The first thing that I noticed when reading Humberto Ak’abal’s Here Was Paradise, was that the title was written in both Spanish and English. This use of Spanish and English with additions of K’iche’ Mayan made me realize that using multiple languages can make describing themes and experiences more easy and enriching for readers and learners. For example in the poem The Air, El Aire both the English and Spanish versions begin with a description of the actions of air, and the performances of air, but while the first line of the second stanza of the English version appears disconnected to the last line of the first stanza, this is not the case in the Spanish version. In the Spanish version of The Air, the noun “vueltas” ,which is the last word of the first stanza, is directly connected to the first word of the second line of the second stanza “vuela” which is a verb, so while the English version seems disconnected, this is not the case in the Spanish version which flows quite wonderfully, with its connection of “vuela” and “vuelta”.

I find Ak’abals inclusion of K’iche’ words within his poems act as a pause or point of attention, that do not act as distractors, but rather they act as the head of the overarching poem, with the English and Spanish being simply complements to the K’iche’. This relationship between the Spanish and English and the K’iche’, directly reflects the ongoing relationship between the Mayan and indigenous communities of Guatemala and the Mixed and European community. In the second portion of his book, Humberto Ak’abal ties the themes of agrarian and rural paradise where Mayan culture and traditions flourish, with the sickness and poison of the urban and Ladino areas of Guatemala. While in reference to the countryside, Ak’abal uses words like “dreaming” and “laughter” as descriptors, in his poems about urban settings, he uses words such as “poverty” and “injustice”. By using these words with contrasting themes and symbolisms, Ak’abal gives a clear explanation of the economic and cultural disparities which exist in Guatemalan society as a result of colonialism and racial prejudice.

Humberto Ak’abal’s poems use language to reflect the lived experiences of the K’iche’ community and through the use of poetic styles and structures to contrast and celebrate K’iche’ Mayan traditions with Western and non-indigenous cultures. As a question for discussion, why do you think that Ak’abal uses descriptions of animals and elements such as Earth and Air when describing the consumption and cultivation of maize?