Patriotic Scholars: A Poem About Filipino Language

We harbor resilient hearts and rear brilliant minds,

Send our scholars afar, walk their desserts and grounds,

Explore expansive halls, and read their bulky prints,

Unassailable claims, and sensible viewpoints,

Yet surrender our rhymes apace with bashful slants.

Soon, we consume the superior western knowledge,

Replicate their works, and approve the new language,

The language of research, the language of reasons,

And laud learned scholars, set apart from the commons,

Fort built and barriers, and linguistic restrictions.

Soon, the specialists survey the promising land,

Reflect, and make applied studies really abound;

The farmers read not, the fishermen still earn less,

And the knowledge remains far beyond their access,

For without a shared language, this but seems hopeless.

We dwell in the shadows of erroneous belief

That Filipino – the language spoken with relief

And structure unspoiled – is but bland and inferior,

Futile, and unfit for scientific endeavor,

While the other stays global and sounds superior.

Under the aegis of its people and scholars

Sharing the same language of scientific vectors,

The nation awakens from its deep-dark slumber

And renews the promises with all its fervor

And Filipino – language of patriotic scholars!

Vocabulary Guide

aegis: (n.) protection or support

apace with: (adv.) alongside, at the same pace with

abound: (v.) to exist in great quantity

bashful slants: (n.) reserved thoughts and viewpoints

erroneous: (adj.), characterized by error, mistaken

fervor: (n.), an intense excitement or enthusiasm

futile: (adj.), having no useful result or effect

perchance: (adv.), maybe, but not definitely

replicate: (v.), to reproduce, to recreate something

slumber: (n) a sleep

trawl: (v.), to catch (fish) with a large net

unassailable: (adj.) not able to be doubted

unearth: (v.) to find something that was buried

unspoiled: (adj.) as good as before, preserved

Marc Kenneth L. Marquez, LPT is the founder and chief publisher of iMillennial Publishers. He is a certified Senior High School teacher, financial literacy advocate, stock market investor, blogger, and Filipino millennial. He composed the poem Patriotic Scholars for a student competition, Pagsasaling Wika, during the 2018 celebration of Buwan ng Wika, with the theme, Wikang Filipino: Wika ng Saliksik.