Lines by José Martí
José Martí
Cuban poet, journalist and independence leader · 1853–1895
José Martí wrote poems and essays in exile and organised the movement for Cuban independence. His Versos sencillos, simple verses of 1891, are known across the Spanish-speaking world.
I grow a white rose, in July as in January, for the true friend who gives me his open hand.
Cultivo una rosa blanca, / en julio como en enero, / para el amigo sincero / que me da su mano franca.
Versos sencillos, XXXIX
Planet-X translation, 2026 · Source (opens the digitised edition in a new tab)