Top 20 Most Beautiful and Meaningful Poems for International Women's Day

RETURNING TO MY MOTHER

Dong Duc Bon

My whole life, I have crossed rivers and climbed mountains
But mother is like the tree, with leaves swaying in the wind
Through it all, struggling with the burdens of life
Mother is like the silkworm, spinning golden threads
The road ahead stretches wide and far
But my mother’s hair has turned gray, like the sky
Even in pain, she keeps smiling
Even in joy, she holds onto a lifetime of love
Sharing meals and weathering storms
Through hunger and abundance, she always gave her all
She seeks the wind at the edge of the bridge
Hoping to find the lost song long forgotten
No one knows of my mother
Her hair, silver under the distant flowered sky
Her back bent, enduring the wind and rain
Her feet worn from searching for something, yet with nothing
She sold her gold to buy what’s often not valuable
She bought duck eggs and tea leaves
Under the midday sun, her shoulders grew frail
The village still full of mud and deep ruts
While the city lacks shade on the roads
Even the birds' song seems distant
But I hear it clearly
Yet the road is still painful
I crossed mountains and crossed rivers
Only to rush back home to mourn
The storm hadn’t passed that day
And the land was no longer golden with ripe rice
We took my mother on her final journey through the village
My soul and spirit are buried with her
She rests as she did when I was young
And I stand before her, now an old man
Returning to my mother, at last
In the vast emptiness of sorrow
Mother is no more to nourish me
The wind no longer dances with my sadness
And I have grown wise from her absence
The memories are fading into the earth
Do I still remember or have I forgotten
The brown coat she wore, waiting for the sun
She dyed my soul with the warmth of her words
Years carved into the scars of the sky
Returning to my mother, at last

If I die tomorrow, I’ll be an orphan under the earth.

I WANT TO BE FOR YOU

Ha Vy

I want to do something for you
More than what I am capable of
I know I am small in this vast world
But my love for you will never change.

I want to do something today
To make up for the sadness of yesterday
I want to care for you as if it were for myself
Taking care of you each and every day…!
Look, my love! Do you see!
This love is burning
Evermore for you…!

The moment of love has come, so warm and sweet
Happiness flows gently like the breeze
I gaze at you, my little love
Now holding the love I’ve always dreamed of
Our hearts beat in unison
Singing gentle songs, sharing memories
With you, every breath is a surprise
Peace has returned to me
Stay with me as we turn the page of life
My heart longs for your love's call
Grievances fade into the past
I’ll write a thousand words of waiting
With you, happiness is by my side.

WIFE

Van Cong Hung

There are times when I escape the chaos and lean on you
Like a distant ship gently anchoring, returning to the embrace of the land
Life may be quiet, or it may scream
But in your arms, I find myself again.

Though the world may seem vast, it often turns out small
We keep walking, and still, there are small-minded people
You lift me when I grow weary
When I’m ready to take on yet another blow.

With a home and your love
I am rich beyond measure
You are the hidden island filled with treasures
I store them away for the times of need.

There were moments when my faith wavered
But your love helped me rise
I ran from loneliness with your kindness
And every time life lets me down, I think of you…

Your home is simple, yet within its walls
It shields me from the storms and winds
Even I, though rough around the edges
Find peace when I quietly return to being your devoted husband.

I WILL COME

Lam Dien

I won't come
When you're feeling sad
Because all sadness fades away
And comforting words turn meaningless.

I won't come
When you're cold and distant
Though your heart may burn with passion
There will come a day when the fire fades.

I can't follow the wandering steps
When you're alone on the streets
What if the street has other people?

Because love isn’t simply about smiles
I won't come when you're happy.

Only when the man inside you weeps
Will I come
To absorb the tears from your soul in your eyes.

THE SMILE

Poem: Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh

I love Vietnamese women
Who smile with optimism even through hardship.
Amidst the bombs and the danger
They smile serenely, filled with trust.
A smile that has preserved
Virtue, grace, speech, and behavior for millennia.
Through cold winds, rain, and sun
The smile shines, gentle and peaceful at dawn and noon.
Even through the blurred bombs and shells
The victorious smile sings triumphantly.

20/2/2020

MY SISTER

Poem: Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh

The stork endures the sun and rain
My sister carries the weight of day and night.
Her life has been filled with bitterness and sorrow
But she nurtures her children with love and tenderness.

