Si Balagtas at ang Pagsasakatuparan ng “bayang natimaua” ng Rebolusyon ng 1896/ Balagtas and the Imagining of “bayang natimaua” of 1896 Revolution
Kevin P. Armingol
Abstrak
Layunin ng papel na ito na igiit ang ugnayan ng naging popular noong ika-19 na siglong awit na Florante at Laura ng Bulakenyong makatang Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar na nailathala noong 1834, sa pagrerebolusyon ng mga Pilipino noong 1896. Sa pamamagitan ng tekstuwal na pagsusuri, gagamitin ang mga piling dokumento ng Katipunan at ang kalakhang artikulong nalathala sa Kalayaan – ang una’t huling pahayagan ng Katipunan – na sinasabing nakaimpluwensiya sa pagmumulat at pagpapakilos ng humigit-kumulang 30,000 Pilipino sa gabi ng himagsikan. Mula rito, primaryang susuriin ang kahulugan at konteksto ng salitang “bayan” na ginamit sa buong awit at ang relasyon nito sa pahayagang Kalayaan at mga kaugnay na dokumento. Nais patunayan ng pag-aaral na ang “bayan” na tinutukoy sa piling mga dokumento ng Katipunan ay siyang bayan na hinalaw sa Florante at Laura. Sa madaling sabi, naniniwala ang pag-aaral na taglay ng Florante at Laura ang tumitindi at sumisidhing kolektibong lunggati at diwang makabayan ng mga Pilipino laban sa Kolonyalismong Espanyol na siyang nagsilbing inspirasyon ng mga Katipunero sa Rebolusyon ng 1896. Bukod sa awit na Florante at Laura, ang librong Light of Liberty Documents and Studies on the Katipunan, 1892-1897 ni Jim Richarson (2013) ay magsisilbing primaryang batis ng pag-aaral. Panghuli, hangad ng pag-aaral na ito na maiposisyon at higit na mabigyang-diin si Balagtas hindi lamang bilang hiyas ng Panulaang Tagalog kundi maging kabilang sa prominente at mahalagang indibidwal sa Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas.
Mga Susing Salita: Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar, Florante at Laura, bayan, pahayagang Kalayaan, Katipunan, awit
This paper aims to assert the connection between 19th century awit/poem Florante at Laura by the Bulacan poet Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar published in 1834, in relation to the revolt of the masses of 1896, by using textual analysis on the selected documents of the Katipunan and most of the articles published in Kalayaan – the first and last organ of Katipunan – that was believed to have influenced in awakening and mobilizing 30,000 Filipinos on the eve of the revolution. From this, analysis will be primarily focused on the meaning and context of the word “bayan” that was used from the whole awit and its relation to Kalayaan and other related documents. The study wants to prove that the “bayan” referred in selected documents in Katipunan is the “bayan” from the awit Florante at Laura. Hence, the study believes that Florante at Laura carries the collective aspirations and nationalist spirit of the Filipino people that serve as inspiration for Katipuneros in waging the Revolution 1896 against Spanish colonialism. Aside from this work, Florante at Laura, Jim Richardson’s Light of Liberty Documents and Studies on the Katipunan, 1892-1897 (2013) will serve as one of the primary sources of this study. Lastly, the study wants to give more emphasis on the nationalist role of Balagtas and positions him in the political space, not just only as the gem of Tagalog poetry, but as one of the prominent and significant individuals of Philippine history.
Keywords: Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar, Florante at Laura, bayan, Kalayaan newspaper, Katipunan, awit