Exploring the Autumn Charm through the Poetic Lens of Lan Thanh

IS THE AUTUMN WOMAN OR IS THE AUTUMN?

A mesmerizing scene in the autumn sky of Hanoi

A hint of golden sunlight on the tilted clay tile roofs

The breeze caresses the yellow leaves gently

Sunflowers dance, creating ripples like a thousand blue waves

Is the woman of autumn dancing, or is the autumn gracefully stepping?

The dress flows with elegance

The flowing hair dances in the air

Admiring herself, she becomes a graceful cloud of five colors

The autumn overflow with the colors in her eyes

Sometimes contemplative, sometimes sparkling

A laughter that permeates the entire space

Oh, there, the ripe and golden persimmons

Gathered from the sunset, entwined on The Huc Bridge,

Entwined across the back of the Pen Tower

She wants to weave a loyal shirt

As the evening purple returns, intensely purple

Hoan Kiem Lake is blue in the breath

The woman of autumn in the midst of Hanoi autumn

Is her heart in autumn or is the sky in autumn?

MOMENT OF US - AUTUMN

How many times have we said goodbye?

Each time filled with longing and memories,

Separated now, the streets have teary eyes.

The long street stretches with a deep gaze,

Oh, the gentle and sweet laughter,

Whispering tightly in warm embraces.

Cozy in the peaceful evening,

Oh Hà Đông... Hà Đông with mystical hair,

Gentle Nhuệ River flowing with tears.

Many years have passed, yet it remains the same,

Silently loyal to the essence of commitment.

Golden autumn sun along the riverbank,

Trần Phú, Quang Trung, bustling with people and vehicles.

Văn Quán, Phùng Hưng in blue attire,

Bà Triệu Street with a hint of autumn breeze.

Wishing the sails of time could anchor here,

Cherishing every moment, every drop of autumn melting away,

Oh, sweetness intoxicating my heart...

AUTUMN AT HO GUOM

Graceful autumn at Ho Guom,

Stretching rays, silk threads of sunlight,

Eyes drown in smiles and love,

Oh, beloved autumn!

What a gentle touch to the sun's face,

Autumn dreams have arrived,

Sun and mountains comb through hair,

Pure autumn rises on the cradle.

Oh, my Ho Guom!

Whose hand pours the honey?

Soaring to the Pen Tower in the sky,

Ink leans, let the sharpening cease,

- Whose heel traces the ink's flow?

Chest swells with life overflowing,

Autumn sun departs, shedding golden rays,

Where does the gentle sound come from?

Bamboo trees and ancient banyan stand side by side,

Lighting lanterns with flowers every night,

Ancient silk-cotton tree by the side,

Bowed back enduring seasons of storms.

Autumn becomes more mystical,

I sink into enchantment,

Oh, why haven't you returned, my dear?

Autumn is here, at Ho Guom...

AUTUMN EMOTIONS

Rustling... softly rustling

Early morning, golden glow at the doorstep

The tree arch whispers in the lane

Enchanting, a dreamy enchantment

Day breaks, autumn subtly arrives

Whose boat sways gracefully at the pier?

The wind gently caresses the tip of the waves

The sea seems to play and linger

Summer departs, autumn returns - that's all

Time curls around the wooden spool

Misty smoke drifts somewhere

Lulling life - a drifting cloud

Can't go back to the old days

Can't grasp tomorrow anymore

Why cling to the past?

Why not cherish today?

Knowing life is just flowers and grass

Still hoping for freshness every day

Can't do anything grand

Hoping to cover green every span...

DREAMY VĂN QUÁN

This morning, heading to Văn Quán,

Sunlight threads busy steps into early autumn.

The lake, a dreamy shade of blue,

End-of-summer phoenix flowers swaying in red.

Waves roll, carrying the fragrance of the wind,

The bank curves, willow branches gently beckon.

Delicate calls of birds invite companions,

Tree branches gently sway with the scent of the new season.

July is lively, July is lean,

Lotus rises to the pedestal, regretting not sparing the summer.

The sky, a tapestry of fairy tales with sparkling scales,

Tall buildings reach up to touch the stars.

Following her back to our homeland,

Văn Quán, here it is, the small road.

Remembering the old fields, abundant with ripe rice,

The melodious sound of kite flutes, where is it now?

WITH AUTUMN

Autumn spills the essence of longing,

Tamarind leaves gently fall,

Tiny petals shaped like hearts,

Symbolizing the season's union.

A breeze whispers through sparse fences,

Brown sparrows chirp melodiously,

Leaves gaze in a bluish tint,

Bustling in a corner of the evening garden.

The moon, delicate and thin,

Blankets the night in golden honey,

A cricket works tirelessly,

Building and singing simultaneously.

Suddenly recalling the distant past,

Savoring the fragrance of fallen lotus,

Youthful buffalo herders daydream,

A stork's wings sway in the sunset.

The paddy fields return to the village,

Only muddy footprints remain,

The village temple bell tolls in the wind,

Bamboo edge darkens faces.