The lonely stork flaps its wings
And my sister waits, full of longing and love.
Her husband and children remain on the battlefield
While she stays loyal, loving with a heart full of devotion.

The stork and the crane still fly
And my sister quietly lives through her youth.
A life filled with hardship and struggles
She lives with kindness, hardworking, and loyalty.

15/2/2020

MOM, I MISS YOU

Poem: Tran Tuyet Tuyet

I offer you a red rose, mom
With all the love of a child for you
You raised me from the time I was in the cradle
And even as I grew, I was always in your arms.

How quickly the time has passed
I long for the lullaby that rocked me to sleep
Your soothing words, like poetry, sang me into peaceful dreams
And warmed me with love while I slept.

In my dreams... my hand still reaches for you
The warmth of your nurturing care stays with me
That care walked with me all the way
Until the day I learned to walk, to leap.

I grew day by day, and so did your hair
Your life weathered, and your hair turned gray
No longer a child to lay beside you each night
Yet still longing to hear your lullabies.

The folk songs you sang guided me into life
Forever stirring my heart
Your lessons are the most beautiful ones I know
And I will carry them always, mom, through life.

I offer you this flower from my heart
To thank you for your sacred, eternal love
Your image, kind and loving, lives forever
In my heart... forever it will live on!

YOU AND MY POETRY

Poem: Tony Bui

Sipping the dew of a sorrowful night
Each line trembles with the foolish heart
In love to the point of confusion
Every verse echoes with your faint presence.

Then I stayed awake all night
Seeking the words that would soften my heart
In love, overwhelmed by it
Dreaming of your smile and the memory of it.

I cherish every word you say
Your kiss, fiery, sweet on my lips
Igniting the flame inside me
Writing a poem of happiness, forever with you.

Warsaw
20/02/2020

THE EX-WOMAN

Poem: Nguyễn Minh Triết

I see myself as someone who's been left behind
My feelings, hidden deep within
The past keeps its secrets untold
As I drift like a girl in a flowing stream.

As evening falls, I walk the familiar path
A young woman in silence for thirteen years
Suddenly, my heart stirs with emotions
The unfinished love fades into oblivion.

Alone in the storm, I count my steps
Autumn arrives with drops of sorrow
Though time's dust may dim its color
This love will forever overflow with affection.

On the fragile road ahead
Who will walk beside me through the worries?
Life feels less chaotic
As hands warm with the love of others.

The young girl, once vibrant and full of life
Has felt the sting of bitterness and sorrow
The fragrance of youth, rich and tender
Her heart, still open... like a blooming flower.

VIETNAMESE WOMEN

Poem: Nguyễn Văn Ruyến

THE HEROIC & UNYIELDING
LOYAL & RESOLUTE
(A tribute to the strength of women)

She is courageous, a picture of unwavering resolve
Her spirit as majestic as mountains and rivers, crossing every obstacle
Never bowing to injustice, always guided by goodness
Her humility shines through, standing firm on her moral values
Loyal to the land, her heart beats in harmony with the nation's pride
Her strength lifts up the country, making its name shine
She undertakes great tasks, driven by love and duty
And her trust in the future helps her continue to grow.

THE WIDOW LULLING HER CHILD TO SLEEP

Poem: Vọng Thanh

The widow returns,
rocking her child in the hammock,
the melody of January's sorrowful tune,
spreading vast and endless.

Listening in silence
to the whispers of the wind along the river,
reminding the moon to brush over the stream,
leaving behind a trace of melancholy.

Her dark hair,
now like a cluster of reed blossoms,
still holds the fragrance of the grapefruit tree
that lingers in the alley, stirring her heart.

Hush, dear child...
the clear stream flows,
mother's hands scoop water from the spring,
the water rises.

Hush, dear child...
the water flows gently,
feeling both tenderness for you
and for the man who’s absent
in the morning and evening...

Sleep, my dear,
rest well, my love,
the purple flowers sway
...as the afternoon fades
the spring of years gone by...

How I long for you,
never fearing the sun or rain,
how I long for you,
for I carry you
through the whole season
of January.

