Poems by Nguyen Kim Tien from Vietnam
Her biography:
Born in 1965 – she lives and works in Thai Hoa Town - NgheAn province; 1st runner-up, elegant ladyship of Vietnam 2022.
Since young age, she was falling in love with beautiful scenery of the homeland, so that was inspired to her naturally for poetry and literature! Her hobbies and passions for singing, writing poetry, charity works for school programs and new rural farming
Her poems:
Immortal souls in peacetime
He died in peacetime
Blood is not shed, but it hurt mother's heart badly
He devoted whole entire youth
Leaving a love song for life.
He left with a longing heart
Who lives and who dies?
The sound of sirens resounded on the ground
The fire burned so fiercely that he could not be still!
Oh, bright and brave heart
Amid fire, he did not discourage
The persistent police soldier
The Party called for, the people in need, he did not care of sacrifice.
It was not a war of conquest
The whole nation rushed into battle
This war, he was gone quickly
Leaving a heroic example to life.
Calling his name pitifully, mother screamed
Let do comrades and neighbors shed tears
He lived and dedicated his life meaningfully
Uncle Ho's descendants, Lac Long*lineage...!
Talking about you with boundless words
Can't describe the feelings of those who are staying
He was gone but his shadow lasts forever
The gentle motherland protects his soul.
Missing his forever, the youth
Going beyond the courage and bravery
He was lovely forever in the police color
Fighting the fire, the country forever memorizes his name!
*Lac Long was a legendary king of Vietnamese history.
🌼
The old longan tree
The longan tree of my house
Father planted long time ago.
Don't know in which year
Nor its age of the tree
Older sister heard from mother
That the tree is older than me
My childhood in thelongan season
The tree was fruit-laden
Father arranged a net to avoid bats
Each bunch full of fruits
Wanted but dare not to pick up
Because if hands touched the fruits
Dad said bats smell
Though lots of desires
Had to swallow and dream
Waited for the fruit to ripen…!
How many seasons bloomed
How many days I remembered
Father's shadow in the sunshine
He was tall and gentle...!
How many seasons did father go?
The longan tree was lonely
My heart was deeply sad
Thelongan tree seemed to be also sad…!
Now the old scene is still here
The longan tree revived strongly
By building a house with good direction
The tree was moved to the other side…!
Now the house was done
The branch is beckoning
Flocks of birds are hovering
Singing and baiting…!
I am looking for father in the wind
The longan tree looks for the sky in the clouds.
Thanks for the gentle tree
Helping me to save memories…!
Looking at the completed beautiful house
Beside the shadow of the old tree
Thought my father is still standing there
Covering my life forever….!!!
🌼
Lagerstroemia speciosa
Dear lagerstroemia speciosa! when did you grow?
In the purple you are so gentle
Deep emotions that captivated my soul.
Oh dear the purple color that I love
With the memory of the land
The first role of Chau –Trong* is hard to forget.
Dear lagerstroemia speciosa! when did you grow
In the morning sunshine, you embrace the passion
Bathing the whole sky embracing the love.
* Legendary characters very famous in Vietnamese history
🌼
Mother and I!
This year's mother is 99 years old
I am 58 spring seasons
Old mother and I am not young
Mother's back bends and slow legs
Eyes cannot see far
Dear sweat mother! I love you so much!
Mother’s life is as hard as a stork life
Diving with the riverbank
Worrying about hungry cubs
Mother forgets the time
Forgeting all her spring ages
Raising children is hard work
Mother has no time to rest
From early mornings to late nights, mother works hard
Running back and forth
Corn, potatoes, cassava are full
Hoping children warm and full
Poor old, ragged mother
Withered the youth
Oh dear mother, bent back
Now more bending…
Mother I love you!
The love can't express by words
This poetry, I write
Filled with choking feeling
I always promise myself
Take care of mother's peace
Paying filial piety to dear mother
For full filial piety!!!
🌼
I love mother so much!
Dear Mother! I love you so much
Your whole life of diligence
Carrying to raise children
In the past, you laid in the wet places
Dry placespreserved for children
Your whole motherhood
Diving in the life of a stork
Alone in deep nights
Worried about little children
Many lonely long nights
Carrying a heavy burden
Seeking for rice, vegetables, solanummacrocarpon
Warming children’s hearts
Whole life worried about success or failure for children
Children were growing up
The school gates welcomed
Older sister went to university
Older brother followed the convoy
The second brother stepped in
The trenches to fight the enemy
Father was in the forestry farm
Living separated from family
Mother was as a stork.
Diving deep to find fish and shrimp
Life is so hard though
Just for children warm and full
Older sister got married
Older brother got to the shore
Mother took care all of each brother
Caring for the older sister
I'm the last one left
Because my fate is not complete
God knows about us
Gathering mother and I
I don't go to far away
Just staying around and taking care of mother!
Old age but like a child
Mother laughs and talks
I compassionate her from early mornings to late nights
All kinds with care
Mother can't walk now
Due to tired legs and faltering knees
I am not feeling strange
Let's try together
Taking care of mother more carefully
Dear mother! Nearly a hundred years old
Try harder for a few years
To get the national award
Mother returns to the mountainous region
I wish every second
Sometimes tomorrow
The old tree has dropped its leaves
The water falls into a puddle
Mother will follow the mist world
I can stay in peace
I will remember this life forever
The gratefulness of raising and nurturing
Mother's love is immense
How can measure enough
Life is the universe
Life is the reincarnation
If mother and I entangle in fates
I hope to see mother again one day!!!
🌼
The two banks of countryside river
Oh my countryside river
The two riverbanks of love and memory
Love river and songs
Longing for country love.
When did the river exist?
Named Hieuriver
It is full of love
Containing alluvial layers.
So many generations of burdens
For extending side, sliding side
In spring flowers bloom
Corn fields with green sunshine.
Around a cope of sky
With the river of motherland
Many silent love words
By the sad times flowing.
The river is still not old
Curving and meandering
Like the age of spring
Carrying love songs.
Dear the Hieuriver
Offering sweet taste
Which water do I drink up?
Sunny noons in the fields.
Which water cools the heart?
During hot summer noons
Which songs resonates?
Lulling love in the winter afternoons.
🌼
The gratitude to my teachers
Parent gave the body form
Teachers gave the education
Many days I preserve
The gratitude to my parent.
Giving love over the years
For the teachers’ morality
What was the innocentchildhood
I went to school to find the education.
Babbling in the voice reading
Every morning in love schools
Where was the squiggly handwriting?
Teachers hold hands to guide.
To line up neatly
Like transplanted rice
How much knowledge from here
Following into real life.
Now far from school, far from class
The teachers’ shadowsare still imprinted
How much favors and supports
Teachers mean everything.
No matter who can pay back
The teachersdo not care
Who still remembers?
Teachers are always happy.
Like roses and chrysanthemums
Beautiful in the morning sun
The gratitude for teachers
Gave me the knowledge.
Coming out to the real life
How can I forget
All ways back and forth
Always remembering a river.
The place where ferry trips were
Taking the pupils to a new station
Who often think about
Old riverbanks?
Picking up travelers
Like teacher’s love with respect humanity
Which song was resounding
"Drinking water must remember the source?".
Eating fruit not forgeting!
Cultivators take care
The gratitude for male-teachers is as high as a mountain
The gratitude for female-teachers is as "gentle mother".
Although going everywhere
Although far away from home
Although the two-way difference
The gratitude for teachers and pupils lasts forever.
(Translated into English by Khanh Phuong)
