1912-1936 Celanova

1912-1936 1936-1940 1940-1950 1950-1966 1966-1973 1973-1979

THE TRAINING

Celanova ten un vento,
Celanova un vento ten,
un vento peleriñante,
un vento que vai e ven.

Celso Emilio was born on January 4, 1912 in Celanova, a village that was an axial element in his literary production. The long periods he spends in Acebedo del Río, in a magnificent family home that had a traditional tannery and many lands, will also mark his memory of the childhood, with the progressive and “galleguista” environment that will encourage him in his early years, due to his father had belonged to the Irmandades da Fala.

He studies primary education with Escolapios in Celanova and inmediatly assumes two elements which mark his character: writing and ideological and political commitment. He begins to mix himself with “galleguistas” nationalists of Ourense: Risco, Otero … and in parallel he begins with his early political activities in Celanova,and founds, with Xosé Velo Mosquera, Mocedades Galleguistas del distrito de Celanova. He will be secretary of organization of the set of the the Federation de las Mocedades and will direct the Guía. Outavoz patriótico da F.M.G.
Some of his political texts involve him in a judicial process that ultimately will be ineffective. For a short time, he serves as nacionalist councilman in municipal corporation of Celanova.

He also singns his firsts poems in Heraldo de Galicia and conceives, with Xosé Velo, Cartafol de Poesía, some poems that they sent from Celanova to people who were interested in poetry.

Modestia fora

Nacín (modestia fora)
nun lugar onde o mundo
se chama Celanova.

Moitas vegadas
a miña nai contóumo.
O día que ti naciche
houbo estranas sinales no ceo.
Outo era entón o vento de xaneiro,
as pombas do solpor tornaban lentas
na serán sosegada.
Arpas invisíbeles,
penduradas das torres centinelas,
mentían un rumor de frautas doces.
Cando chegóu a noite envolta en nardos
coutóu a derradeira luz do día
que aguniaba alá lonxe
como brasa mortiza dun rescaldo.

(Como brasa mortiza
ten sido a miña vida,

como brasa mortiza dun rescaldo.
Por eso vivo coa angueira
de non saber si son lume
ou si son somente fume
dunha remota fogueira.)

Alma da terra

Lonxana Celanova vinculeira,
torre ebúrnea da miña mocedade,
cando te lembro sai da súa toqueira
coma un furón de soños, a saudade.

Unha chuvia monótona e tristeira
cai decote na miña intimidade,
e sinto que unha sombra silandeira,
coma un solpor o meu esprito invade.

Quero voltar a ti, nai garimosa,
colo natal, arxila rumorosa,
pra acalar esta anguria que me berra

dende o fondo da noite estrelecida,
pedindo amor, pregando fe de vida
pra ser eternamente alma da terra.