PRIDE FROM EVERY CORNER

Poem: Dương Quốc Nam

The tradition of Vietnamese women,
heroes, undaunted, celebrated through time.
Industrious, loyal, and radiant,
with Virtue, Grace, Speech, and Work beyond compare.

The country thrives, so beautiful,
as women carry the brilliant labor.
Through changing times and shifting fates,
the women of Vietnam take pride from every corner.

PROUD VIETNAMESE WOMEN

Poem: Nguyễn Đình Hưng

We take pride in Vietnamese women,
who for centuries have brought glory to our nation.
In the struggle for independence,
countless female generals have made their mark.
Such as Trưng Trắc, Trưng Nhị, Lê Chân,
Triệu Thị Trinh… or Nguyễn Thị Định,
with soft hair and slender figures, yet they shook the enemy.
They were determined to 'Conquer the mighty winds of the East Sea,
to restore our country’s sovereignty.'
'Refusing to kneel and serve as concubines to any man.'

In times of brutal war, women stood strong,
fighting alongside husbands and children.
They faced great loss and suffering, but transformed into the nation’s symbols,
holding children in one arm, waiting for their husbands to return,
becoming the devoted mothers of Vietnam.

Every Vietnamese person knows the lullabies,
the timeless folk songs, and the poems of the past.
Women like Hồ Xuân Hương and Đoàn Thị Điểm,
whose words made men weep with laughter and joy.
Poems of love and life, such as Phan Thị Thanh Nhàn’s, infused with the scent of pomelo,
or Xuân Quỳnh's “The Boat and the Sea,”
expressing love so deep, yet so quiet.

How can we recount all the paths walked,
the mothers and sisters whose names shine bright?
Heroes in the armed forces,
or labor heroines of the new era,
the winners of Kovalevskaya Prizes,
the beauty queens, the entrepreneurs who made our nation proud.

Oh, those blossoms
etched forever in history,
the “Heroic Vietnamese Mothers” carved into the century,
truly deserving of the golden words:
“Heroic, Undaunted, Loyal, and Industrious.”

Hanoi, February 19, 2020

I AM A SOLDIER

Poem: Nguyên Đức

In the national attire of the Ao Dai,
Pure and graceful, each step like a blooming flower.
In the countryside, wearing the simple Ba Ba shirt,
The air filled with the fragrance of grass and the beauty of the past.

Walking in the sun, singing in the rain,
Still restless, always yearning for more.
Riding elephants like Trưng Triệu, beating the drum,
Wearing military uniforms adorned with victory.

If you love me, please do not,
Make me feel uncertain while marching onward.
The daughter of Hồ Chí Minh, I dedicate myself,
To the noble cause of our nation’s independence and strength.

I set aside my personal feelings,
Embracing the spirit of the mountains and rivers.
With courage, unwavering loyalty, and diligence,
Upholding the values passed down by Hồ Chí Minh: loyalty, bravery, and grace.

As you admire my rosy cheeks,
You should work hard to sharpen your intellect.
When we graduate, we’ll plan our future,
With a love that always honors our country.

A LETTER TO THE WOMAN I LOVE

Poem: Tự Hàn

What can I write for the woman I love,
Who has weathered storms alongside me,
Who has helped me gather the scattered stars from heaven,
And brought them together to create our two little angels?

The woman I love does not possess dreamy eyes,
Her hands are not delicate and soft,
Her hair doesn't hold the fragrance of blooming grapefruit flowers,
Her shoulders are not warm with breath,
She doesn’t wear makeup or adorn her waist with elegance.

The woman I love only has a gaze filled with quiet sorrow,
Forgiving the mistakes I made in my reckless youth.
The woman I love has hands warm with toil,
Spreading kindness and building virtue for the world.
The woman I love has loose hair,
With sweat on her lips, caring for her family,
On cold nights, she leans against her husband’s shoulder,
Hearing the rustling of her loved ones, their hearts beating in unison.

What can I write for the woman I love,
When no words can capture the depth of her beauty?
When the sweat of our past hardships turns into heartfelt songs,
The salt of tears, the bitterness of hardship,
Yet the joy, the calm, of happiness.

What can I write for the woman I love!

YOU ARE THE GIRL OF FEBRUARY

Poem: Giọt Mưa Thu

You are the girl of February,
Where the Peach Blossom blooms brightly,
Your doe-like eyes filled with dreamy wonder.
The golden sunlight sparkles,
Whispers of wind stir the sky.

