A Las Flores de Heidelberg As Jose Rizal longed for for his parents and his country, country, he wrote the poem “A Las Flores De Heidelberg on April !!, "##$% &ac' then, he was studying at (ni)ersit*tsplatz "! +former Ludwigsplatz "!, -ermany% He wrote this poem because of his yearning for .alamba, inspired by his afternoon/s musings in 0ec'ar Ri)er% .onse1uently, .onse1uently, Rizal sent his message of lo)e, faith and longing to his nati)e land through the light2blue forget2me2nots, pressed in the pages of his boo'3
TO THE FLOWERS OF HEIDELBERG Go to my country, go foreign flowers, Planted by the traveler on his way, And there beneath that sky of blue That over my beloved towers, Speak for this traveler to say What faith in his homeland he breathes to you. (Rizal in this paragraph poetically requests the flowers of Heidelberg to speak of him in the Philippines)
Go and say.... Say that when the dawn irst brew your caly! open there "eside the #iver $ecker chill, %ou saw him standing by you, very still, #eflecting on the primrose flush you wear. Say that when the morning light &er toll of perfume from you wrung, While playfully she whispered, '&ow ( love you)' &e too murmured here above you Tender love songs in his native tongue. That when the rising sun the height *f +oenigsthul in early morn first spies, And with its tepid light (s pouring life in valley, wood, and grove, &e greets the sun as it begins to rise, Which in his native land is blaing straight above. (These three paragraphs mentions the times of day starting from dawn and the break of sunlight. He beautifully beautifully asked the flowers flowers to bear witness witness to his undying concern for his motherland when at dawn he sings to the flowers native songs in exchange of their gift of natural perfume. And in the morning under the soft light of the early sun he reflects still of his motherland where the same sun now is at its highest... as if he is connected with his motherland through the sun)
And tell them of that day he staid And plucked you from the border of the path, Amid the ruins of the feudal castle, "y the #iver $eckar, and in the sylvan shade, Tell them what he told you As tenderly he took %our pliant leaves and pressed them in a book, Where now its well-worn pages close enfold you.
(Rial poetically describes his plan for the flowers to carry his message to his motherland. He plucks them and preserves them in his book)
arry, carry, flowers of #hine, /ove to every love of mine, Peace to my country and her fertile loam, 0irtue to her women, courage to her men, Salute those darling ones again, Who formed the sacred circle of our home. (His first message to the country is peace! virtue to women! courage to men)
And when you reach that shore, 1ach kiss ( press upon you now, 2eposit on the pinions of the wind, And those ( love and honor and adore Will feel my kisses carried to their brow.
(He poetically describes his will that his kisses on the flower may be carried by the wind to his loved ones)
Ah, flowers, you may fare through, onserving still, perhaps, your native hue3 %et, far from atherland, heroic loam To which you owe your life, The perfume will be gone from you3 or aroma is your soul3 it cannot roam "eyond the skies which saw it born, nor e4er forget. (Here is the paradox" Rial used the flowers of Heidelberg as his symbol of his love for his motherland. The beauty of the flowers is comparable to the way he looks at our country that anyone who will see the flower may get in touch with Rial#s concern for his motherland. Though noble this may seem to be! Rial in the last stana reflected on its utter futility since the flower will no longer be the same when it reaches the country. $ts beauty and perfume! which should reflect Rial#s intentions for the country! will long be gone. %hy& 'or it is far from its fatherland.)
Rial wrote this when he was at ermany. $n 'rance and ermany! Rial was well known and respected. ut he may have realied what good will their respect do to his country. %hat good will this do to the *hilippines if he is serving foreign lands and not his own. His verses had a single symbol++The flowers of Heidelberg. ut it symbolies two realities. 'irst! the flowers# beauty symbolies Rial#s love for his country! and second! the flowers# reduced ,uality refers to Rial#s useless presence in another country. -ater he decided to return to the country despite repeated warning from his friends and relatives.
Th i spo em i sar e fle ct i o nsofaRi z al ’ sf e el i n gsba s edo nh i sex p er i e nc es .J os eRi z al we ntt oGe r ma nyan d s t udi edt her ei nUni v er s i t yofHei del ber g.Whi l ei nHei del ber ghei sex per i enc i ngt hef eel i ngofnos t al gi a f orhi spar e nt sandhi sc ount r y , Ri z al wr o t et hepoem “ T ot heFl ower sofHei del ber g” . Wh enRi z a ls o ar e dt oHe i d el b er gi n1 88 6,h ewa sf a s c i n at e dwi t ht h eb l o om fl o we r san dt h e beau t i f ul ol dt o wnoft hec onfl uenc eNec k arRi v er .Hel o v edi t snat ur al beaut y . Thos efl ower sac tas me ss e ng er st ot a k eh i st h ou gh t sofh omeba ckt h er e .Hi spo em,T ot h eFl o we r sofHei d el b er gi ss i mp l yan e x pr e s s i o no fh i ss a dn es sa sher e me mb er e dh i sf a mi l ywh om h el o v e ss omu c h.I nhi sp oe m,h ea l s o des cr i bedt hefl ower sasbeaut i f ul andbr i l l i ant l yat t r ac t i v ewhi c hl i ei nheav enbeneat has hi nybr i ghts ky . I tal s os howst hath emi s s eshi shomel andwh er ehefir s ts awt hebea ut yofl i f ea ndt hebea ut yofal l c r e at i o n.Tho s efl o wer si nHe i d el b er gwe r er e se mb l a nc eofh i sha pp yan db ea ut i f u le x pe r i e nc esan d me mo r i e si nhi sh ome l a ndwh er ehewa sf a radi s t a nc eawa y . Be c au s eo fs o r r o wa ndl o ne l i n es sh e c o mp en s at e db ywr i t i n gapo em a bo utt h eb ea ut yh es awo nt h efl o we r so fHe i d el b er g .
