Guevera is generally credited with coining the slogan that inspired the Revolution and remains one of the most oft-quoted phrases in modern history: "Hasta La Victoria Siempre." It stirred the rebels 60 years ago, and continues to urge modern Cubans to embrace the ideals of that Revolution from a distant age.
Any translation of a popular and significant phrase from a foreign language into English poses problems, but this simple phrase carries some interesting baggage with it. Loosely and literally translated, it means "until the victory, always." That's a bit awkward, but the best translation I've seen is this one: "onward to victory, always". Somehow, that sounds a bit more inspirational. It's certainly meant to be an exhortation for believers to work relentlessly to the final victory, which, when you think about it, is a necessity when participating in a revolution. Should the revolution fail, should it not accomplish its goals, then those who espouse the revolution would undoubtedly face terrible reprisals from the other side, even possible death. As Benjamin Franklin once famously declared during the doubt riddled American Revolution in the 1770's, "gentlemen, we must hang together, for if we fail, we shall surely hang separately."
For me, however, the Cuban phrase contains a uniquely human and tragically heroic quality. If the phrase is to be believed, a follower of the revolution must be always striving to achieve the victory that is necessary. Since the word "siempre" or "always" is included, it is implied that the struggle is eternal and that the victory will perpetually be out of reach, never attainable. Like some Cuban Sisyphus, the revolutionaries are condemned to be constantly fighting for this ideal, always getting close, but never quite getting there, struggling to move the revolutionary boulder up the slope almost to the top … only to see it roll back down to the bottom, whereupon they must trudge down, roll up their sleeves and try mightily once again to strive to the top … only to repeat the process into eternity.
Che, if he coined the phrase, was absolutely dead-on in his exhortation for Cuba. He must've known the awesome obstacles that the new-born Revolution would face in the years ahead, particularly when the United States chose to pay attention to the events of the Revolution and become involved. The victory at Santa Clara marked an end to the immediate struggle, to be sure. But Che must've known that the Americans would do everything in their immense power to try to sabotage the Revolution. He was right. And so, Cuban history from the end of 1958 to the present day has been that of constant struggle, strain, defeats, hardships and even misery. There have been victories too, but an honest Cuban would say that the three generations since the days of Fidel, Raul, Che, and Camilo have been tested in the crucible of suffering.
In may ways, though, the Cuban struggle is an acute example of the broader human struggle. We all are striving to some goal, some ideal: it may be a personal goal, as in the attainment of personal happiness or fulfillment, or a collective one, as in national greatness or general survival. It has always been thus and it will always continue to be so.
We are a strange species. We have the same physical needs as other animals. We are born, we need basic things to grow, we mature, we fight and clash with others, we dominate and then we decline, grow weak and die. For what ? What do we gain from this ? Simple survival of the species ?
Our history would suggest that there is more. We do more than basic survival. We create. We illuminate. We feel compassion. We achieve almost godly things. We strive for greatness, and sometimes we actually get there. But when we get the boulder to the top, we look over and see another mountain slope, with another boulder to push to the top. And we go. And we push that boulder. Why?
Because there is always the victory, waiting for us, beckoning us onward, always, inexorably onwards to gain it.
What else can we do ? Hasta la Victoria siempre !
