Publio Antonio Falconí Pazmiño (Chone, January 21, 1906 – Guayaquil, July 1991) was an Ecuadorian poet, journalist, educator, and public servant. A member of the influential “Generación Literaria Argos,” he contributed significantly to the cultural and literary renaissance of Portoviejo in the 1920s. Known for his journalistic work with El Universo and Diario Manabita, where he wrote under the pseudonym “Alpas,” he also authored two unpublished poetry collections, El cántaro roto and La ruta azul. His lyrics for the pasillo “Al morir de las tardes” remain a hallmark of Ecuadorian music. Beyond literature, he served as a professor, rector, municipal leader, and advocate for retirees, earning national and international recognition for his contributions to culture, education, and public service.
Early Life and Education
Publio Antonio Falconí Pazmiño was born on January 21, 1906, in Chone, Manabí, Ecuador, to Miguel Falconí Estrada and Luz María Pazmiño. Raised in a large family, he completed his primary education in Chone and Portoviejo before attending secondary school at Colegio Olmedo in Portoviejo. In 1923, he moved to Guayaquil to study Medicine and Law at the University of Guayaquil, but his studies were interrupted in 1931 due to the death of his father. Despite not completing his degrees, Falconí’s intellectual pursuits laid the foundation for his future contributions to Ecuadorian culture and society.
Literary Career
Publio A. Falconí was a central figure in the “Generación Literaria Argos,” a literary and cultural movement that emerged in Portoviejo during the 1920s. The group played a key role in Manabí’s cultural renaissance, contributing to the province’s artistic and intellectual growth. The Argos generation included notable figures such as: Horacio Hidrovo Velázquez, Vicente Amador Flor, Jorge Cevallos Calero, Bolívar Ávila Cedeño, and Coronel José Antonio Gómez González who was the leader of the group.
Together, these individuals elevated Manabí’s cultural scene, and Falconí contributed significantly through his poetry and writings. His works often appeared in anthologies such as Poetas manabitas cantan a la patria and Cantos a Guayaquil, and his unpublished poetry collections, El cántaro roto and La ruta azul, reflect his dedication to Ecuadorian literature.
Falconí also wrote the lyrics to the famous pasillo “Al morir de las tardes,” set to music by José Ignacio Canelos, which remains a hallmark of Ecuadorian music. As a journalist, he worked for El Universo and co-founded Diario Manabita, where he wrote under the pseudonym “Alpas.”
Professional Career
Beyond literature, Falconí Pazmiño was a committed educator and public servant. He taught literature and geography at Colegio Olmedo in Portoviejo and Colegio Vicente Rocafuerte in Guayaquil, serving as vice-rector and rector in these institutions. His leadership roles extended to:
- Secretary of the Governorship of Manabí.
- President of the National Sports Federation and the Manabí Sports Federation.
- Founder of the Consortium of Municipalities of Manabí.
- Administrator of the Luis Vernaza Hospital in Guayaquil.
Falconí was also a tireless advocate for social welfare, playing a pivotal role in founding the Association of Retirees of Guayas and later presiding over the Confederation of Retirees of Ecuador. His contributions reflected his deep commitment to improving the lives of his fellow citizens.
Awards and Recognitions
Throughout his life, Publio Falconí Pazmiño received numerous accolades, including honors from:
- The Ecuadorian Government.
- The National Congress.
- The Municipality of Guayaquil.
- The Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana.
He also represented Ecuador at various international forums and conferences, solidifying his reputation as a cultural ambassador. In his honor, a retiree association in Guayas Province bears his name, commemorating his dedication to social advocacy.
Death and Legacy
Publio A. Falconí passed away in July 1991 in Guayaquil. His legacy endures through his contributions to Manabí’s cultural renaissance and his tireless efforts as an educator, public servant, and poet. A pivotal member of the Argos generation, his work continues to inspire and reflect the artistic and intellectual richness of Ecuadorian culture.
Poem by Publio A. Falconí
Translated by Richard Gabela on November 17, 2024.
IN PRAISE OF THE MONTUVIO
For Carlos Sabat Ercasty, representative of modern Uruguayan lyric poetry.
Montuvio:
vital man of the Tropics,
you are not of this moment,
for your roots delve into ancient bloodlines,
forged deeply in a fold of centuries.
You are the heir of ancestors,
bearing within you
the spirit that ignites the slate of our coasts
and the virgin perfumes of tangled jungles.
I see you, Man:
there is in you a rare strangeness,
a power that shows you as the sturdy trunk
beside the branch that proudly rises at your side.
