Top 10 Most Beautiful Poems by Poet Vũ Hoàng Chương

The fabric pillow dreams of wealth,
The golden splendor fades in the attic,
Waking up to the quick passing rain,
The evening fades in the narrow alley.

The rain sweeps through the attic,
Days pass by one after another,
Leaves fall all over the narrow alley;
Life slowly dwindles as evening approaches.

Oh! What have I done with my life?
Who has shaped my heart?
Why has life grown cold and distant,
The misty morning signaling the onset of autumn?

Consumed by ambition,
Foolishly chasing wealth;
The rain falls, evening sets, in the narrow alley,
Yellow leaves scatter all around...
Carefully gathering a few dry golden leaves,
Life’s spring never reached its full bloom,
Autumn clouds have already arrived.

The dreams flutter softly,
The distant sea flags waving,
The path of flowers awaiting,
As the silk gown swings in grace...

Faintly the woman in the gilded dress...
The cold wind blows swiftly,
The glory of fame fades with the falling leaves!
The sound of the lute and flute slowly fading...
Happiness vanishes,
As the half-empty pillow slowly sinks with the falling leaves...
The bed drifts, warm in the rain;
Faint dreams lingering with a trace of fragrance,
The beautiful dreams fade away,
Oh, the old days!

What have I done with my life in the past?
What have I truly experienced in life?

Endless years? The quest for fame!
Rainy evening then night falls;
The wind blows through the attic,
Life fades away in the narrow alley.

Source: Vũ Hoàng Chương, Clouds, NXB Đời nay, Hanoi, 1943

I had promised you, no regrets left behind,
The old days, no more sorrow, no more tears!
Let your hair fall here, near me,
Closer now, closer still, your brown lips.

This night is cold, I search for you in the dark attic,
In your hands, you offer years that should have been lived.
Could it be that my soul still knows the path,
To wander through the Bitterness of past autumns?

On that path, scattered and worn, - you knew well -
Where fading love and broken dreams decay.
On that path, from the deepest of graves,
Old passions rise again to pull me back.

No, my dear, I cannot be brave any longer!
No! The source of love, the tears have run dry,
Set a flame in your eyes for me,
Burn the last of my cares lingering on your lips...

Let your disheveled hair fall here, near me,
Closer now, closer still, your wild lips.
Then you will guide me through the smoke,
And my intoxicated soul will be led to the end of Forgetfulness.

Source:
1. Vũ Hoàng Chương, Clouds, NXB Đời nay, Hanoi, 1943
2. Vũ Hoàng Chương, Drunken Poems, Cộng lực Printing House, 1940
3. The Best of Vietnamese Literature (Volume 7: Literature 1900-1945), National Center for Social Science and Humanities, NXB Khoa học xã hội, 2004

It’s been so long, I’ve lost count of the years,
Since we stopped being strangers to each other,
Since the day we stopped feeling shy,
Since the moment we parted and yearned for each other.

You grew tender, and I became lost in thought!
Your eyes and lips overflowing with love,
Nightly dreams of you, waiting for the day.
But neither of us ever spoke a word about it.

Both of us, so proud and shy at once,
Hesitant like each other, doubting our feelings,
Neither of us dared to say the first words of love,
While I remained indifferent and you stayed naive.

Silence wrapped our hearts in restlessness,
Who could feel the storm within our souls?
Not every flutter of the heart speaks of love!
Not every spring blooms with peach blossoms!

But day after day, night after night,
Months and years drift slowly and dreamily,
The thread that binds us tightens more,
And no one dares separate him from her.

One is a poet, the other a lover,
Both hearts locked but vulnerable,
Both passionate and in love,
Both souls closed off but always yearning.

Close to each other, showing off our charm,
But though consumed with passion, we still hide our feelings,
Hiding from the autumn night, deceiving the moon,
Is it possible to love without a vow?

Silently we endured the pain when we parted,
Calm as though it were just another journey,
So many times the tremor stopped on our lips,
Is it possible to love without promises?

We met, smiled for a moment, then turned away,
Joy mixed with sorrow, yet we stayed indifferent,
How many times did the tears pause in our eyes,
Is it possible to love without waiting?

The sun sets, but we still don’t believe it’s evening,
Leaves fall, but “it’s still not autumn!”
We wait for the sky to fade, for the mist to rise,
We argue: “Longing is not yet love!”

We silently cherish our secret love,
Not knowing when it all began,
Flickering between the realm of Reality and Dreams,
Or perhaps our confusion is love itself?

