Top 10 Sad Poems About Tet for Those Far from Home

Author: Vu Ngan Chanh

How many years has it been since this Tet season??

I am far from my beloved homeland

In this distant place, I still call it home

But now it feels so far, a thousand miles away, so endless

Tet arrives, and my heart aches with longing

I want to scream out, overwhelmed by memories

The surroundings here are cold and desolate

I long for just a taste of the new spring

Back home, the grass and trees are lush and green

Flowers bloom joyfully, welcoming the spring

Swallows chirp cheerfully in the mountains

And the warm sun greets the spring with open arms

The little children eagerly run around

Mom’s sewing still carries that sweet scent

They show it off to their close friends

-Look at my new clothes this year, they’re so beautiful

The red envelopes from Mom are still full

They remain in my small, fragrant pocket

Happily running around, greeting the elders with jokes

Wishing them a prosperous New Year so I can fill my pockets

Delicious candy and treats, Grandma hands them out generously

She says: “Eat up, so you can grow strong, my dear,”

“You’re so small, so tiny, still just a little one”

On New Year’s Eve, don’t stay out too late

The sound of fireworks echoes everywhere

My heart feels overwhelmed, blending with the earth and sky

Welcoming the new year with joy and excitement

This Tet feels strange, I’m still getting used to it

Not yet familiar with the cold, all-encompassing snow

I still crave the fragrance that fills the air

And I miss it dearly, miss my faraway homeland.

Author: Ngo Thien Tu

What kind of Tet is this, sitting alone at home?

What kind of Tet is this without sweets, cakes, or sticky rice?

What kind of Tet is this, with everyone feeling distant?

No greetings, no wishes, just silence on this New Year’s Day

What kind of Tet is this, spending it alone?

No friends, no company to share the first moments of the year

Lonely, I pour a drink to ease the sorrow

Raising my glass, I welcome the sad Tet that fills my heart

What kind of Tet is this, without the sound of dragon dance drums?

No one is dancing, no one is celebrating the arrival of spring

What kind of Tet is this, without firecrackers at midnight?

Silence fills the air, no one is welcoming the new year

What kind of Tet is this, with the temple so empty?

Only a few people are picking leaves to welcome the new year

What kind of Tet is this, with no red couplets hanging around?

No one is coming to stick up wishes for a prosperous year ahead

Spring comes, the new year arrives, but for what?

Just to leave my heart heavy with sadness and sorrow

Here, the snow falls in a cold, white blanket

The chill makes me long for my homeland, where my heart belongs.

Author: Han Mac Tu

For me, when spring comes, my heart is heavy

Far from home, far from my wife and children

The peach blossoms on my clothes bring memories

The sound of firecrackers reminds me of my sorrow

Swallows fly as though stitching a distant picture

The spring breeze grows colder for the lonely one

Others are busy, chasing happiness

But for me, spring comes with a weary heart…

Author: Tuong Vo

This year, I celebrate Tet far from home

And the cold loneliness makes me long for home

In the past, Tet was spent in the village

With parents close, always by my side

With younger siblings running around

My dear brother, my sister, why am I still here?

The family gathered in joy and love

Exchanging wishes for the New Year’s day

Now, I miss the sticky rice cakes

Craving the ones my mother used to make for me

Missing the pot of meat my mother used to cook

The Tet meal that she always made just right

Father, please forgive me

For making you wait, lonely and full of longing

My heart aches with the sorrow of missing you

Missing you, father and mother, but I can't come back...

Author: Nguyen Binh

The distant tower is filled with incense smoke

The ground is scattered with firecracker remnants in pink hues

Windswept hair, with grass tangling in my locks

On the eve of Tet, who doesn't long for home?

Our land is full of butterflies and blooming flowers

On the edge of the meadow, tender leaves and delicate hands

Gentle rains fall, and the sunlight is calm

Oh, how poetic it is! The whole land is poetic!

The spring festival winds send flags fluttering

But my heart wanders through a sparse drumbeat of a boat song

In this land, how many moments of solitude

All I feel now is nostalgia, day and night

Spring is here, but there are no fresh flowers

The sun shines for six months, with no rain to cool the heat

Here, Tet is full of sadness, don't you think?

With beer, paper flowers, and sweet red melon seeds

Three days of Tet heat as if the sun itself is blazing

What kind of flavor is this?

I am a soul lost far from home

When will I be able to return to my homeland?

Spring comes, filled with longing and sorrow

Oh, the endless miles between me and home!

On the eve of Tet, the year comes to a close

My house, empty, with only my absence inside

Still far away, still lost in the distant land

To celebrate a Tet that feels so out of place.

