Juan León Mera Martínez (Ambato, June 28, 1832 – Ambato, December 13, 1894) was an Ecuadorian poet, novelist, essayist, politician and painter. In 1865 he penned the lyrics for Ecuador’s National Anthem “¡Salve, Oh Patria!” and in 1879 he wrote the novel “Cumandá” which is regarded as Ecuador’s first full-length novel. The novel’s complex characters, lyrical prose, and riveting plot, set against the backdrop of the Amazonian jungle, have made it a revered classic that continues to captivate readers to this day. Juan León Mera was a member of the Ecuadorian Academy of Language, and a corresponding member of the Royal Spanish Academy of Language.
Political career
In addition to being a writer and painter, Juan León Mera was a political conservative and follower of Gabriel García Moreno. He was the governor of Cotopaxi, Secretary of the Council of State, Senator, President of the Senate and National Congress in 1886.
Juan León Mera’s former residence, the museum “La quinta de Juan León Mera,” in the city of Ambato, exhibits his possessions.
Cumandá, or A Drama Between Savages
Juan León Mera’s novel “Cumandá o Un drama entre salvajes” [Cumanda or A Drama Between Savages] is a masterpiece of Ecuadorian literature, beautifully set against the backdrop of the lush and exotic Amazon rainforest. Published in 1879, “Cumandá” tells the story of Cumandá, a young indigenous woman, and her forbidden love affair with Carlos, a Spanish nobleman. Mera’s vivid and descriptive prose transports readers to the untamed wilderness of the jungle, with its rich flora and fauna, mysterious tribes, and inherent dangers. The novel skillfully explores themes of love, culture clash, and the struggle between civilization and nature, making it a captivating and thought-provoking work. “Cumandá” is widely regarded as a pioneering work of Latin American literature, showcasing Mera’s exceptional talent as a writer and his deep understanding of the Ecuadorian jungle as a literary setting.
English Translation of Cumandá
Juan León Mera’s novel “Cumandá” was translated in 2007 by Noé O. Vaca as “Cumanda: The Novel of the Ecuadorian Jungle.”
Cumandá vs La Emancipada, which truly is Ecuador’s First Novel?
Some scholars argue that La Emancipada (1863) by Miguel Riofrío is truly Ecuador’s first novel (it preceded Cumandá by 16 years). However, defenders of Cumandá argue that Riofrío’s work, which was published in installments in 1863, is not a novel at all but a novella (due to its length; it usually runs less than 100 pages in print). Despite today’s controversy over who wrote Ecuador’s first novel, in their lifetime Juan León Mera and Miguel Riofrío were good friends. In fact, in 1854 Juan León Mera first published some of his verses in the periodical La Democracia with the help of Miguel Riofrío.
Cumandá the Film (1993, Directed by César Carmigniani)
Ecuador’s National Anthem Lyrics
- Lyrics by Juan León Mera (1865)
- Music by Antonio Neumane (1870)
- Adopted: 1948.
Official Lyrics
| Spanish lyrics | English translation |
|---|---|
| Coro: ¡Salve, Oh Patria, mil veces, oh Patria! ¡Gloria a ti, gloria a ti! Ya tu pecho, tu pecho, rebosa, gozo y paz ya tu pecho rebosa; Y tu frente, tu frente radiosa, Más que el sol contemplamos lucir. 2da Estrofa: Los primeros, los hijos del suelo que, soberbio, el Pichincha decora, te aclamaron por siempre señora y vertieron su sangre por ti. Dios miró y aceptó el holocausto y esa sangre fue germen fecundo de otros héroes que atónito el mundo vió en tu torno a millares surgir. ¡A millares surgir! ¡A millares surgir! Coro | Chorus: We greet you, Oh Fatherland, a thousand times! Oh Fatherland, Glory be to you! Glory be to you! Your breast, your breast, overflows, Your breast overflows with joy and peace; And your radiant face, your radiant face is brighter than the shining sun we see. 2nd Stanza: The first sons of the soil Which Pichincha adorns proudly, They declared you as their sovereign lady forever, And shed their blood for you. God observed and accepted the holocaust, And that blood was the prolific seed Of other heroes whom the world in astonishment Saw rise up around you by the thousands. Rise up by the thousands, rise up by the thousands! Chorus |
Full lyrics
| Spanish lyrics | English translation |
|---|---|
