Top 12 Beautiful Poems by the Poet Xuân Diệu

Foolishness

People suffer because they love the wrong way,
Love the wrong person, and admire the wrong soul.
There’s a gold mine, but they give it to the wrong place,
People suffer because they ask in the wrong spot.

The road is too smooth, who remembers to look!
When they realize, the thorns have pierced the bone.
Because they let go and didn't rein in the reins,
People suffer because they can't go back anymore.

Shallow eyes also think that the depths are filled;
Empty hearts imagine overflowing love;
Throughout countless lives, they seek reasons in the mist and clouds,
Continuing their journey to find heaven on earth.

People suffer because they try to force their way into a narrow gate,
The door is closed, so they insist on breaking through.
Then they get hurt, and keep their sword drawn,
Not wanting to heal, not wishing to cure the poison within.

Source: Self-reliant Literature Group Anthology (Vol III), Writer’s Association Publishing, 2004

Here Comes the Autumn

Dedicated to Nhất Linh

The willow stands still in mourning,

Its hair of sorrow draped, a thousand tears;

Here comes the autumn, the autumn comes

With faded dreams woven into golden leaves.

More than one flower has fallen from its branch

In the garden, the red blooms fading into green;

Shivers ripple through trembling leaves...

The dry twigs frail, fragile like bones.

Now and then, the moon, lost in thought...

The distant mountains blur beneath the mist...

The chill of winter creeps in through the breeze...

The boat crossings are few...

The clouds swirl, birds fly away,

The air heavy with the pain of separation.

Many young women are silent, grieving within,

Leaning by the door, lost in thought.

In the introduction to the collection “Poetry of Youth,” the author writes: “This is my soul, full of vibrant youth; this is the heart of a lively spirit, and this is the age of my youth, and it is my life that I share with you (...). This is the beginning of my poetry, don't follow those who are wise, they don't understand the best part of life: love and youth (...). I give my soul to the young and especially to those who still have the heart of youth!”

This poem was included in the curriculum of the 11th-grade Literature textbook from 1990 to 2006 but was removed from the 11th-grade Literature textbook from 2007 onwards.

Source:
1. Selected Vietnamese Literature (Volume 7: Literature from 1900-1945), National Center for Social Sciences and Humanities, Social Science Publishing House, 2004
2. Hoài Thanh, Hoài Chân, Vietnamese Poets, Literature Publishing House, 2007

"Why?"

Dedicated to Đoàn Phú Tứ

The other day, under the peach blossom sun,

She looked at me, her gaze asking, "Why?"

When I approached, seeking her lips' beauty,

A fleeting smile of love fulfilled my longing.

- Why, on our first meeting,

Did I find myself trapped in a place of sorrow,

Unable to pass by without noticing,

Knowing our meeting was meant to be futile? -

Who can dissect the scent of a flower,

Or the tune of a song? I can only feel sorrow,

Silently following the flow of emotions,

Like a fisherman lost in the morning mist.

How can love be explained!

What meaning does it have, one quiet afternoon?

It invades your soul with soft sunlight,

With gentle clouds and a breeze that sighs...

Let you be where the palm trees stand,

With your feet submerged in water, lost in bliss,

While I wander through the desert,

Taking refuge from the scorching summer heat; - this is enough.

One day, I will leave.

Why? Who can bear to leave me?

I am naive, so oblivious

All I know is love, and nothing more.

Source: Self-reliant Literary Group Anthology (Volume III), Publisher: Writers' Association, 2004

The Spring Smile

In the noisy garden, birds sing with joy,

The young maiden watches the dew sparkling in the sun.

Why is the first day of spring so serene?

The rosebuds bloom into bright smiles.

The light embraces the high peaks,

The golden trees rustle as the sun kisses their leaves.

The fragrant breeze floats by unbidden,

Brushing against the apricot branch near the peach tree.

The willow's hair cascades, so beautifully green,

Beside the freshly bloomed flowers that seem to call out.

What tender feelings fill the air,

Like the faint scent of love lingering in the breeze.

Now, the first young woman hears,

The silent music of passion rising within her.

The ripe spring blushes on her cheeks,

Awakening a heavy feeling in the heart...

The maiden waits for someone,

Someone not yet promised, in the midst of spring.

With the distant young man,

The maiden smiles coyly, standing gracefully.

Source: Xuân Diệu, Poetry of Youth, New Life Publishing House - Saigon, 1971

The Evening

Dedicated to Nguyễn Khắc Hiếu

Today, the sky gently rises high,

I feel a sadness, though I cannot understand why...

Red leaves fall silently down the narrow path,

The virgin mist covers the wellspring of love.

The soul of the pink flower drifts aimlessly,

Lingering with the essence of red blood.

The wind seems to remember as it crosses the river,

Perhaps the reeds feel the boat pass, but the shore is not empty.

- The space feels bound by a thread,

Each step risks snapping it, each motion threatens to fade.

Softly, the evening lingers in a daze,

My heart is unsettled, gently touched by sorrow...

This poem was set to music by composer Phạm Duy as the song "Mộ khúc."

Longing in the Evening

It's cold today, and the sun sets early;

I miss you, my love! I miss you so much.

Nothing is as sad as these calm evenings,

Where light merges seamlessly with the encroaching dark.

The wind softly sweeps me through the tangled grass;

Fragments of the night quietly hide among the branches;

The clouds follow the birds back to distant mountains,

Each formation moving in gentle silence,

The gray sky seems ready to dissolve into tears.

It's all over now! What else remains, my love!

It's all over, the wind rests with the moonlight.

