António Jacinto

António Jacinto Poems

António Jacinto Biography

António Jacinto, full name António Jacinto do Amaral Martins, born in Luanda, Angola 28 September 1924, died 23 June 1991 in Lisbon, Portugal, was an Angolan poet and politician. He was also known by his pseudonym Orlando Tavora. Jacinto was born in Luanda to parents of Portuguese descent. He was raised and studied in the interior of Angola in the remote town of Golungo Alto in Cuanza Norte Province. After having obtained his license in Luanda, he started working as a civil servant. He stood out as a protesting poet, and as a result of his political militancy, was first arrested in 1959. Jacinto was ultimately sent to the Tarrafal concentration camp in Cape Verde from 1961 to 1972. His first book of poems was published in 1961, the same year of his arrest and imprisonment. His imprisonment received international attention, and he was transferred to Lisbon in 1972 where, on parole, he worked as an accountant. Jacinto escaped in 1973 to join the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA). As soon as independence was declared in 1975 he served in the cabinet of Agostinho Neto (1922 – 1979), first as Minister of Education and Culture, and as secretary of the National Cultural Council in 1977. He withdrew from politics in 1990 due to advanced age. Jacinto died in Lisbon, Portugal in 1991. Selected poems O grande desafio (Portuguese, The great challenge) Poema da alienação (Poem of alienation) Carta dum contratado (Letter of a contract worker) Monangamba (French adaptation and music setting by Colette Magny in 1964) Canto interior de uma noite fantástica (Interior chant of a fantastic night) Era uma vez (literally, it was once; can be translated as, once upon a time) Bailarina negra (Black dancer) Ah! Se pudésseis aqui ver poesia que não há! (Ah! If you could see that there is no poetry here!))

The Best Poem Of António Jacinto

Monangamba

Naquela roça grande não tem chuva
é o suor do meu rosto que rega as plantações:

Naquela roca grande tem café maduro
e aquele vermelho-cereja
são gotas do meu sangue feitas seiva.

O café vai ser torrado
pisado, torturado,
vai ficar negro, negro da cor do contratado.

Negro da cor do contratado!

Perguntem às aves que cantam,
aos regatos de alegre serpentear
e ao vento forte do sertão:


Quem se levanta cedo? quem vai à tonga?
Quem traz pela estrada longa
a tipóia ou o cacho de dendém?
Quem capina e em paga recebe desdém
fuba podre, peixe podre,
panos ruins, cinqüenta angolares
'porrada se refilares'?

Quem?

Quem faz o milho crescer
e os laranjais florescer
- Quem?

Quem dá dinheiro para o patrão comprar
maquinas, carros, senhoras
e cabeças de pretos para os motores?

Quem faz o branco prosperar,
ter barriga grande - ter dinheiro?
- Quem?

E as aves que cantam,
os regatos de alegre serpentear
e o vento forte do sertão
responderão:
- 'Monangambééé...'

Ah! Deixem-me ao menos subir às palmeiras
Deixem-me beber maruvo, maruvo
e esquecer diluído nas minhas bebedeiras

- 'Monangambééé...'

António Jacinto Comments