| Coro: ¡Salve, Oh Patria, mil veces! ¡Oh Patria, gloria a ti! Ya tu pecho rebosa gozo y paz, y tu frente radiosa más que el sol contemplamos lucir. I Indignados tus hijos del yugo que te impuso la ibérica audacia, de la injusta y horrenda desgracia que pesaba fatal sobre ti, santa voz a los cielos alzaron, voz de noble y sin par juramento, de vengarte del monstruo sangriento, de romper ese yugo servil. Coro II (verso oficial) Los primeros, los hijos del suelo que, soberbio, el Pichincha decora, te aclamaron por siempre señora y vertieron su sangre por tí. Dios miró y aceptó el holocausto y esa sangre fue germen fecundo de otros héroes que atónito el mundo vió en tu torno a millares surgir. Coro III De estos héroes al brazo del hierro nada tuvo invencible la tierra, y del valle a la altísima sierra se escuchaba el fragor de la lid. Tras la lid, la victoria volaba, libertad tras el triunfo venía, y al león destrozado se oía de impotencia y despecho rugir. Coro IV Cedió al fin la fiereza española, y hoy, oh Patria, tu libre existencia es la noble y magnífica herencia que nos dio el heroísmo feliz. De las manos paternas la hubimos, nadie intente arrancárnosla ahora, ni nuestra ira excitar vengadora quiera, necio o audaz, contra sí. Coro V Nadie, oh Patria, lo intente. Las sombras de tus héroes gloriosos nos miran, y el valor y el orgullo que inspiran son augurios de triunfos por ti. Venga el hierro y el plomo fulmíneo, que a la idea de guerra y venganza se despierta la heroica pujanza que hizo al fiero español sucumbir. Coro VI Y si nuevas cadenas prepara la injusticia de bárbara suerte, ¡gran Pichincha! prevén tú la muerte de la Patria y sus hijos al fin Hunde al punto en tus hondas entrañas cuanto existe en tu tierra, el tirano huelle solo cenizas y en vano busque rastro de ser junto a ti. Coro | Chorus: We greet you, Oh Fatherland, a thousand times! Oh Fatherland, glory to you! Your breast overflows with joy and peace, and your radiant face is brighter than the shining sun we see. I Your children were outraged by the yoke That Iberian audacity imposed on you, By the unjust and horrendous disgrace Fatally weighing upon you. They cried out a holy voice to the heavens, that noble voice of a unbreakable pledge, to defeat that monster of blood, that this servile yoke would disappear. Chorus II (official verse) The first sons of the soil Which Pichincha adorns proudly, They declared you as their sovereign lady forever, And shed their blood for you. God observed and accepted the holocaust, And that blood was the prolific seed Of other heroes whom the world in astonishment Saw rise up around you by the thousands. Chorus III Of those heroes of iron arm No land was invincible, And from the valley to the highest sierra You could hear the roar of the fray. After the fray, Victory would fly, Freedom after the triumph would come, And the Lion was heard broken With a roar of helplessness and despair. Chorus IV At last Spanish ferocity yielded, And now, oh Fatherland, your free existence Is the noble and magnificent heritage Which the felicitous heroism gave us.: It was given to us from our Fathers’ hands, Let no one take it from us now, Nor any daring fool wish to excite Our vengeful anger against himself. Chorus V May no one, oh Fatherland, try it. The shadows of Your glorious heroes watch us, And the valor and pride that they inspire Are omens of victories for you. Come lead and the striking iron, That the idea of war and revenge Wakes the heroic strength That made the fierce Spanish succumb. Chorus VI And if new chains are prepared by The barbaric injustice of fate, Great Pichincha! May you prevent the death Of the country and their children in the end; Sink to the deep point in your gut All that exists on your soil. Let the tyrant Tread only ashes and in vain Look for any trace of being beside you. Chorus |
Works
| Year of Publication | Literary work | |
|---|---|---|
| 1857 | Fantasías | |
| 1857 | Afectos íntimos | |
| 1858 | Melodías indígenas | read it for free here. |
| 1858 | Poesías | read it for free here. |
| 1861 | La virgen del sol | read it for free here. |
| 1865 | Himno Nacional del Ecuador | |
| 1868 | Ojeada histórico-crítica sobre la poesía ecuatoriana | read it for free here. |
| 1872 | Los novios de una aldea ecuatoriana | |
| 1875 | Mazorra | |
| 1876 | El héroe mártir: canto a la memoria de García Moreno [Folleto] | read it for free here. |
| 1879 | Cumandá o un drama entre salvajes | read it for free here. |
| 1883 | Los últimos momentos de Bolívar | |
| 1884 | La dictadura y la restauración de la República del Ecuador | read it for free here. |
| 1886 | La Estatua de Sucre ( Folleto) | read it for free here. |
| 1886 | Los inocentes de Ambato (Folleto) | read it for free here. |
| 1887 | Lira ecuatoriana | |
| 1889 | Entre dos tías y un tío | |
| 1890 | Porqué soy cristiano | read it for free here. |
| 1892 | Antología ecuatoriana: cantares del pueblo | read it for free here. |
| 1903 | Tijeretazos y plumadas | read it for free here. |
| 1904 | García Moreno | |
| 1888 | Réplica a Don Manuel Llorente Vázquez | read it for free here. |
| 1908 | La escuela doméstica : artículos publicados en El Fénix | read it for free here. |
| 1909 | Novelitas ecuatorianas | read it for free here. |