To love is to still doubt the one you love,
Even not believing that you are truly in love,
The fragrance of love, oh! How sweet it is!

Source: Vũ Hoàng Chương, Drunken Poems, Cộng lực Printing House, 1940

A gentle pink melody,
The sound of a trumpet swirling.
A sky full of fragrance,
Two people lost in the wind.

You and I, with aching hearts, recall the past,
The flowers once bloomed, the moon once sweet,
The old pillows close together, but now love withers.
Our souls have long fallen, yet our steps remain steady,
Our hearts filled with love, our feet still move with grace.

The soft glow of the lamp,
Your graceful back, your delicate figure,
Your legs sway gracefully,
Lost in a daze, your soul entranced in your outstretched arms.

The soft waves of sound,
The light slowly fading...
The four walls spin, the image of a beautiful woman dances,
We lean back, we move forward;
Hands intertwining, bodies swaying,
The floor slick, our steps unsure like the wind-tossed sea.
Not sure if it's green or red anymore,
But let us drink and get lost in the haze, for there’s still wine waiting for us!

Your neck is still warm, your head not heavy, your eyes not dimmed,
Your hands still light, your steps still steady.
We haven’t reached the land of intoxication yet,
Still not lost in the freedom of the wild sky,
Our souls still thirsty, craving the wine.

Drink, my love! Drink, my love!
Let the dim light make you sway,
Let the pleasure of the body tilt, let madness take over,
More wine! And forget everything!

We are too drunk now,
Our colors fade and dissolve...
The room no longer stands firm,
Who will hold the fading image close to their lips?
Our legs are tired,
We can no longer spin,
The pillow almost slips away!
In the burning intoxication, our senses ignite,
We forget everything, no longer aware of life.
But my love,
The world sways,
Yet in front of us, Sorrow hasn’t collapsed yet.
The world sways,
And Sorrow remains, my love!

In the collection Drunken Poems (1940), the poem is titled Drink, My Love. In the collection Clouds (1943), the author changed the title to Invitation to Drink.

Source:
1. Vũ Hoàng Chương, Drunken Poems, Cộng lực Printing House, 1940
2. Vũ Hoàng Chương, Clouds, NXB Đời nay, Hanoi, 1943

Ah, the nineteenth day, a day of glory!
Red waves and golden flowers filled all directions,
Hanoi’s cheers echoed endlessly,
Reaching the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

On that day, thirty-six streets
Were like river branches, flags fluttering in the breeze,
Shining with golden stars, majestic flowers,
Five petals unfolding over the five gates of the city.

The anthem 'Building a New Life' resounded,
The melody 'The National Flag' played proudly,
Silver-haired, rosy-cheeked, captivated by the moment,
Young men of Vietnam sang 'March Forward!'

The cheers blended with slogans,
Long live President Ho Chi Minh!
Long live the brave soldiers,
Who left their families to protect the nation.

Ah, the nineteenth day, a day of bliss!
All our hopes gathered in one desire,
Oh, that season of exams, a season of faith!
One heart carrying the hearts of millions.

Oh, people of the three regions!
Quickly arm yourselves and march forward,
March forward swiftly! A pledge of sacrifice,
To reclaim the flowers of Hanoi, the waves of Long Bien.

Let the flowers bloom yellow once again,
Let the waves rise red as they did before…
Oh, that flag! How it once reigned,
At the heart of the nation, in the capital!

The eternal capital, we must reclaim,
And cleanse this land of its decay,
Return to the autumn of the nineteenth,
And bring it back to the autumns of tomorrow.

1947

With graceful form, a pure step ascends,
Guiding fate's path, untouched by worldly desire,
The golden stamen hidden from view,
Three layers of petals reach towards the sky.
The heart remains straight, despite gentle bends,
The fragrance intensifies, carried by the breeze.
How many seasons has the spring wind touched,
Yet the noble flower has not yet bloomed its full promise.

Autumn arrives, delicate steps soft upon the ground,
Gently misted air, a veil of thin silk.
The fragrant breeze clears the path, rustling leaves,
Shaking flowers, sending ripples across the moonlit night.

Gracefully, light footsteps dance along,
As if from a forgotten age, distant and ancient,
Like a dream, unreal, floating in time.
Nowhere is autumn barred entry,
It even slips into the deepest corners,
Where shadows hide and doors are left ajar.