Which kite plays freely,

Lost between autumn and summer?

Which rose exhales a mysterious scent,

Whispering in someone's memory...

AUTUMN IMPRESSIONS

Rain tapping endlessly on the city roofs,

Hanoi, autumn has arrived,

Lingering clouds, floating aimlessly,

The moon idly perches above the week's end.

Gentle sunlight weaves through the mist,

Somewhere, faded yellow leaves,

Melodic chirps of birds,

A gaze lingers elegantly.

Remembering days of enchantment,

Summer laughs, winter ignites,

Urging rice to bloom,

Urging the phoenix flowers to blaze red.

The hum of cicadas fills the air,

Now, silence prevails,

The sky darkens in mystery,

Resting gently on the quiet lanes...

THERE, IN AUTUMN

Small daisies bloom,

A manifestation of a lovely heart,

Dancing with the wind's caress,

Branches of flowers gently sway.

Autumn sun fills the shore,

Moonlight whispers romance to the boat,

Waves softly embrace the shoreline,

Heart fluttering with emotions.

Oh, the days of yore,

When hair was moist and lips tender,

Quietly autumn waits by the veranda,

Who, together, walked this path.

How many times has autumn arrived?

How many times has autumn departed?

The village road welcomes each season,

Footsteps fragrant with fresh straw,

Confused daisies bloom,

Dreamy in the golden autumn afternoon,

Dusk whispers faintly,

Purple robes softly cradle dreams...

HANOI, AUTUMN'S GENTLE EMBRACE

Hanoi in autumn gently embraces,

Wind whispers, collecting memories.

Soft sunlight caresses the doorstep,

The fragrance of young rice drifts in.

Hanoi's autumn is abundant,

Bustling in every corner of the street.

A late blooming pink lotus,

Hides summer behind its back.

Hanoi's autumn, vibrant and emotional,

Empty cafes in the evening,

Rain leaves a chilling touch,

Longing for those far away.

Hanoi's autumn or mine?

Night's breath sways gently,

The moon hides, is it whole on the other side?

REFLECTIONS ON A SEPTEMBER DAY

In Hanoi, September has days that defy autumn,

The sun insists, urging green fruits to ripen,

The thirsty concrete roads twist and turn,

Chained together by the exhaust fumes of endless vehicles.

September, as if autumn herself forgot the mossy robe,

The sky's expanse, rich with blue and white,

A strip of countryside silent and pure,

Profoundly quiet, not even the midday rooster crows.

September in Hanoi has days that resist the urge to wander,

Nostalgia for the faded hues of memories,

The silver moon - sister Hang sighs,

Brother Cuoi lost in thought, oblivious to home?

HANOI AUTUMN MOMENT

Hanoi - the autumn of mine

The sky spans with smoke

Dripping rain... incessant rain

The alleys flow gently

Hanoi - the autumn of mine

Two brown sparrows with wet wings

The chicks chirping chirpily

Eagerly calling the sun home

Hanoi - the autumn with a lingering charm

Amidst the lush greenery of the trees

Which breeze brushes gently

The yellow leaves fluttering gracefully

Hanoi - the autumn with various facets

Glowing the face of someone

The sound of a guitar in a small lane

Faintly returning to oneself

Hanoi - the autumn of mine

Purple sunset of the last summer day

The delicate moon floats, enchanted

The sky sparkles with the fragrance of young rice...

AUTUMN THEN - NOW

The sky bursts into a downpour, relentless

Not like before, each drop falls freely

Suddenly sunny, suddenly rainy, reminiscent of Saigon

The sky red, the autumn season arrives...

I stand in awe by the golden persimmon branches

Leaves fall leisurely, I step slowly

Oh, those leaves once eagerly sought

Picked and pressed into poetic pages

Yearning to return to the dreamy age

To linger by the soursop trees of yore

Letting the soul drift in the melodious sounds of early noon

Tasting the sweet and sour flavor of ripe soursop

Wishing for eternal love and attachment

Autumn comes as if whispering to me

Hanoi changes its skin each passing day

The season shifts swiftly with even the rain in haste...

SEASONAL KEYS

Evening coffee, contemplating autumn

Hanoi, lush and vibrant, the sky expansive

The sun dreams, gently releasing threads

Oh, each drop... autumn falls

I'm stuck between the two sides of my city

On this side, people bustling, vehicles in a hurry

Streets like Hang Khay, Hang Dao, Hang Ma

Blend into the evening, near the Post Office and Trang Tien

On the other side, gracefully... the wind's caressing hand

The waves of Ho Guom Lake murmur and breathe

Whose melodious tunes echo

Or are these seasonal keys playing in my heart?

