Nicolás Guillén (1902-1989) was a Cuban poet, journalist and political activist. His literary activity began in postmodernism (characterized by broad skepticism, subjectivism, or relativism), although his production soon became part of the so-called "black poetry", a trend that emerged around 1930 in the Antilles.

To make this wall,

bring me all your hands:

the blacks, their black hands,

the whites, their white hands.

Ouch,

a wall that goes

from the beach to the mountain,

from the mountain to the beach, right,

there over the horizon.

-Tun, tun!

-Who is it?

-A rose and a carnation....

-Open the wall!

-Tun, tun!

-Who is it?

-The colonel's sabre...

-Close the wall!

-Tun, tun!

-Who is it?

-The dove and the laurel...

-Open the wall!

-Tun, tun!

-Who is it?

-The scorpion and the centipede...

-Close the wall!

To the heart of the friend,

open the wall;

To the poison and the dagger,

close the wall;

To myrtle and peppermint,

open the wall;

to the serpent's tooth,

shut up the wall;

to the nightingale in flower,

open the wall...

Let us build a wall

joining all hands:

the blacks, their black hands,

the whites, their white hands.

A wall that goes

from the beach to the mountain,

from the mountain to the beach, right,

there on the horizon...

Header Image:

Portrait of Nicolás Gillén. Source: editorialverbum.es