS :
The inspiring poems of Rizal proved his poetical genius that reflected about his life in his childhood memories including his experiences and insights about education, religion and colonial administration of Spain in the Philippine islands. In 1874-1877, he wrote poems of varied interest and perspectives about life : (1) My First Inspiration ; (2) In Memory of My Town; (3) Through Education the Mother Receives Light; (4) Intimate Alliance between Religion; and (5) A Farewell Dialogue of the Students.

He also wrote poems that dealt with the Spanish interest such as : (1)The Heroism of Columbus; (2) Columbus and John II; (3) Great Solace in Great Misfortune; (4) The Triumphal Entry of the Catholic Monarch into Granada; (5) The Battle: Urbiztondo, Terror of Jolo; (6) The Departure: Hymn to Magellan’s Fleet; and (7) And He is Spanish Elcano, the First to Circum-navigate the World.

This article inspires us of know the poetical achievements of Rizal on his nationalistic insights pertaining to education and youth. In contemporary time it is best appreciated about his works and writings on his idea to his poems: To the Philippine Youth ; Through Education the Mother Receives Light; and To the Filipino Youth. In Philippine Literature the nationalistic concept is best known in his writing “ To the Philippine Youth” which was offered a prize for the best poem by a native sponsored by a society known as the Lyceum of Art and Literature in 1877

Memories of My Town

When I recall the days
That saw my childhood of yore
Beside the verdant shore
Of a murmuring lagoon;
When I remember the sighs
Of the breeze that on my brow
Sweet and caressing did blow
With coolness full of delight;

When I look at the lily white
Fills up with air violent
And the stormy element
On the sand doth meekly sleep;
When sweet 'toxicating scent
From the flowers I inhale
Which at the dawn they exhale
When at us it begins to peep;

I sadly recall your face,
Oh precious infancy,
That a mother lovingly
Did succeed to embellish.
I remember a simple town;
My cradle, joy and boon,
Beside the cool lagoon
The seat of all my wish.

Oh, yes! With uncertain pace
I trod your forest lands,
And on your river banks
A pleasant fun I found;
At your rustic temple I prayed
With a little boy's simple faith
And your aura's flawless breath
Filled my heart with joy profound.
Saw I God in the grandeur
Of your woods which for centuries stand;
Never did I understand
In your bosom what sorrows were;
While I gazed on your azure sky
Neither love nor tenderness
Failed me, 'cause my happiness
In the heart of nature rests there.

Tender childhood, beautiful town,
Rich fountain of happiness,
Of harmonious melodies,
That drive away my sorrow!
Return thee to my heart,
Bring back my gentle hours
As do the birds when the flow'rs
Would again begin to blow!
But, alas, adieu! E'er watch
For your peace, joy and repose,
Genius of good who kindly dispose
Of his blessings with amour;
It's for thee my fervent pray'rs,
It's for thee my constant desire
Knowledge ever to acquire
And may God keep your candour!

Sa Aking mga Kababata

Unang Tula ni Rizal. Sa edad 8, isunulat ni Rizal ang una niyang tula ng isinulat sa katutubong wika at pinamagatang "SA AKING MGA KABATA".

Kapagka ang baya’y sadyang umiibig
Sa langit salitang kaloob ng langit
Sanlang kalayaan nasa ring masapi

Katulad ng ibong nasa himpapawid
Pagka’t ang salita’y isang kahatulan
Sa bayan, sa nayo't mga kaharian

At ang isang tao’y katulad, kabagay
Ng alin mang likha noong kalayaan.
Ang hindi magmahal sa kanyang salita
Mahigit sa hayop at malansang isda

Kaya ang marapat pagyamanin kusa
Na tulad sa inang tunay na nagpala
Ang wikang Tagalog tulad din sa Latin,

Sa Ingles, Kastila, at salitang anghel,
Sapagkat ang Poong maalam tumingin
Ang siyang naggagawad, nagbibigay sa atin.
Ang salita nati’y tulad din sa iba

Na may alfabeto at sariling letra,
Na kaya nawala’y dinatnan ng sigwa
Ang lunday sa lawa noong dakong una.

The Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Education
Translator unknown

As the climbing ivy over lofty elm
Creeps tortuously, together the adornment
Of the verdant plain, embellishing
Each other and together growing,
But should the kindly elm refuse its aid
The ivy would impotent and friendless wither;
So is Education to Religion
By spiritual alliance firmly bound.
Through Religion, Education gains renown, and
Woe to the impious mind that blindly spurning
The sapient teachings of Religion, this
Unpolluted fountainhead forsakes.

As the sprout, growing from the pompous vine,
Proudly offers us its honeyed clusters
While the generous and fresh’ning waters
Of celestial virtue give new life
To Education true, shedding
On it warmth and light; because of them
The vine smells sweet and gives delicious fruit.

Without Religion, Human Education
Is like unto a vessel struck by winds
Which, sore beset, is of its helm deprived
By the roaring blows and buffets of the dread
Tempestuous Boreas [The north wind], who fiercely wields
His power until he proudly sends her down
Into the deep abysses of the angered sea.
As heaven’s dew the meadow feeds and strengthens
So that blooming flowers all the earth
Embroider in the days of spring; so also
If Religion holy nourishes
Education with its doctrines, she
Shall walk in joy and generosity
Toward the Good, and everywhere bestrew
The fragrant and luxuriant fruits of Virtue.

REFLECTION :
Rizal shared his thought about the importance of education to enlighten the nation which was useful to gain societal freedom for every nation. It may also provide us the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude to expand the horizon of our thoughts. However, this would not be enough to be properly educated. Rizal thought that there was really an intimate alliance between religion and good education. A man who was properly educated needed to apply what he learned on spiritual view rather than simply on material achievements. The result of good education always fulfilled a growing uprightness and valuable virtue within the bounce of spiritual and moral dimensions. There showed also be growing dignified fulfillment and application to the teachings of religion ,just like a vine which continually grow that would someday the fruit will become sweet and delicious.

Without religion, human education may result to chaos and disorder in any civilized nation because people may no longer value freedom, respect, dignity and other good virtues that maintain societal order. It may result to a natural disaster just as the angered sea, which characterized the fierce winds that may, wrecked the vessel in the deep abysses. Rizal knew that religion had a profound effect to education, the educated must internalized the virtue of incorruptible life based on the ethical and moral standard of the society.

To the Filipino Youth

Raise your unruffled brow
On this day, Filipino youth!
Resplendent shines
Your courage rich,
Handsome hope of my motherland!
Fly, grand genius
And infuse them with noble sentiment
That vigorously rushes,
More rapid than the wind,
Its virgin mind to the glorious goal.
Descend to the arena
With the pleasant light of arts and sciences,
And unbind, Youth,
The heavy chain
That fetters your poetic genius.
See that in the bright zone
With pious and learned hand,
Offers the son of this native land
Resplendent crown.
You who ascend
On wings of your rich fantasy,
Seeking from Olympus in the clouds
Tenderest poetry,
Sweeter than nectar and ambrosia;
You of the celestial accent,
Melodious rival of the nightingale,
Who with varied melodies
Dissipate the mortal’s bitter pain
In the night serene;
You who animate the hand rock
With the impulse of your mind,
And with prepotent hand makes eternal
The pure memory
Of the refulgent genius;
And you, who with magic brushes
Are wont to transfer to simple canvas
The varied enchantment of Phoebus, beloved of
Apollo divine,
And the mantle of nature.
Run! For the sacred flame
Of the genius awaits to be crowned with laurels,
Spreading fame
With trumpet proclaiming
O’er the wide sphere the mortal’s name.
Day, oh happy day,
Philippines genteel, for your soil!
Bless the Almighty,
Who with loving desire
Sends you fortune and consolatio

REFLECTION :
At the age of eighteen years old, he wrote a poem entitled “To the Filipino Youth” which was submitted for the poetry contest by the Manila Lyceum of Art and Literature. This was dedicated to the Filipino youth that he won the first prize, a silver pen, feather-shaped and with a gold ribbon running through it.

Rizal made this poem at the peak of the grandeur day of his life for him to experience the radiant growing intellect and wonderful life as a youth. He always wanted the youth to follow his ideals in the love their country. They could utilize the growing intellect on arts and sciences to b properly educated in their homeland .Where they trained to become wise and pious even from the shadows of the Spanish authority. Anyone of aspired for the success of life my always find the difficult and long road of sacrifices to reach the sweetness and glory of life.

