Buzz
1. Growing Up with Childhood
I grew up alongside my childhood,
Riding my bike tirelessly down familiar paths.
The steep hills of Đồi Cao, the Nậm Cản bridge, the old Giá Cao,
Names etched deeply in my mind.
I thought my youth was long past,
Yet the older I get, the more I dream of those early years.
Innocence captured as I climbed the tamarind tree, picked sour fruits,
Measuring the passing of time by these fleeting moments.
I feel like a person from another distant time,
Gathering the old and weaving it into my present.
Learning to be human, understanding the foolish and wise,
Seeing life with the kindness of a child.
The little girl with two braids from back then,
Always looked at me so seriously (how funny it seemed!).
Did I forget something? Was there something I missed?
The dear home that nurtured all my dreams.
The stories told on rainy nights with unexpected endings,
The endless games around the sandpile,
The campfire nights singing of love in the Northwestern hills.
The tears at graduation, wetting each other’s shoulders...
Half a lifetime has passed, but looking back,
I still feel smaller than that little girl with two braids.
Memories of my childhood linger,
Regret, longing, forever yearning.
- Mai Diệu Huyền -
2. Về với Lai Châu
Ngày anh về với Lai Châu
Bức tranh huyền ảo sắc màu gieo thơ
Tấm lòng ở bản Sìn Hồ
Giao duyên, men rượu...lòng mơ mộng nhiều
Tiên Sơn một thoáng tơ yêu
Ở Pu Sam Cáp, nắng chiều ngủ quên
Phan Xi Păng, thầm gọi tên
Ai thua leo núi bắt đền nụ hôn?
Thác Tình trùng điệp núi non
Tựa như cô gái dáng thon thả lòng
Lạc vào thế giới mênh mông
Như trong truyện cổ cánh đồng Mường Than
Món ăn lạ mắt trên ngàn
Ve sầu, xôi tím...đa đoan tấc lòng
Nộm măng, cá bống... thơm nồng
Thịt trâu, rêu đá… người trông, kẻ chờ
Lai Châu là một bài thơ
Điện về thắp sáng giấc mơ đêm ngày
Thương nhau tóc ngắn, tóc dài
Trăm năm duyên nợ trả vay cho tròn.
Tác giả: Thiên Ân
3. I write about the girl from Lai Châu
Will you come back to Lai Châu with me?
Admire the towering mountains, misty and kissed by the morning sun,
The scent of the forest makes my heart flutter.
Will you return to Lai Châu with me?
Hand in hand, walking down that same path,
With golden sunshine always glowing bright,
Breathing in the forest air that fills me with warmth.
In these passing years, I send my love to you.
Will you come to Lai Châu with me?
Where the gardens bloom and the fields are lush and green,
I’ll gently touch your hand as you welcome me,
Let’s drink from the bowl, emptying it together,
We drink to love, we drink to the passion of our hearts.
We are drunk on nature, drunk on the path you choose,
O mountain town, I vow to stay with you.
We will go upstream, searching for wild flowers in the forest,
Softly I kiss, your hair fills me with peace.
Let’s return next spring, hand in hand again,
The forest path will roll out a carpet to welcome you,
Our hearts forever bound to Lai Châu.
ST: Nguyễn Thị Lương
4. The Heartfelt Emotions of Lai Châu
The towering mountains, crowned with white clouds,
The journey to the Northwest, Lai Châu, leaves me awestruck.
White Ban flowers, golden corn,
I meet a shy Thai girl on the stairs.
She offers me a cup of San Nùng wine,
Before I even sip, my heart is already drunk with emotion.
The moment of parting fills me with a bittersweet ache,
Smiling through tears that blur my vision.
Though we know the time to say goodbye has come,
Why do you hold me back, asking me not to leave?
Your skirt swirls like an enchanting spell,
My spirit drifts away as I hear the mournful sound of the flute.
Tomorrow, I'll return to the crowded city streets,
But my heart will still echo with the song of the mountains.
I will remember the joyful music,
And still hear the river’s murmur in my soul.
As the car winds down the mountain pass,
Why does my chest tighten in the afternoon of Lai Châu?
- Vũ Nhang-
5. A Letter to Lai Châu
The heart beats silently, unseen by anyone
In the western skies, there lies Lai Châu
The white flower blooms as the daughter of the Thai
The clouds float like a woman’s hair, washing in the stream.
Where the Da River twists, shaking the mountains
“The road through Ma Ly Pho is like a thread threading through a cat's fur skirt”
The small town, like a chest on the nation's body
The mountains watch, with clouds resting like eyelash flickers
Where the waterfall holds your smile
The Thai voice sounds like a melody in my hands
Your hair is like the harvest season
Each gaze contains a new dawn.
Where mountains fill your eyes upon waking
In dreams, the sound of deer calls in the evening
The sound of the horse carts pounding against the clouds
You wash your hair, and the stream hums forever.
Where you return to the Chi Luong and Xa villages
The wildflowers scent as though following you
The new village stands like a leaf
Falling gently, eager to walk alongside you.
