Marrano Sparrow

Abstract

The poem "Pardal Marrano" / "Marrano Sparrow" portrays the journey of an individual searching for a home and identity after being persecuted by the Inquisition. Through the metaphor of the sparrow, the lyrical voice expresses the feeling of exile, imposed silence, and the loss of roots. Religious oppression and violence are evoked with images of crosses, flames, and ashes, alluding to the persecution of Sephardic Jews forcibly converted to Christianity. Between the weight of history and the uncertainty of the future, the poem reflects on the pain of exile, the loss of identity, and the struggle to exist despite erasure.