The lyrics of the song Guantanamera based on José Martí’s poem as well as their English translation are as follows:
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Yo
soy un hombre sincero
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I am a sincere man
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De
donde crece la palma
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From where the palm tree grows
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Y
antes de morirme quiero
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And before I die I want
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Echar mis versos del alma
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To let out the verses of my soul
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Mi verso es de un verde claro
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My verse is light green
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Y
de un carmín encendido
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And it is flaming red
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Mi
verso es un ciervo herido
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My verse is a wounded stag
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Que
busca en el monte amparo
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Seeking refuge on the mountain
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Cultivo una rosa blanca
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I grow a white rose
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En
julio como en enero
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In July just as in January
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Para el amigo sincero
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For the honest friend
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Que
me da su mano franca
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Who gives me his open hand
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Con
los pobres de la tierra
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With the poor people of the
earth
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Quiero
yo mi suerte echar
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I want to cast my lot
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El
arroyo de la sierra
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The brook of the mountains
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Me
complace más que el mar
|
Gives me more pleasure than the
sea
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While the song is generally accepted to be patriotic in nature many opinions have been formed as to the meaning the lyrics are trying to convey.
In the first verse Cuba patriotism is introduced as we learn that it is about an honest dying man from Cuba – “the land where the palm trees grow”.
The "light green" part in the second verse is usually believed to signify Cuba’s nature while the "flaming red" may be interpreted as the red equilateral triangle of the Cuban flag which itself stands for blood and courage. The "wounded stag" is taken to be a symbol of Christ. Thus, the second verse shows that the narrator adheres to Christianity, Cuba’s prevailing religion.
The white rose in the third verse represents love and the purity of friendship as well as the narrator's appreciation of true friendship. The poem from Marti that this verse is based on “Cultivo Una Rosa Blanca” is one of his most famous poems and usually the first poem learned by school children in Latin America.
In the final verse, we learn that the protagonist wants to cast his lot “with the poor people of the earth”, and that he gains more pleasure from the simple wealth of "the brook of the mountains" than from the immense wealth of "the sea." It is this verse that has given the song a more global reputation amongst social equality movements.