The Spring Maiden strolls through the land,
Bringing light rain that moistens your delicate shoulders,
New buds bloom, full of promise.

The scent of flowers fills the air,
Your hair sways with love.

Spring arrives, with the rosy glow of your lips,
Spring’s shadow dances as the evening sun sets.

Spring arrives, with your graceful steps,
You are the girl of February...
The charming girl of February...!!!

TO YOU

Poem: Bùi An Giang

To you, the girl from the southern lands,
The one I’ve never met before,
In your poems, there’s a deep sorrow,
Longing for the garden, the river, the riverbank...

I send you a dream of pink skies,
With all my passion and yearning,
Don’t be surprised, don’t be bewildered,
I believe you deserve more than words.

Believe that spring still comes,
Even when surrounded by the harsh winter cold,
In this vast world with countless paths,
If hearts are true, they will find each other.

MY MOTHER

By: Xuân Quỳnh

My mother is not just mine,
She is the mother of us all,
Although she didn’t give birth or raise me,
I am forever grateful to her.
Years ago, her cheeks were rosy,
She stayed up with me through every pain,
Now her hair is snow-white,
But she made sure mine stayed black.
On the familiar road, under the blazing sun,
She carried the burdens again and again.
She loved me, loved each step I took,
Her feet that worked hard in years gone by.
She used to sing lullabies long ago,
Stories of old, woven into my poems.
Like the fragrance of grapefruit flowers, lime blossoms,
Like the old tree, the banyan by the village square.
Don’t repeat the songs of deception,
Don’t lie to your mother while you love each other.
She never resented you,
By loving me, you’ve become part of the family.
I’ll continue to sing her lullaby,
After the hardships and worries of the day,
Singing the love we share,
Small and tender beneath the vast blue sky,
Amidst thousands of flowers, mountains, and rivers,
In the boundless love of a mother,
Precious from the days long ago,
She gave birth to me so I could be with you now.

"KNOW - DON’T KNOW"

By: Lê Thống Nhất

Perhaps beside you,
There is a man like this,
Who doesn’t know how to buy cosmetics to please you,
Who doesn’t know how to say sweet words that others already know,
Who doesn’t know how to pick expensive flowers that even the buyer finds shocking,
Who doesn’t know how to post greeting cards on Facebook,
Who doesn’t know how to take you to a Korean or Chinese restaurant,
Who doesn’t know to compliment you when you return from the salon,
Who doesn’t know the English songs that all the young people know,
Who doesn’t know how to compare fine wines at every dinner party,
And there are perhaps a few other things he doesn’t know, my dear!
The men you see in this world
May be different from the one
Beside you for years,
Who knows how to build everything from nothing,
Who wakes early and stays up late when the child is sick or the wife is in pain,
Who knows how to do everything to make sure there’s more than just vegetables on the dinner table,
Who knows that the rice jar is empty and plans accordingly,
Who knows that money for the New Year is still lacking,
Who knows how to comfort the mother-in-law when she’s upset with you,
Who knows which book you like to read,
Who knows how to ensure the child has a light to study by,
Who knows how to hide his illness so you won’t worry and cry,
Who knows whether your bicycle is creaky or perfectly fine,
Who knows the tears on the day of joy for the children…
Know – Don’t Know, there are many things I could mention,
There is a man like that.
Please don’t be sad, my love!
What kind of man can be chosen in this world?
There may be one thing that everyone doesn’t understand,
Know – Don’t Know, what to choose for the wife,
When there are so many things around us...

THE SECOND WOMAN

By: Phạm Thị Vĩnh Hà

Mother, don’t be sad when he loves me,
For before me, he was yours,
He may love me in his youth,
But he will love you forever, mother!

You gave him life,
Your image is imprinted on his heart,
Even though he may love me now,
I will always be the second woman in his life.

Mother, don’t be sad at every sunset, every dawn,
He may think of me more than of you,
I am but a passing breeze,
While you are the shore of his love.

I am a fragile rainstorm,
Other women may replace me in his heart,
But there is a constant love burning,
That he reserves for you – mother!

He may live with me forever,
But someday we may part,
But he will always love you, mother.

No matter what, I will always be the second woman!