Soft steps echo like a lullaby,
Gentle as the stream's murmur, soothing the heart.
Brief moments of sorrow stir unexpectedly,
Even those without a poet's soul feel the change,
For who can resist autumn’s tender embrace?
Her arrival stirs the most delicate emotions,
With her light steps, soft like the flutter of a silk thread.

Who says autumn is but the beginning of spring?
I say autumn sows the seeds of love and longing,
It is she who spreads the seeds of affection gently,
For Autumn, dear Autumn, is the sister of Poetry.

The waves rise in loneliness, the sea is filled with sorrow,
Wandering through memories, drifting to Europe.
It’s over, we held hands for the last time,
Parting ways, forever saying goodbye.

The man who lost his glory, the woman who lost her love,
This night of fleeting encounters, poignant and tragic,
The homeland stirs within my heart, an ache at the border,
For a moment, I pause in my long journey.

Hair flowing like golden threads, resting on velvet pillows,
This evening filled with the scent of blossoms and perfume,
Side by side, under the flickering light,
Dreaming of a past life when we were husband and wife.

The tavern serves bitter wine through the night,
Rainy sadness, cold moonlight, withered flowers.
The seasons of sun and rain have painted our love,
And all the sadness flows in one direction, intoxicated.

Our meeting feels like a tale from a distant land,
We part without promising a tomorrow.
My dear, the fire fades, the wine is gone,
Life without you, who shall I drink with?

Across Europe, the path to your home is unclear,
The silent moon over endless miles of grief.
Where shall I dock now, in this foreign land?
In the evening haze, does the sea dream of me?

Snow falls somewhere, is it cold there?
For here, my heart is as white as the winter snow.
Longing for you, waiting through the endless nights,
The wind stirs, a jasmine flower shakes with a sigh.

This poem was originally titled 'Life Without You,' but later changed to 'Life Without You, Who Shall I Drink With?' The latter title was also used for a different collection of poems.

Source:
1. Vũ Hoàng Chương, Clouds, NXB Đời Nay, Hanoi, 1943
2. Waiting for You for Thirty Years, An Tiêm Publishing, 1969

Anchor lifted, oh boat! Let the waves take you,
Be it eastward or drifting far away.
Far from the land, amid the vast sky,
My heart feels the loneliness, and the bitterness starts to fade.

We, a stray bunch, a handful of us,
Cast aside by our homeland, scorned by our kin,
The sea is endless, who cares for direction?
Boat, oh boat! Follow the wind and drift aimlessly.

We, born in the wrong era,
Two souls burdened with loneliness.
A life full of pride, but no room for simple hearts,
Boat, oh boat! Take me to a deserted shore.

The wine has taken hold, and we await the sunset,
Raising our sails, with a loud cry of joy.
The wind picks up, the evening fades with silence,
Boat, oh boat! Let the wind guide you gently.

Source:
1. Vũ Hoàng Chương, Clouds, NXB Đời Nay, Hanoi, 1943
2. Vũ Hoàng Chương, Drunk Poetry, Cộng Lực Publishing, 1940
3. Selected Vietnamese Literature (Volume 7: Literature from 1900-1945), National Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities, NXB Social Sciences, 2004

The riverbed hides the sound of waves,
The wind's whispers drift above.
Stars shimmer around the boat,
And the Moon is still lost somewhere, weaving fate!

But tonight, it's so calm,
Who needs the moon, when we have this?
Our hearts brimming, let’s drink deep.
Let’s raise our glasses! Drink, for our paths may never cross again.
Our boat rides across tonight—who knows what tomorrow holds?

Tonight, we’re together,
But tomorrow, we’ll be far apart.
Gold and green will replace the grass,
Flowers will bloom and fade.
The world has so many crossroads,
When love calls, should I meet you or not?

Now we part ways,
The waters grow lonely and cold.
Our souls are intoxicated, like cinnamon,
Our spirits are bitter, like forgotten dreams.
This bitterness, we drink to send you off,
Drink deeply, let the intoxication fill our hearts.

Drink up! And drink more!
We’re drunk, but let’s stay drunk!
How many dreams does it take to feel bitter?
How much cinnamon for this pain?
The bitterness lingers on my hands,
One last touch, and the boat turns away.

Let your boat sail on,
We drift further apart.
I return, carried by the wine,
Wherever it takes me, I’ll go.
Is there anyone drunk enough to forget sorrow?
My heart stumbles deeper into sadness.

Source: Vũ Hoàng Chương, Drunk Poetry, Cộng Lực Publishing, 1940