Top 10 Most Beautiful Poems by the Poet Phan Thi Thanh Nhan

This afternoon, I must have upset you a lot.
You were frustrated, philosophizing wildly.
We seem as different as the sky and the earth.
Our personalities clash terribly.

Yes, the sky and the earth have never been close.
And our temperaments are not alike at all.
The sky is full of joy, sorrow, and loud displays.
While the earth is silent, deeply reflecting.

My love, if I could compare to the sky and the earth,
I would never dare claim such greatness.
But do you realize, my love, the sky and the earth
Would be nothing without each other?

Despite their vastness, the sky and the earth
Can change rapidly, their moods ever-shifting.
When anger stirs, storms tear the earth apart,
But once the storm clears, the sky is pure and innocent again.

The earth remains humble, gently swaying in green,
And quietly giving life to all that grows.
On this earth, life unfolds in its fullness,
What more needs to be said?

If you walk with your love,
Just remember one small thing,
The path we've walked together,
Please don’t walk it with someone else.

The trees have now grown tall,
Their branches reaching, leaves gently brushing.
We don’t know why, but somewhere along the way,
Our paths always seem to drift apart.

If you walk with someone new,
Please stay away from the road we once shared.

I thought I was falling in love,
When I met someone full of passion.
Our hands touched, yet
I felt a growing distance inside.

I thought love would come again,
When I met someone wise and learned.
But after talking, I felt
The sting of disdain in their words.

Maybe I should love just a little,
To ease the loneliness for a while.
Or maybe marry seriously,
To share a lifetime of care.

I thought and rethought,
Still, I remain alone and weary.
It turns out my heart is still restless,
Waiting for a true love to appear.

How could I ever find again
The gaze that once felt complete?
And the days have passed in haste,
While the nights never bring peace.

Shining like a sunbeam,
Thin like a finger,
Silent yet so steady,
It tirelessly sews away.

From scattered pieces of cloth,
It forms something strong.
With every step, it moves forward,
Creating a long and lasting path.

Its delicate form,
Protects from the biting cold.
The fabrics, in countless colors,
The needle weaves for others.

But for itself, it wears white,
Pure and unchanged for life.

Source: I Want to Wear a Red Dress to Play, Phan Thị Thanh Nhàn, Kim Đồng Publishing House, 2016

The border police officer,
Bent low on his horse's back,
The horse gallops fast, like the wind,
Whipping through the forest, stirring the air.

The horse’s hooves pound the ground,
As if hammering the road itself,
Ignoring the morning mist of the forest,
And the biting cold of the winter night.

The horse’s legs are like steel,
Relentlessly chasing the enemy,
Its hooves seem to have eyes,
Never stumbling, always surefooted.

After the mission, they return,
The horse steps at a leisurely pace,
The officer walks beside,
His hand gently patting the horse’s back.

We, in our small village,
Spread fragrant grasses to dry,
To offer them in winter,
As a gift to the beloved border patrol horse...

Source:
1. I Want to Wear a Red Dress to Play, Phan Thị Thanh Nhàn, Kim Đồng Publishing House, 2016
2. 5th Grade Literature Textbook (Volume 2), Education Publishing House, 1989

My child,
You will encounter many beggars along your path,
And witness many people in dire straits.
Though we are not wealthy,
We have enough to get by.

First and foremost, prioritize those closest to you,
Start with your own family.
Be charitable within your own home,
And strive to ensure no one goes hungry or cold.

As for strangers, my dear, share whatever little you can,
Let your heart be kind and generous.
When I’m gone, remember,
It’s the kind hearts you’ll encounter in life.

Source: I Want to Wear a Red Dress to Play, Phan Thị Thanh Nhàn, Kim Đồng Publishing House, 2016

The whole house is asleep,
The rhythmic sound of breathing fills the air,
The clock ticks away,
Oh, how comforting it feels.

Though father scolds often,
And mother can be a bit too critical,
My heart is full of longing,
I love them both so much.

A bunch of little children,
With a leaky roof and crooked walls,
They eat greedily like silkworms,
And play mischievously like little devils.

How could they not scold them?
How could they not complain?

Source: I Want to Wear a Red Dress to Play, Phan Thị Thanh Nhàn, Kim Đồng Publishing House, 2016

Being a big brother is tough,
It's not just a game,
With a little sister,
You need to be the grown-up.

When she cries,
You must comfort her,
If she falls,
You gently lift her up.

When mom gives treats,
You give her the bigger share,
If there's a nice toy,
You let her have it too.

Being a big brother is hard,
But it's also a lot of fun,
Anyone who loves their little sister
Can do it easily.

Source: Vietnamese Language Textbook 2, Volume 1, Education Publishing House, 2002

It was a typical evening,
The little one, with a pout, tilted her head:
- Sister, tell me a fairy tale,
Please, tell me one!

... "Once upon a time, there was an old woman
Who spent her days hunting for crabs and snails,
One day, she found a beautiful snail
With a shell bright green
Unlike any other snail,
She loved it and didn’t want to sell it,
So she placed it in a jar,
And went back to work.
When she returned, she noticed something strange:
The yard was so clean!
The pigs had been fed,
The food was cooked so neatly,
The garden was free of weeds.
She was puzzled, so she decided to secretly watch.
Then she saw a fairy emerge
From the jar of water.
The old woman secretly
Cracked open the green shell
And embraced the fairy,
Not letting her return to the jar.
From then on, they loved each other very much...

The little one nodded, eyes wide open,
Not blinking for a moment,
When the story ended, suddenly,
She yelled out loud:
- Oh, I already know that one!
You're scolding me!

Source: Định Hải, Hương cốm, Kim Đồng Publishing House, 1975

The windows at the end of the street
Never seem to close, no matter why.
The two friends once studied in the same class,
The pomelo tree behind the house exuded a sweet fragrance.

She hid a bunch of flowers behind her handkerchief,
The girl hesitated before crossing to the neighbor's house,
On the other side, there was someone leaving for war the next day.

They sat quietly, not knowing what to say,
Their eyes briefly met, then quickly turned away.
Who has ever dared to speak?

The scent of pomelo flowers filled their hearts with confusion.
He didn’t dare to ask,
The girl didn’t dare to give.
Only the fragrance, warm and pure,
Could not be hidden and gently floated away.

The girl was like a cluster of silent flowers,
Her fragrance spoke for her love.
(He was unaware, not knowing
That I had already come to him...)

And with every breath he took,

The fragrance deeply settled within his chest.
He set off on his journey,
The fragrance would follow him everywhere.

They parted ways,
Still saying nothing,
Yet the fragrance lingered, silently following his steps.

This poem won second place in the 1969 Literature Magazine poetry contest. It was later set to music by composer Vũ Hoàng, becoming a popular song.

Source: Trường Sơn - The Road of Aspiration, National Political Publishing House, 2009