Interpretation Rizal described his belo)ed nati)e land by mentioning his adoration of its clear blue s'ies that signifies peace and good climate% He wants the maidens to e4tend his message of lo)e, longing and continuous safeguard to the nati)e land, that his humble heart remains faithful to the land where he grew up% 5t can be seen that on the second stanza that Rizal grew seeing dawn as the beginning of e)er y single community acti)ities that reflects the culture of .alamba as a farming land and that har)est starts at dawn% Hence, it can also magnify the Filipino attitude of being industrious% Rizal also e4pressed his appreciation for nature/s indescribable beauty and ine)itable allure of fresh scent that starts from the sweet caress of dawn until sunrise% He longed for his hometown as he appreciated the beauty of the foreign land, Heidelberg% Rizal through this poem articulated his unconditional lo)e for his family, his countrymen and the nation he dreams to be% 0e)ertheless, he only wished eternal peace for land, that no man shall be harmed and e)eryone adheres to common good% As he wrote, he ne)er forgot to remind the women of his land to be strong and courageous for the trials and challenges they may face% 6his poem is a true reflection that Rizal in a foreign land missed his family and longs to be with them as he as'ed in the poem the maidens to send his sweet 'iss to those he whom he respects and lo)es%
Lastly, Rizal mentioned in this poem that “your fragrances you will lose7 For fragrance is a spirit that ne)er can forsa'e, and ne)er forgets the s'y that saw its birth% 6hese lines illuminated the )ery essence of the poem 2 that death cannot destroy dignity and “non omnis moriar not e)er ything dies after death%
Budapest San Francisco To the Flowers of Heidelberg / A Las Flores de Heidelberg Rizal's First Trip (!!"#!!$% &ose Rizal has been to an countries after he graduated fro the )ni*ersit of Sto+ Toas+ This was his ,rst tra*el outside of the -hilippines+ He had been to Singapore. Sri Lana. Africa. 0tal. Spain and a lot ore 1uropean countries+ Rizal also went to 2adrid. Spain and enrolled at the )ni*ersit of 2adrid both in edicine and in -hilosoph and Letters+ Rizal's First trip Aside fro copleting his studies in Spain. Rizal has his 3secret ission3#was to obser*e eenl the life and culture . languages and custos.industries and coerce. and go*ernent and laws of 1uropean nations in order to prepare hiself in ight tas of liberating his oppressed people fro Spanish trann+ 4uring the latter part of !!". Rizal enrolled in the )ni*ersidad 5entral de 2adrid (5entral )ni*ersit of 2adrid% and too up two courses6 edicine and philosoph and letters+ 0n !!7. Rizal was awarded the Licentiate in 2edicine and in !!8. he was conferred the degree of Licentiate in -hilosoph and Letter Rizal went to -aris and 9eran in order to specialize in 3:-HTHAL2:L:9;3 He arri*ed in Heidelberg in Februar <. !!= after he studied edicine in Spain Heidelberg. a cit in southern 9eran. is faous for its ancient uni*ersit. roantic surroundings. old churches. a>estic castles and cobblestone streets redolent of a bgone era+ Three#stor Baro?ue building. the Alte uni*ersitat+ Facade of &ose Rizal's well preser*e boarding house The *icarage where Rizal spent a ?uiet and producti*e tie in 9eran. !!= A golden pla?ue in Heidelberg's Bergheierstrape "@ reins *isitors that &ose Rizal. a a*id supporter of refors in his Spanish#ruled hoe countr (Left% Statue built in his honor. located at ilhelsfeld (Right% 3Augen lini3 or 1e 5linic 5adena de Aor 0n Heidelberg. Rizal studied the 9eran language+ He celebrated his "8th birthda with a Lutheran inister. arl )ler+
Becer and professor ilhel uehne at Alte )nibersidad Trained under two outstanding ophthalologist 4r+ Becer and 4r+ 9alezows in 3Augen lini3 Rizal. in his lonel oents wrote his nostalgic poe 3A las Flores de Heidelberg3 0nterpretations6 + Rizal used the Flowers as his sbol of his lo*e for his otherland+ "+ Flowers' reduced ?ualit refers to Rizal's useless presence in another countr+ <+He was hoesic for his nati*e -hilippines+ 7+ 3To the Flowers of Heidelberg3 was not literall about Cowers. he was referring to the frauleins+ 0n !!". Rizal left for Spain to pursue a edical degree+ Rizal had a personal reason as well as an altruistic reason for his decision to stud abroad+ He wanted to becoe an ee specialist in order to cure her other fro an ee ailent+ -oes are sipl reCections of an authorDs feelings based on his eEperiences and present situation+ hilein Heidelberg eEperiencing the feeling of nostalgia for his parents and his countr. Rizal wrote the poe3To the Flowers of Heidelberg3 hen Rizal soared to Heidelberg in !!=. he was fascinated with the bloo Cowers he saw in the ecarRi*er+ Those Cowers reinded hi of the Cowers in their hoeDs garden in 5alaba because of his ood of hoesicness+ 0n Heidelberg. he was astound with the Cowers along the ecar Ri*er. especiall the forget#e#nots. which ade hi copose the poe. A Las Flores de Heidelberg (To the Flowers of Heidelberg%. on April "". !!= His poe. To the Flowers of Heidelberg is sipl an eEpression of his sadness as he reebered his fail who he lo*es so uch+ Forget e not Flowers
