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Thomas D. Le – A Tribute to Ngo Thuy Mien
For almost three decades I had not given enough attention to Vietnamese
music of the war years for its generally languorous, melancholic and maudlin
sentimentality. There was to me a certain depressing quality to period
music that I would rather not endure, preferring the generally more upbeat
Western classical music.
I did not realize how much I had missed of the beauty and romance that was encapsulated in so much of the music of pre-war years and of the tragic
period of modern Vietnamese history.
The fall season has always captured my imagination, from my youthful days in Saigon, and more profoundly from my graduate school days in the Midwest, so much so that about a year and half ago, and rather belatedly, I decided to gather into one article a reasonable number of poems and songs dealing with the season that I could find in French, English, American, and Vietnamese literature or music.
The principal reason I included Ngo Thuy Mien’s song resides in the beauty of its lyrics, which to me pass all the tests of poetry. This is not to say that the music is indifferent. In fact the melody is so romantic and
soul-satisfying that I kept playing it over and over, even though the
instrumental arrangement of my version left something to be desired. It had
totally missed bringing out the richness of the tune, and the romance, the
esthetics, and the lyrical character of the words.
The reason why I had not included more Vietnamese works in my article was my own impoverished knowledge of Vietnamese literature in general, and the
paucity of Vietnamese literary works in my possession in particular.
At the time of the song’s inclusion, I had no idea of its author’s name or its title, but it so inspired me that I thought it would have been a mistake not to present it to the reading public.
All I had to get started was the song sung by a female singer. I had to
play it repeatedly in order to transcribe the words. And the words I was
able to write down led me to believe that they were addressed by a woman to
her lover. Throughout the work I saw the word “anh” as the recipient of
the tender feelings, and lovely heart of this woman in love. I assume,
given my ignorance and the meager evidence I had, that I was dealing with
the voice of a young woman speaking to her man. To me it was only natural
for a woman in love to spill her heart and feelings out at a highly inspiring time such as autumn.
My friend the poetess Song Viet Dam Giang has graciously pointed out my
error, that the original version was just the opposite. But it was a stroke
of genius about the marvelous nature of the lyrics that either
interpretation was equally appropriate, equally enchanting, and equally
beautiful.
I hope by saying this that I did not offend the more sensitive members of
the audience about giving voice to a woman where love is involved. In a
culture that constrains female amorous expression such as ours it might be
anathema to even think of a woman openly declaring her love in the same way
that a man is accustomed and encouraged to do. Logically, though, I see no
reason why a male heart is any more or less free to express itself than a
female one is. If we are for equality, men and women both should be allowed
the same cultural right of expression. Viewed in this light my “wrong”
interpretation of the original version is defensible. And I hope Ngo Thuy
Mien as well as others agrees with me on this score.
I love the song’s lyrics for its highly poetic imagery and lyrical quality.
Whether you are a man or a woman, I want to lead you into the world that Ngo Thuy Mien has conjured up for us. Ladies, follow me, and you too,
gentlemen, follow me, out of your present world.
Close your eyes and picture yourself in a wood, where the light drizzle of fall weaves its strands of tiny droplets across the landscape, where leaves are drifting every which way carried by the whims of a refreshing breeze. Can you see that in your mind’s eye? With your eyes still closed, listen now to the courtship song of a deer hidden somewhere among the trees. If you have difficulty with the deer’s song, substitute your own love song.
And listen to the solitude that envelops the scene. Do you sense utter
serenity amid loving nature? Breathe in deeply. Do you feel a sense of
peace from the fresh pure air? Do you feel the caring hand of autumnal
nature surrounding you in its protective shield, as if to safeguard you from
harm while you are communing with yourself, with your lover, and with nature
itself?
Now let go of yourself, and free up your soul from care. Turn your
attention to your own heart. Listen carefully to the stirrings of your
heart, its strings vibrating to the gentle and tender touch of the breeze
caressing your face, teasing your hair, and causing your lips to tremble
with the intense feelings welling up from inside. Imagine now that your
lover is there by your side. Keep your eyes closed still. With your lover
by your side, grasp him or her in your arms, and very very gently place a
tender kiss on his or her lips. Sing into his or her ear a lullaby, softly,
softly… Tomorrow, my friends, the rain will lash the sheer hillsides, and
you and your lover will plunge into a deep, voluptuous love in each other’s
embrace. Savor every minute of these enchanted moments for soon they will
be just a memory, but one that will last you a lifetime.
Prolong the ecstasy a little more, and grasp the divine feelings that you
and your lover share in this wondrous world. It is not a fantasy, not a
phantasmagoric vision with the fleeting life of a shooting star, but a real
experience. An experience that you will cherish for the rest of your life.
For where else but in the world of autumn can you find such exquisite
feelings, such strong yet tender emotions, and such blissful moments as only
this season can bring you?
Now open your eyes. If they are moist, don’t be ashamed for, my friends,
you have just experienced the magic world of love that Ngo Thuy Mien has
given you, without asking for anything in return. If you look in your heart
and see it filled with love, and sob because your heart begins to ache from
love, tell Ngo Thuy Mien how much his creation has changed your life.
For I believe love changes your life.
MÙA THU CHO EM (1967)
Em có nghe mùa thu mưa giăng lá đổ
Em có hay mùa thu mưa bay gió nhẹ
Nắng úa dệt mi em, và mây xanh thay tóc rối
Em có mơ mùa thu cho ai nức nở
Song of Autumn for My Sweetheart
Did you hear, sweetheart, autumn rains and leaves,
Did you know, sweetheart, autumn rains and breeze,
The waning sun lit up my eyes aglow,
I will sing you a soothing song, my dear,
Did you dream, sweetheart, autumn gloomy sobs,
Thomas D. