Balgarianovinite.com Just two years after Stoyan Mihaylovski’s “Draft for a Bulgarian All-School Hymn” was published in a literary journal and seven years before Panayot Pipkov’s tune made the song a national icon, another school hymn, written in English by a Bulgarian who was Mihaylovski’s namesake, made waves across the Atlantic.
Stoyan K. Vatralsky, born in Vakarel near Sofia in 1860 to a poor shepherd’s family, excelled at the Protestant missionaries-run American Collegiate Institute in Samokov (Southwestern Bulgaria) and was sent to the US to continue his studies in 1884. He enrolled at Harvard University in 1892 and completed his Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) course in 1894 as the first Bulgarian Harvard graduate. Vatralsky entered a blind, anonymous open competition for a baccalaureate hymn for the Senior Class of 1894, signing his submission by the name of his favourite poet, Alexander Pope. Much to everybody’s surprise, the entry by the student from the obscure Balkan country won against 560 fellow graduates – all native English speakers. Accordingly, the hymn was performed by a 400-student choir during the Baccalaureate Services held at Appleton Chapel on June 18, 1894.
Beyond writing the hymn, Vatralsky was a prominent student figure, serving in the Harvard Union debating society and competing for the prestigious Boylston Prize for declamation.
Here is the original English text of the 1894 baccalaureate hymn, which the author later on translated into Bulgarian:
О Thou in whom we live and moveAnd have our being day by day,Send forth Thy wisdom from aboveTo lead our steps and light our way.
Let Faith add depth to all we know,Let Hope inspire and make us strong,And Love, fulfilment of Thy law,Exalt our souls past self and wrong.
Lo, Mammon leads the powers of nightAnd reigns supreme, while souls decay:Espouse we, then, our brother’s rightAnd, strong in manhood, serve our day.
With open brows press to the van,Erect before the worlds and Thee;Thus stand for Virtue, Truth and Man,And live Thy truth that makes man free.
O Lord of life, of wisdom source,Guide this new life to-day begunThat, when each ends his fruitful course,Both men and angels cry, Well done.
The Boston Globe reported on June 18, 1894:
“Harvard seniors participated in the first of the commencement exercises yesterday, when they gathered in Appleton chapel to listen to the baccalaureate sermon by Bishop William Lawrence.
“Shortly before 4 o’clock, the members of 94, clad in somber cap and gown, came together beneath the shade of the trees in front of Holworthy, and there the procession was formed.
“Headed by the class day officers the class wound its way through the yard to Appleton chapel, where the galleries had already been filled by friends of the seniors.
“The services were conducted by Rev. Francis G. Peabody. At the close the congregation joined in singing the baccalaureate hymn, composed by Stoyan K. Vatralsky.”
According to unverified Bulgarian publications, Vatralsky’s hymn is still sung at Harvard graduations. 1894: School Hymn Written by Bulgarian Sung at Harvard 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-06-20 14:58:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law