Free upon the mountain,
you are the boldest conqueror of your realms,
where no one dares claim your plains,
nor the intricate weave of your forests.
There, your colts thunder, leaping crags,
while water threads wind through the meadows.
Montuvio:
man of the Tropics,
I have seen you gallop on the steed of your impulses,
splintering the dawn’s rosette with your courage,
then gifting it to your hungry fields,
as birds erupt in the chorus of morning trills.
Montuvio:
fruit ripened
on the leafy tree of bronzed suns,
you taste of the earth,
and your flesh bursts with generous seeds.
Flushed with harvests
and rich in fleeting adventures,
sometimes you are mystic, a shadowed enigma,
or joyous, like the laughter of a mulatto.
A clear, crystalline air
fills your powerful lungs,
fueling your innocent deliriums,
while—rider of your ancestral longings—
your blood bursts in fiery wanderings.
Your eyes hold a vivid clarity,
hungry for simple colors,
for you are the epitome of vital energy,
making the earth swell with fierce abundance,
stirred by the restless press of your heel.
When the pendulums of tedium
sway among twilight peaks,
I have seen you stride beside young women,
playful as they carry water jars,
gathering the final spirit of the waters.
And when night drapes its gentle canopy
over the fervor of the fields,
the moon explodes in your copper stirrups,
while distant meadows echo with litanies—
in the souls, in the things,
and in the quiet of the roads.
Portoviejo, Ecuador
Original Spanish version was published in Revista America, issue 051, 1932.
ELOGIO DEL MONTUVIO
A Carlos Sabat Ercasty, representante de la lírica moderna uruguaya.
Montuvio:
hombre jugoso de nuestro Trópico,
tú no eres de ahora
porque tu origen clavó sus raíces en remota procedencia
y se conquistó profundamente en un recodo de los siglos.
Tú vienes del ancestro,
por eso encierras en sí mismo
el espíritu que inflama la pizarra de nuestras costas
y las vírgenes fragancias de las selvas intrincadas.
Te veo Hombre:
hay en ti no sé qué aspecto de rareza singular,
que te presento ya el robusto tronco
a la rama que, altiva, se yergue a su costado.
Abierto en la montaña
eres el más grande conquistador de tus dominios,
sin que nadie ose el derecho de tus llanos
ni la red intrincada de tus árboles:
allí galopan en tus potros que saltan por los riscos
mientras el hilo de agua serpentea por los prados.
Montuvio:
hombre de nuestro Trópico,
yo te he visto a galope en el corcel de tus ímpetus
tronchar con tu coraje el rosetón del alba
y entregarlo, después, a la codicia de tus campos
cuando los pájaros revientan sus trinos mañaneros.
Montuvio:
fruto que has madurado
en el árbol frondoso de los soles morenos,
por eso hay en ti como un sabor a tierra
y tu carne revienta en semillas generosas…
Alborotado de mieses
y rico de aventuras fugitivas,
a veces me pareces místico como una sombra
o alegre como la risa del mulato.
Un aire límpido de cristales
ha llenado plenamente tus pulmones pletóricos
que habrán de empeñarlo tus delirios ingenuos,
mientras—jinete de tus ansias ancestrales—
reventará tu sangre en coléricas andanzas.
Hay una viveza de imagen
en tu retina ávida de cromos sencillos,
porque eres la apoteosis de la energía vital
y haces que la tierra se cuaje en más turgencias
con la inquietud de tu talón de macho.
Cuando los péndulos del fastidio
oscilan entre los vértices crepusculares,
yo te he visto venir junto al costado de las mozas
que llegan retozonas con sus cántaros
de recoger la emoción última de las aguas.
Y cuando la noche clava las toldas de la mansedumbre
sobre el fervor de los campos,
la luna revienta en tus estribos de cobre
mientras se oyen letanías en los prados más distantes,
en las almas, en las cosas
y en la paz de los caminos…
Portoviejo, Ecuador.
References
- El Universo. Un siglo del nacimiento de Publio A. Falconí Pazmiño. Retrieved on November 16, 2024. Click to view.
- Prolipa. Pasillos y pasilleros del Ecuador: breve antología y diccionario. Retrieved on November 16, 2024. Click to view.
- El Diario. Hitos culturales de Manabí I. Retrieved on November 16, 2024. Click to view.
- Revista América. Elogio del Montuvio. Publio A. Falconí. Retrieved on November 17, 2024. Click to view.