With dew and fallen leaves so close by,

The anger and jealousy fade away.

(How wonderful it is to be angry with each other!)

Now, alone, I listen to the entire evening,

Slowly entering my lonely soul.

I miss your voice. I miss your face. I miss your image.

I miss you, oh how much I miss you! My love!

I long for the days we once shared,

For the smile on your lips, far away.

I miss the gaze in your eyes, so intense!

Many times the wind carries a gust of love,

But the memories, oh, why do they still call to me...

This poem was set to music by composer Phan Huỳnh Điểu.
The final two lines are printed as "Em! Come closer! And let me hold your hand!"

Source:
1. Tự lực văn đoàn Anthology (Vol III), NXB Hội nhà văn, 2004
2. Hoài Thanh, Hoài Chân, Vietnamese Poets, NXB Văn học, 2007

The Sea

I'm not worthy to be the blue sea,

But I wish you could be the white sandy shore.

A shore so calm, smooth, and serene,

Reflecting the sunlight like crystal.

The beautiful golden sand shore,

With rows of pine trees standing tall,

As if lost in a peaceful dream,

For a thousand years beside the waves.

I wish to be the turquoise waves,

Always kissing your golden sand.

Soft and gentle, with each kiss,

Endlessly, forevermore.

I've kissed you once, and I'll kiss you again,

Until eternity is over,

Until the very earth and sky fade,

And my love for you remains unwavering.

Sometimes I rush,

As if fiercely crashing into your shore,

This is when the tide of love

Floods the shore day and night.

I’m not worthy to be the blue sea,

But I would still become the bright sea,

To sing by the rocks,

A love that will never end.

To let the waves crash and foam white,

And the wind blows gently everywhere,

As I kiss you for a thousand years,

For I love you so much, my dear!

4-4-1962

The First Love

I only have one first love,
I gave it to you, along with a letter.
You didn’t accept it, and my love was lost.
The love I gave can never be reclaimed.

The letter was as thin as a dreamlike stream;
The love was as sorrowful as all farewells.
The envelope was sealed, tucked in my jacket pocket;
It took hundreds of rewrites before I could send it.

My ful heart accompanied the clumsy letter,
Hoping for you, waiting for you, but you never came.
You tore apart my young heart with the fresh paper,
- The clouds in the sky covered the mountains that day.

Fortunately, my heart was still young.
The spring blood had not yet fully bloomed;
The garden, with its rains and winds, echoed with birdsong,
I still loved the pomegranate and tea flowers.

But the first moment, intoxicated by flowers and butterflies,
Heavenly, I dreamed of those moments.
My fearful eyes dared not look anymore,
My loving hands could never be held.

I still thought it was a child's joke,
Who knew that the heart was shattered all this time?
My eyes dry, but a silent tear slowly fell,
Trickling down, flowing inward.

The first flower carries a pure fragrance;
Spring's early days are as clean as the first dawn.
The scent lingers, deep as granite;
The mist fades, the world turns hazy.

The bright leaves have withered in melancholy,
The morning light now dulls the colors;
I only have one first love
That I gave to you, and so it is lost forever!

Source: Anthology of the Self-Strength Literary Group (Volume III), Publisher: Hội nhà văn, 2004

In a Hurry

Dedicated to Vu Dinh Lien

I want to stop the sun,
So its light doesn’t fade;
I want to capture the wind,
So its fragrance doesn’t fly away.

Here, the butterflies are in their honeymoon;
Here, the flowers of the countryside are lush green;
Here, the leaves of the tender branches flutter;
Here, the songbirds sing in love.
And here, the light flickers across the lashes;
Every morning, joy knocks at the door;
January’s sweetness is like two lips near each other;
I'm happy. But half in a hurry:
I don't wait for the sun to set before longing for spring.
Spring is coming, but it is passing quickly,
Spring is young, but it will grow old,
And when spring is gone, I too will be lost.
My heart is vast, but the heavens are narrow,
Not granting eternal youth to mankind.
What’s the use of saying spring is cyclical,
If it returns and cannot meet the same spring again?
There is heaven and earth, but not me forever,
So with a sigh, I mourn the loss of the world;
The scent of months and years carries a hint of parting,
As rivers and mountains whisper farewell...
The gentle breeze murmurs through the emerald leaves,
Perhaps in anger, forced to fly away?
The birds stop their cheerful songs,
Perhaps in fear of the fading of time?
Never again, oh! Never again...

Hurry up! The day has yet to turn into evening,
I want to embrace
All of life that has just begun to bloom;
I want to chase the clouds and dance with the wind,
I want to be drunk with the butterflies and their love,
I want to gather everything in one kiss
And the mountains, the trees, and the radiant grass,
For intoxicated with fragrance, filled with light,
To savor the vibrant colors of youth;
- Oh, red spring, I want to bite into you!

This is one of Xuân Diệu's most representative poems before the Revolution. It expresses the voice of a soul who loves life passionately, yet beneath that is a new worldview not seen in traditional poetry.

This poem was included in the Vietnamese Literature 11 textbooks from 1990 to 2006, and from 2007 onwards.

Sources:
1. Selected Vietnamese Literature (Volume 7: Literature from 1900-1945), Social Sciences and Humanities Center, Social Sciences Publishing House, 2004
2. The Poetry, New Life Publishing House, Saigon, 1971
3. Anthology of Self-Strength Literary Group (Volume III), Writers’ Publishing House, 2004
4. Hoài Thanh, Hoài Chân, Vietnamese Poets, Literature Publishing House, 2007