THROUGH EDUCATION OUR MOTHERLAND RECEIVES LIGHT

The vital breath of prudent Education
Instills a virtue of enchanting power;
She lifts the motherland to highest station
And endless dazzling glories on her shower.
And as the zephyr's gentle exhalation
Revives the matrix of the fragrant flower,
So education multiplies her gifts of grace;
With prudent hand imparts them to the human race.

For her a mortal-man will gladly part
With all he has; will give his calm repose;
For her are born all science and all art,
That brows of men with laurel fair enclose.
As from the towering mountain's lofty heart
The purest current of the streamlet flows,
So education without stint or measure gives
Security and peace to lands in which she lives.

Where Education reigns on lofty seat
Youth blossoms forth with vigor and agility;
He error subjugates with solid feet,
And is exalted by conceptions of nobility.
She breaks the neck of vice and its deceit;
Black crime turns pale at Her hostility;
The barbarous nations She knows how to tame,
From savages creates heroic fame.

And as the spring doth sustenance bestow
On all the plants, on bushes in the mead,
Its placid plenty goes to overflow
And endlessly with lavish love to feed
The banks by which it wanders, gliding slow,
Supplying beauteous nature's every need;
So he who prudent Education doth procure
The towering heights of honor will secure.

From out his lips the water, crystal pure,
Of perfect virtue shall not cease to go.
With careful doctrines of his faith made sure,
The powers of evil he will overthrow,
Like foaming waves that never long endure,
But perish on the shore at every blow;
And from his good example other men shall learn
Their upward steps toward the heavenly paths to turn.

Within the breast of wretched humankind
She lights the living flame of goodness bright;
The hands of fiercest criminal doth bind;
And in those breasts will surely pour delight
Which seek her mystic benefits to find,
Those souls She sets aflame with love of right.
It is a noble fully-rounded Education
That gives to life its surest consolation.

And as the mighty rock aloft may tower
Above the center of the stormy deep
In scorn of storm, or fierce Sou'wester's power,
Or fury of the waves that raging seep,
Until, their first mad hatred spent, they cower,
And, tired at last, subside and fall asleep, --
So he that takes wise Education by the hand,
Invincible shall guide the reigns of motherland.

On sapphires shall his service be engraved,
A thousand honors to him by his land be granted:
For in their bosoms will his noble sons have saved
Luxuriant flowers his virtue had transplanted:
And by the love of goodness ever lived,
The lords and governors will see implanted
To endless days, the Christian Education,
Within their noble, faith-enrapture nation.
And as in early morning we behold
The ruby sun pour forth resplendent rays;
And lovely dawn her scarlet and her gold,
Her brilliant colors all about her sprays;
So skillful noble Teaching doth unfold
To living minds the joy of virtuous ways.
She offers our dear motherland the light
That leads us to immortal glory's height.

REFLECTION: his poem proved that he valued education so much that may give the power of the country to survive from any forces( barbaric actions, deceits, hostility, vices and etc.) in the struggles of societal freedom . Through education, it creates the virtue of power to human race. This gives security and peace to the motherland as the Filipinos would learn the sciences and arts as the basis to calm down the life of the society. Where education reigns pacifies the barbaric action of the nations .It may neutralized or ceased to exist on crimes and hostility including vices and deceits because of the enlightenment of mankind.

The existence of prudent education provides the tranquility to a more dignified action just the existence on the natural flow of life . Education shall give a perfect virtue of man that may overthrow the power of evils and may step on heavenly path for its good action. Likewise, education provides goodness to humanity it sheds light for those who created destruction even from the hands of fiercest criminal. Furthermore, education may always survive even from the worst storm, hatred of men, and raging waves as a consequence the motherland becomes invincible to evil forces shall be tired and fall asleep in their raging emotions.

This poem of Rizal had never thought that was applied to him heroic struggles in his later years of life. The struggle of human freedom was won because education provided the key role for thousands of men honored him. His education provided him the noble virtue that someday his country was free from the bondage of foreign oppressor. In contemporary time, education proves to be key role to produce of noble man that shades light for his family and country.