El Apellido Nicolas Guillen English Translation ((install)) (2026)

English Translation of “El Apellido” by Nicolás Guillén

Nicolás Guillén died in 1989 without ever finding his African surname. El apellido remains an open wound, a poem that refuses closure. For English-speaking readers, this translation opens the door to one of the most powerful anti-colonial poems ever written. The name “Nicolás Guillén” is now world-famous – but the poem reminds us that fame does not heal history. el apellido nicolas guillen english translation