My homeland connects with rivers, dark red alluvium deposits in the delta
Van Dien, an eminent poet from Vietnam, the Land of Blue Dragon, shares his poems
Born in 1958 at his hometown Hung Yen, Vietnam, poet Van Dien is the member of Vietnamese Writers’ Association, Member of Hung Yen Literature and Arts Association and Deputy Director of Vietnamese Literary Copyright Center. He is author of 3 poetry collections.
LOVE SONGS FROM THE LAND OF LONGANS
My homeland connects with rivers
Dark red alluvium deposits in the delta
Green vitality hidden in the sediment
The larks hover with the nostalgia of my childhood
My homeland with inspirational legends
The poor boy buries himself in his heart sand
The princess tearfully weaves immortality
For love to find her in the following thousand years
The trace of reeds is imprinted on my homeland
The cradle of talented writers and generals
Does the alluvium create the legends?
Sacred soul of the heroic land in the spring
My homeland, its resplendent name “Phố Hiến”
“Vạn Lai Triều”, a marketplace with Kinh Kỳ
Xích Đằng Temple of Literature – Nguyệt Lake’s coteries of writers
Flying storks singing poetic songs
My homeland since you left
Above the tiled roof, urbanization and tall buildings
Many factories next to flowery rice fields
Drifting the rich scents of lotus and longans in spring
Tomorrow you come back to my homeland of light
Like a tree accumulates resin in winter… changing
Sunshine at dawn of peace and prosperity
Holding hands we live in happiness and wealth
***
THE LEGENDARY SONG OF HƯNG YÊN
Walking in spring square
Crystal blue sky with strong winds
In the vast alluvial Northern region
Many rivers meet at the mouth of the sea
To create prosperous Phố Hiến
Proudly gathered from all four directions
Heroic songs – Eternal academics
Natural places with trace of timeless love
Đa Hòa echoing its songs forever
“Cửa Ngọc – Tòa Vàng” with hundreds of monuments
Flowing down the stream of quintessential arts
Oh my legendary Hưng Yên
Full of lotus fragrance and sweet logans from home
Making progress every day
This country gives wings to our distant dreams
Our homeland is waiting for us with open arms…
***
SPRING IN PHỐ HIẾN
Spring sunlight is like a golden silk strip
Shining through the gaps in delightful leaves on a green day
The sounds of birds picking up sunshine from the branches
Calling the dreamy wind and blue sky
The silhouette of someone from a long time ago
Still that pair of eyes brightened by the spring hue
Willows hesitantly falling on Nguyệt Lake
A school of fish splashing on the water surface
The golden sunlight is like a strip of silk
The dikes of Phố Hiến calls for spring.
***
MY BELOVED CITY HƯNG YÊN
I love my hometown city
Hưng Yên, a land of alluvial soil
Buttery lotus seeds and sweet longans deeply imprinted
Countryside gifts lingering gently for a thousand year
The ancient Temple of Literature along the dike
The land of studying and a hundred ways of trade
Quiet temple filled with incense
Beautiful green streets, flying stork wings carrying love
Nguyệt Lake waves with poetry
Flowery path reveals the moon and stars
The bridge in a deposit of folk
Phố Hiến’s deep notes resound from time to time
Festival colors along the river
The joyful folk singing alongside drums fills up the sky
I love my hometown city
Tomorrow Hưng Yên will gain a reputation from afar.
***
SONG OF YOUR HOMETOWN
I came to your hometown
On the banks of the Cái River
The green dike stretches away
Forever embracing the warm soul of the countryside
An alluvial land
Smooth young corns’ slopes
Golden rice fields laden with spikelets
A herd of chubby cows walk freely
Fluttering drongo birds
A picture of the peaceful countryside
A vestigial countryside
Of Lạc’s children and Hồng’s grandchildren
Come here to build up a new realm
Bronze drums and ancient boats
Under the ground of Nguyễn Village
The sacred soul resonates endlessly
Your homeland is “Vàng Cave”
Is “The pearly land of elegant people”
Is faithfulness
“The people of gratitude”, Nghĩa Dân
A glass of strong wine from Trương Xá
Drunk with love for the homeland
The land you love
Through many storms and floods
Still peaceful
Many months and days of war
Still keeps it green forever
The song of heroic land
Kim Động, your hometown
Spring festival opening day
Building a modern countryside
Your beautiful and prosperous homeland.
My dear!
(Translated into English by Tran Quynh Hoa)
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