In his inauguration speech, President Vo Van Thuong quoted four sentences from the poem “March nights” by poet Xuan Dieu.
On the morning of March 2, following taking the oath of office, the new President Vo Van Thuong gave a speech to the National Assembly, voters and people of the country. In his inauguration speech, President Vo Van Thuong quoted four sentences from the poem “March nights” by poet Xuan Dieu. The poem was written by poet Xuan Dieu in May 1966 during his field trip at a time when the resistance war once morest the US was at a fierce stage. Below is the full text of the poem by poet Xuan Dieu composed in 1966:
“March Nights”
I am flesh and blood with my people
The same sweat, the same boiling drop of blood;
I live a life of fighting
Of millions of people who love hardships.
*
I’ve been gone for dozens of nights,
A car – pedaling into the ice of darkness;
There are times when the sky is dark with clouds.
There is also a new moon, clear moonlight
How many times have I been awake with the river?
All the nights, eyes darting to and fro,
The night of the march, let the soul go first
Love with hate, two rushing waves
Clap on the heart, until the moon and stars
In the middle of the night, near and far is the sea of ink.
That’s when the heart shines brighter;
When the eye cannot see four yards away.
It is when listening to the mountains and rivers…
I’m like a child with closed eyes
Touching mother’s face on fingers earnestly;
I fully understand what the village is thinking tonight.
On the horizon cherishing what…
*
Almost five years, still miss every inch of land!
The months of the most intense bomb rain,
When in the middle of the road, thanks to the ground to cover your body,
I love my country a hundred times more
When crossing the river, the sky suddenly dawned,
The enemy plane is as far away as lightning,
The mother stood tall on the side of the rowing boat,
Dozens of people become a staunch one;
When the handprints were planted fresh
On two rows of trees by the green road to
Careful worry bouncing leaves hidden people past;
When the bomb crater just filled up last night
Rock and body under his feet touched;
When my eyes burn, I look at the fallen brick walls
Nga Ba Moi nursing home for elderly people;
When the people in Quynh Lap’s room lived the night,
Painful legs under the dim moon…
Oh! months of living with Thanh Nghe firmly.
Water fences flow thousands of dams Do Luong;
Go under Dong Hieu’s coffee farm
The white flowers are fragrant and fragrant for miles;
Too tired late at night, see the long way slowly,
Huts for sleeping and eating places;
Hill Bridges, Tiger Bridges in the Moon
Stand firmly with the iron and steel Ham Rong bridge;
The Tinh Gia returns to the Gep ferry
Quang Tuong, Quang Tien, Sam Son beach:
– I am flesh and blood with my people,
Let’s sweat together, let’s boil blood together
I live a life of fighting
Of millions of hard-loved people.
26/5/1966
