Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Finding Vietnamese poetry
The last few weeks visiting Lang Hoa Binh have been a revelation. We've been blessed with the volunteer efforts of Toan, a young man who is studying at the university. He has an excellent voice and has been teaching the children various folk songs. Lucky for me, he also speaks English and has been able to translate these songs.
One of my favorites is "The white storks."
The white storks fly
across green rice fields
the white storks circle
above the houses
Yeah
The white storks bring happiness
to those who work on the farm
the white storks are farmers
who work hard all their lives
and still face hardship
Toan translated Yeu, a word that means love, as work in this poem. Thus work becomes love. What you work for is what you love.
Vietnamese poetry and song glorifies work the same way we glorify love. And this is fitting in a country where many women still tote terrific loads on poles across their shoulders. I couldn't believe it, the other day I saw a guy catch two bricks in the crook of his arm, like he was catching a couple of cans of soda.
Here is another poem/song in the same vein, an ode to the sun.
"When the sun rises"
Because of the sun
my homeland has a source of light
because of the sun
the trees are green
and the rice plants grow well
because of the sun
many children can happily sing in the rice fields
because of the sun
many farmers can work conscientiously on the farm
because of the sun
the farmers still work hard
despite difficulties
Finally there is this song, which is so rhythmic I came close to learning it in Vietnamese in one lesson.
"Oh my homeland"
the sun rises
three legged stove burns
sea of rice,
tide of grass,
bamboo forest sings lullabies
white storks fly
wind blows the kite
Welcome full Moon!
oh, my homeland
One of my favorites is "The white storks."
The white storks fly
across green rice fields
the white storks circle
above the houses
Yeah
The white storks bring happiness
to those who work on the farm
the white storks are farmers
who work hard all their lives
and still face hardship
Toan translated Yeu, a word that means love, as work in this poem. Thus work becomes love. What you work for is what you love.
Vietnamese poetry and song glorifies work the same way we glorify love. And this is fitting in a country where many women still tote terrific loads on poles across their shoulders. I couldn't believe it, the other day I saw a guy catch two bricks in the crook of his arm, like he was catching a couple of cans of soda.
Here is another poem/song in the same vein, an ode to the sun.
"When the sun rises"
Because of the sun
my homeland has a source of light
because of the sun
the trees are green
and the rice plants grow well
because of the sun
many children can happily sing in the rice fields
because of the sun
many farmers can work conscientiously on the farm
because of the sun
the farmers still work hard
despite difficulties
Finally there is this song, which is so rhythmic I came close to learning it in Vietnamese in one lesson.
"Oh my homeland"
the sun rises
three legged stove burns
sea of rice,
tide of grass,
bamboo forest sings lullabies
white storks fly
wind blows the kite
Welcome full Moon!
oh, my homeland
Labels: literature, music, poetry, Viet Nam
