Álvaro Peña

“To whom do these Olive Trees belong?”

2014

Side of Calle San Isidro Labrador

The olive tree inspired the beautiful poems of Miguel Hernández and is present in some of his most popular compositions. In this mural, a leafy and centenarian olive tree of “happy sadness” represents nature and everything Mediterranean, work and freedom, accompanied by verses of the poet in the poem Olive pickers.

Andalusians of Jaén,
proud olive pickers,
tell me from your soul: who,
who raised up the olive trees?

They were not raised up by nothing,
nor by money, nor by the master,
but by the silent earth,
by work and by sweat.

Together with pure water
and together with the planets,
these three gave beauty
to the twisted trunks.

Rise up, silver haired olive tree,
they said at the foot of the wind.
And the olive tree raised
a powerful hand as its foundation.