TO MS C O Y R Interpreted By

TO MS. C. O. Y. R Interpreted By: Rod Jasper A. Gacayan and Josef Joshua Valdez

This poem was dedicated to Consuelo Ortiga y Rey, the daughter of Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey, a former Mayor of Manila. The hero probably fell in love with her and the lady apparently asked him for romantic verses: instead he gave her this discordant and stark poem.

Who: Dedicated to Consuelo Ortiga y Rey Where: Madrid, Manila When: Time of Rizal; Before Leonor Rivera What: A Poem Why: Rizal fell in love with Consuelo

Why ask for those unintellectual The man refused to make verses that once, insane with romantic verses that was grief, once rejected and I sang aghast? unappreciated Or are you maybe throwing in my and it makes him bitter face my rank ingratitude, my only if reminded of such. bitter past?

Why resurrect unhappy The man tries to tell the memories now when the heart lady that there’s no need awaits from love a sign to talk about of his past, and Or call the night when the day that he is ready to love begins to smile, not knowing if again and that, if she will another day will shine? accept his love to her.

You wish to learn the cause of The lady wants to know this despair that anguish wove? why he is in such pain, You wish to know the wherefore the fact he may find of such sorrows, and why, a another love again. young soul, I sing not of love?

Oh, may you never why! For the reason brings melancholy but may The man refused to reveal set you laughing. Down with the how he suffered from his corpse into the grave shall go another past that she might only corpse that’s buried in my stuffing! laugh Something impossible, ambition, madness, dreams of soul, a passion at him but instead she has and its throes… to look into the love he is Oh, drink the nectar that life has to offering to her. offer and let bitter dregs in peace repose!

Again I feel the impenetrable This time again, the man shadows shrouding the soul with feels like he would be thick veils of night: a mere rejected bud only, not a lovely flower, or the lady will not response because it’s destitute of air and to his lover offering. light…

Behold them: my poor verses, my The chance of man relies on damned brood – and sorrow the verses he made for suckled each and every brat! the lady, expecting she Oh, they know well to what they would answer to his love owe their being, and maybe they offering. themselves will tell you what.

INTERPRETATION AS A WHOLE The man rejects to make romantic verses asked by the lady that was once unappreciated and unwanted. The man also tries to tell the lady that he is ready to love again in spite of his suffering from the past that involves Leonor Rivera. The chance of the man depends from his romantic verses, hoping that the lady would answer his love offering.