Poems by Nguyen Kim Tien from Vietnam

 

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)