TRANSFORMING AUTUMN

Today, autumn transforms, the sky tilts gray
A chilly breeze rushes in, wild and desolate, oh me
The sail quietly shadows into the distance
The harbor whispers quietly, waves gently lapping

The leaf changes color, hesitates, then departs - in place
Early rice harvested, the fragrance of straw wafts again
Where do the storks find each other at sunset
And where, too, the melody of love, early, early

Walking in the middle of the field, suddenly the heart feels empty
Human life – each speck of dust, lonely
Dreaming of a day free of debt and obligation, leisurely
To be oneself, untouched and unblemished

Dreaming that autumn is simply untangled
The colors of separation
Yellow this, yellow that, like chrysanthemums
The value of my heart remains abundant like that flower line...

15. Poem: AUTUMN REFLECTION

AUTUMN REFLECTION

Autumn, rain - one might think the heart is less burdened
The leaves fall, quietly sobbing outside the doorstep
A spider at the branch's tip busily seeks
Life flows like a river, stumbling along

Not long ago, still sheltered and innocent
Naïve and pure like a child
Watching sails glide past the waves
Dreaming of a day when I too will soar

Several decades nonchalantly pass by
Time thickens, and hair thins with age
We've gone, knowing our own folly
Unable to return to the submerged past...

(Hanoi, October 5, 2014)

16. Poem: AUTUMN'S END

AUTUMN'S END

At autumn's end, the sun still glows golden

Leaves blush pink, kissed by the playful breeze

Sweet sugarcane, like lips in days of yore

Red-tailed rice beckons the harvest season

A boat departs - when will it return to the shore?

Coffee drips, each bitter drop falls

Hanoi is beautiful - melancholy through and through

Tay Ho's evening carries gentle rippling waves

Sám cầm leaves, not seeking but never returning

Someone, somewhere waits for the purple twilight

An old oak tree reflects its leaning shadow on the water's edge

Willows gently sway, beckoning a released hand

We know, in every impermanent place

Yet, we keep wandering endlessly

Where does our soul cling, with regret so far and wide?

Entangled in which place, mournful in each...

17. Poem: AUTUMN ARRIVES

AUTUMN ARRIVES

Dry and desolate, clouds in disarray

Whispers of autumn, a melancholy display

Clouds weave a tapestry by the shore

Sun bids farewell, only to return once more

Heavenly beings, their wings unfold

Gracefully, lotus blooms in hues bold

Orange groves line the path with pride

Purple hues in the sky, nature's brushstrokes wide

Mimicking the moon's fleeting light

Sunset surrenders to the night

Fragrance of blossoms, a lingering tease

Memories linger, a bittersweet unease

The day of azure eyes and cloudless hair

The day of wispy, azure hair

Tenderly nurtured on the golden perch

Far away, aching drops of sorrow

Only remnants of the azure eyes

Only strands of cloud-green hair remain

Who cradles us on the golden perch?

Wandering in the nostalgia of days gone by...

18. Poem: YEARNING

YEARNING

Autumn has truly arrived

The wind whispers, footsteps hurried

Suddenly, a longing for an unfamiliar embrace

Rippling clouds, evening gently unfolds

Oh, sweet Hanoi, once so beloved

Silently, tenderly, there lies Miss Autumn

Where are you now? The girl from Hang Dao, Hang Ngang of yesteryear

Did you rise early to school, knit dreams in the afternoon?

Hanoi today is vast and wide

Crowded streets, people colliding

Skyscrapers piercing the sky, challenging the heavens

The Old Quarter stands firm, breathes deeply

Fall returns, aching with memories of the old Hanoi

Small yet so cherished

Quiet doorways leaning against the wind

The faint outline of the Turtle Tower by the Restored Sword Lake

Let me return to the Hanoi of old

Despite the swirling chaos, the dizzying whirl

This heart has tightened so many times

Painful, the nostalgia for each worn detail...

19. Poem: NINE LATE

NINE LATE

August, clouds dance freely

Ripe fruit, your cheeks fragrant in the sun

Whiffs of distant fragrance from a garden

Ripe jackfruit, sweet lips under the cool sky

Ripening jackfruit, like a woman in love, late

Autumn's age throbs, the first love

Soft and round, meaty and crisp

Earthy and heavenly flavors gently meld

Autumn leaves playfully chase each other on the threshold

The scent blooming reminds us of the fairy tale Tam

Ripe jackfruit late for someone's heart to flutter

Autumn Age, where is love, surely it's already Autumn...

20. Poem: AUTUMN SEA

AUTUMN SEA

While others fancy bathing in the summer sea,

You find love in the sea when autumn draws near.

Summer sea roars with fervent, blazing waves,

Autumn sea is adorned in verdant hues, murmuring beneath the twilight.

Summer sea gleams under the scorching sun,

Suddenly, storms rage, tumultuous waves prevail.

Autumn sea sparkles with waves resembling honey,

The wind, gentle and enchanting, entangles and tousles your hair.

In summer, the sea's shoulders shiver with salt,

Autumn sea gently holds, capturing every step.

Weary, the water gazes with bright, fleeting eyes,

The eager sunrise, sails hoisted, casts its fishing nets.

Oh, how I adore you, autumn sea!

Drenched in water, a vast and abundant azure sky,

The distant fishing boats or poised figures waiting,

There, someone's shadow in the bustling autumn...