Where the stone cliffs still carry Lê Lợi's legacy
History flows backwards along the Da River, its waters echoing ancient swords
You stand there, smiling when I ask
Like the white flower, blooming only when the season turns.
Where traces of hardship still mark the land
A girl once leapt into the Da River
The place where she cried, the King’s court, is now overgrown with lush grass
I search for tears, only to find a song.
I have met people who burn like fire
Concealing their flames like the era of Hoàng Cầm’s stove
The dance of Điện Biên, a gift for you alone
Everyday life blends into the people’s heartbeats.
Lai Châu, with its fragrant rice and sweet cassava
With your love, the town brightens under the full moon
With winds that pull the sun across the hills
The Mèo flute makes the stream restless.
I carry the voice of the Da River to the ocean
To help your heart return to its original song
You stand there, with endless clouds in the sky
For my entire life, I owe Lai Châu…
- Trần Mạnh Hảo -
6. Arriving in Nậm Nhùn
Today, I have arrived in Nậm Nhùn
The newest district of Lai Châu province
My heart flutters with excitement
The towering mountains, the drifting clouds above
The vehicle rolls over Nậm Đoong Bridge
Passing through Nậm Ty, then on to Nậm Ròn
The mountains rise sharply, touching the sky
At their feet, the Đà Giang river winds and curves
The water so clear, it's breathtaking
The hydropower plant stands tall beside the whispering pine trees.
- Hồng Thức -
7. Lai Châu
Lai Châu, a land rich with the warmth of its people.
Under the night sky, we dance and hold hands without letting go
The melody of the traditional folk songs echoes far and wide
The Lâm Vông rhythm rises, howling its powerful tune.
The late-night flute accompanies the joy beneath the bright moon.
The wine’s warmth sends you off, blending with the earth and sky...
It’s hard to leave, for this land of borders
Where beautiful girls weave their charms, inviting you to stay.
Author: Vuhung Viet
8. Lai Châu - A Song of Spring
Far away, the clouds stretch endlessly over the mountains,
The forests gleam brightly with the Ban flower blooms. Here lies the land of Điện Biên, where the French invaders were buried, The waters of Nậm Na cheerfully flow, echoing from the boat docks. Lai Châu, our homeland, is being built anew, With smoke rising from the factories into the sky. The lights replace the stars, chasing away the darkness, And the Hang Tôm Bridge now paves the way forward. Come, my friend, sing loudly, let the sound of the flute echo far, Dance with joy, twirling the flower-covered conical hats. The song of the forest is a thousand voices in harmony, Our mountains sing, spring has arrived. Look! The road to Mường Tè is now straight, The Sìn Hồ slope is no longer hard to climb. The Mèo girls in their red dresses, Embody the warmth of the Dao women’s embroidery. High up in the mountains, the people welcome the new season. Lai Châu, a mountainous region in the West of the homeland, Now bright and flourishing, no more pain or sorrow. From the borders, the highlands are filled with fresh possibilities, New factories rise, along with new projects. Let us go, Let us sing the song of construction, So that Lai Châu, our homeland, may bloom even more beautifully with its forest flowers.
Author: Xuân Sinh
9. The School of Childhood
Standing by the Meteorological station, I can clearly see the Livestock area. It all comes back in dreams of the past, The evacuation school, where my childhood once was. Not far, deep within the forest, A primary school stood, tucked away, at the foot of the Nậm Lay hills, surrounded by trees and two large stones, like a fortress wall. Nearby, the quiet classroom where children laughed by the stream, And each day they walked to class with their books in hand. Even at sixty, I still recall the memories, and they stay close to my heart. From north to south, I've traveled far, and even abroad, But the memories of my childhood remain, forever holding a special place. That faraway day, where the livestock and Meteorology station lay in the distance, The bridge now connects it all, and the school echoes with laughter. These sounds and images will forever remain with me, treasured for a lifetime. Today, the town dreams on, But the old stream still runs near, with traces of the past path fading. The two large stones stand unchanged, while my love and memories for Lai Châu remain, preserved forever in my heart.
- Kim Oanh -
10. Nhớ xuân xưa
Xuân về em lại nằm mơ
Những ngày Tết của tuổi thơ qua rồi
Chúng em quê ở núi đồi
Đón xuân chỉ biết chơi rồi đạp xe
Lượn qua Bản Xá, gốc me
Đi vào Nậm Cản, bụi tre đầu cầu
Núi rừng, sông, suối...xanh mầu
Nơi đông vui nhất là cầu Hang Tôm.
Đa phần xe đạp lôm côm
Mà sao thích vậy, mấy hôm rộn ràng...
Xuân về em lại mơ màng
Mong ngày về với bản làng quê em.
Mong về Bản Hốc ăn kem
Mong về Nậm Cản để xem ném còn
Mong về thăm những lối mòn
Khởi nguồn cuộc sống vuông tròn hôm nay.
Mong về thăm suối Nậm Lay
Thăm sông Đà với sân bay quê mình
Mong về mảnh đất nghĩa tình
Hoa Ban xuân nở trắng tinh thơm lừng...
- Kim Oanh -
