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)

__________________ 

Also read: The Village – Poetry from Vietnam

The post Love songs from the land of Longans – Poetry from Vietnam first appeared on Sindh Courier.