“An Acrostic to Benito Juárez” by Rubi / “Acróstico a Benito Juárez” por Rubi

“Acróstico a Benito Juárez” por Rubi / “An Acrostic to Benito Juárez” by Rubi

B  enito Juárez                                             B  enito Juárez:

E  ra mexicano.                                           E  specially Mexican was he.

N  acido en Oaxaca,                                   N  atal place?  Oaxaca, and he was

I  ndígeno – ¡seguro!                                   I  ndigenous – for sure!

T  oda su infancia                                        T  ending sheep was the task

O vejas cuidaba.                                          O  f  his childhood.

*                                                                         *

J  uárez político                                           J  uárez the Politician

U nió a los pobres,                                      U  nited with the poor, en-

A  mó la justicia,                                        A  moured of justice,

R  echazó a los franceses.                         R  epelled the French.

E  n conclusión él fue                                 Ever known shall he be, the

Z  apoteco valiente.                                    Z  apotec most brave.

_____

Hoy día – el 21 marzo – se celebra el natalicio del prócer mexicano – Benito Juárez .

Rubi…¡te agradecemos!

Benito Juárez  (1806-1872) was President of México, serving five terms between 1858 and 1872.

Illiterate till the age of 12, by 1834 he was a lawyer, and by 1847 – governor of the state of Oaxaca.

As President he began nation-wide reforms, including the promotion of a civil society

– this included the curtailment of the powers of the dominant Catholic Church.  He brought an end to

the Franco-Mexican War (“The Maximilian Affair”) of the 1860s, and his political movement,

La Reforma, though interrupted by the sometimes-regressive presidency of Porfirio Díaz, is

clearly viewed as the first push toward modernization of Mexico’s economy, politics, and society.

Today, March 21st, is Benito Juárez’ birth date.

Interpretación del poema en inglés / Poem interpretation into English from Spanish:

Alexander Best