Author: Hoang Cuu Long

The cold of winter lingers, slipping away

As a traveler, my heart aches, missing home with each passing day

Yearning for my parents' watchful care

My tears stain the road of endless travel, I can't help but despair

Where is my home, I do not know

Is my mother gathering wood or waiting by the door?

Is my father humming a lonely tune

Or sitting, lost in thought, longing for me under the pale moon?

The river still flows, carrying the lotus leaves

As the waters rise and fall, drifting with ease

It’s been years since I’ve been gone

Yet I’ve never asked how they’ve been, not once, not even for a song

Suddenly, I pause, my steps falter

Spring knocks on the door, but my heart feels heavy with this altar

Far from home, I pray that my parents remain strong

That my heart may find peace, where it truly belongs

I wish spring could rest forever in peace

So that the traveler’s pain and sorrow may cease

That my worries may fade, and my soul finally heal

So I may stop longing and learn to feel whole again.

Author: Bé Heo

Mother, has the peach blossom bloomed yet?

Do the tender buds look ready for the New Year’s set?

Perhaps the flowers now shine, painting the sky red,

But the last cold whispers of winter are still being spread.

Father, please understand, I can’t come home this year,

My absence may seem ungrateful, but please don’t fear.

Far from home, my heart is heavy and torn,

In this rented room, away from kin, I mourn.

The streets are quiet, the city feels cold,

People head home, while a few of us stay, sad and bold.

Lonely and silent, the homes seem so bare,

Empty spaces echo, making me despair.

Being away makes me miss it all more,

Father’s voice and mother’s words forever soar.

Oh, how my eyes blur with tears that don’t stop,

I wish I could return, and be wrapped in love's warm shop.

Remembering the time we wrapped the green cakes tight,

The day we pickled onions with mom, laughing so bright.

This year I am far away, in a foreign place,

But next year, I’ll return, and no longer be a wanderer's disgrace.

Author: Mai Thúy Hải

This spring, I remain far from home,

Separated from my parents, my dear friends too,

In a strange land, my heart tightens, burning with longing,

Missing home, my eyes fill with tears that never stop.

I miss home... Oh, how I miss you, my mother!
Waiting for the day when I'll return from afar,

Longing for a warm meal in our cozy home,

Hearing the laughter and soft voices that fill the air.

This spring, my heart is restless, eager to go home,
The apricot and peach blossoms are beginning to bloom,

Yet my soul is torn, longing for that one moment,
To return home and celebrate Tet with my people.

My heart aches for my parents, enduring hardships,
Worried about me, struggling through the years,
While families are together, full of joy,

My house is quiet, and I feel so alone.

Spring in a foreign land is cold and desolate,

Life drifts by, filled with struggles and challenges,

The closer Tet comes, the more my heart breaks,

As memories of home flood my soul, yearning to return.

Author: Hiếu Nguyễn

I send a piece of my heart towards that distant place,
Hoping the soul in this foreign land can feel the spring,
So many Tet celebrations have come and gone,

But I have yet to reunite with my loved ones.

Spring has arrived, and the apricot blossoms bloom,

New joys arise, as flowers continue to bloom,

I wish my homeland a bright new year,
And may you enjoy a spring that’s rich and full of life.

Alone in a faraway land,

I send my thoughts and my poetry,
Yearning for the day I can return home,
Hoping spring will bring beauty and joy through my words.

Time is short in this distant land,
I long to visit home, but my leave is too brief,
All I can do is dream of the homeland every day,
Wishing for a life full of joy and good health.

Suddenly, I hear the wind whispering softly,
Perhaps at home, they are celebrating spring,
And in my heart, the warmth of the sun rises,
Yet here in this distant land, I am once again alone.

I long for my old home, only to lean by the door,
My eyes filled with tears, the saltiness on my lips,
Living the life of a traveler, I have grown accustomed to it,
But with spring arriving, my heart aches for the Tet I miss.

Author: Đức Trung

How many springs have passed, and I am still far from home,
My heart is always full of longing for my homeland,

My siblings and neighbors wait eagerly,
The sadness of being far away feels endless...

Is the fire in someone’s kitchen still glowing bright?

Are the Tet rice cakes still being prepared with love?

I hope for the day when we can reunite,

Lighting incense to honor our ancestors.

Over there, my elderly mother waits alone,

The house grows colder and emptier,

I can hear my mother's voice from far away,

If you miss me, don’t let sorrow take hold.

I stay awake at night, praying endlessly,

Wishing for my mother’s health to endure,

Mother, I promise I will visit soon,

To soothe your pain and loneliness with my love.

Spring brings joy to every home,

But only my mother feels the deep sorrow,
Missing me, though we're thousands of miles apart.

Her tears fall, quietly, fading into the silence.