El Apellido: Nicolas Guillen English Translation

; both poets focused on the "double consciousness" of being Black in a white-dominated society. 4. Famous Lines in Translation

is a lament. The speaker (presumably Guillén himself, or a persona representing the disenfranchised Black Cuban) realizes that his surname—Guillén—comes from a Spanish slave owner, not from his African ancestors. He has no way of knowing his true last name: the one from the Yoruba, Kongo, or Arará tribes his great-grandparents were ripped from. el apellido nicolas guillen english translation

—Kumba… Ngo… Mbele…

The direct English equivalent of the surname Guillén is . ; both poets focused on the "double consciousness"

: The poem reflects on how African family names were lost, replaced by Spanish colonial names during slavery. The speaker (presumably Guillén himself, or a persona

Whether you are translating a biography or researching your own heritage, the name Nicolás Guillén represents a bridge between Greek, Germanic, and Hispanic histories. To help you dive deeper into this name or its history: