Throughout the Red River
(Baonghean) - I walked all over the Red River bank
Everywhere the land is heavy with alluvium
Smooth cornfields and sugarcane fields
Suddenly I hear the cuckoo calling me into the summer
Bamboo banks are everywhere
The canal water flows murmuringly
Everywhere is shimmering lakes and ponds
The white lightning stork flies into the clouds
My grandmother chewed a spicy betel nut.
Green teapot, water pipe, my grandfather
There is no sequel here.
Singing Quan Ho songs, I sit on the drum and sing
Here the fragrance of flowers
Hanoi Bridge across the Red River
Tall houses are a sight to behold.
The birds are tired of looking up at the sky.
The Red River has flowed for thousands of years.
A countryside full of rice and potatoes
Who are these fragrant rice grains for?
City of beer and wine... Whatever!
Nguyen Trong Tuat
