— Patriotic Scholars
We till the most fertile soil with roaring tractors,
Sail around the waters and trawl all their favors,
Extend busy railways, mobilize, and advance,
Unearth relics – bethink ourselves of existence,
Yet we still creep behind or lost the race, perchance.
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.