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September 19, 2022
, 9:51 am

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2022, THE YEAR OF THE ANNIVERSARY

Last year marked the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the publication of the first part of Martín Fierro. This work is made up of two parts: El Gaucho Martín Fierro (1872), known as La Ida (The Departure), and La Vuelta de Martín Fierro (1879) , known as La Vuelta (The Return). Since then, it has been uninterruptedly republished and has been translated into more than seventy languages. Many books and articles have also been written that analyze it from different perspectives, being their authors both Argentine and foreign. The Martin Fierro is widely considered the most representative work of gaucho literature and even of Argentina. The importance of this poem is such that November 10, the day of the birth of its author, José Hernández, was officially declared as the Day of Tradition in Argentina.

THE LANGUAGE OF MARTIN FIERRO AND THE REASONS FOR THE ADAPTATION

The prestige of Martín Fierro has been growing over time. However, it was written in a language that is largely incomprehensible to the 21th century reader and very few today would be able to savor its message by reading the original text. That is why I have decided to present (along with the original text) a version adapted into modern Spanish, in prose, and annotated, to make this work available to everyone and that each reader, Argentine or foreign, might acess clearly and easily to the message that Hernández wanted to start transmitting one hundred and fifty years ago.

THIS WEB SITE

The goal of this website is to begin to bring the reader closer to this new modern adaptation of Martín Fierro, through a selection of verses and general reflections on this work.

THE PROBLEM WITH RACISM IN MARTÍN FIERRO

José Hernández was a son of his time. Although he tried to defend the figure of the persecuted gaucho, unfortunately he ignored the injustices committed against other social groups, such as Afro-descendants, immigrants and native peoples. Among other things, the work seeks to justify the Conquest of the Desert (1878-1885), the terrible campaign against the native peoples in which so many lives were exterminated. At first I wanted to remove these passages from this edition, but finally I decided to keep them because to remove them would be like denying that these prejudices once existed and would give readers an incomplete view of the work. Of course, I am totally against all kinds of discrimination on racial, religious, ethnic, sexual or any other grounds.

WHO AM I?

I use the pen-name Aníbal Benízkor. I am a ghost writer and translator who prefers to be known for his work rather than his person, which is why I have chosen to remain anonymous. I hope you enjoy this website and the book too!