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Children

Adiós ríos, adiós fontes

By Rosalía de Castro, Rodrigo Chao Blanco (ilustrador)

About this book

Rosalía de Castro (1837-1885) was the founding figure of the Galician Rennaissence and is considered the most important Spanish poet of the second half of the 19th century, both in Galician and in Spanish.

“Adiós ríos, adiós fontes” belongs to the book Cantares Gallegos, published on May 17th, 1863. The publication of this book was so relevant that the date is now celebrated as the Day of Galician Literature, a day when a writer's life and work is celebrated. This is most likely the best known poem by Rosalía de Castro, a poem many times used as lyrics for songs, which deals with the pain of immigration, leaving your own country behind, and it is at the same time a piece of social criticism.

Illustrator Rodrigo Chao recreates it in this publication with two possible versions of the same on each page, the version by the author in her time, drawn in black and white, and on the opposite page the illustration of the present, in full colour and with a combination of different painting techniques.

With the illustrated recreation of this poem, we try to inspire the creativity and imagination of young readers and at the same time have a new interpretation of the work of our most universal poet.

Book fragment

Farewell to rivers, farewell to fountains; farewell to creeks; farewell view that I have seen who knows when we shall again meet.

My land, my land, land where I was born garden I tendered fig-trees I have sown.

(…)

blackberries from the bush I always gave you my love, paths amongst maize farewell, farewell, I am gone!

Farewell to happiness, farewell to joy! I leave the house where I was born the village I am so fond of for a life in the unknown!

I leave friends behind to meet strangers, I leave the country for the sea, I leave, alas, all I love Who could stay instead of leave!

But I am poor, unlucky me! my land is not my own, because even the path I tread upon has to be borrowed by those who live in misery.

I have, thus, to leave you, garden I loved so much, fire in my hearth, trees I have planted fountain for the horses to drink.

Farewell, farewell, I am gone grass in the cemetery where my father rests for so long, grass I cried over so much land that let you grow.

(…)

From afar I hear the bells of O Pomar for me, poor soul, the bells will never chime.

From afar, further away I hear... each chime breaks my heart; I leave alone, nobody is with me... Farewell my land, goodbye!

Farewell, my dear! Farewell maybe I won't be back I say farewell in tears from the seashore I am going far.

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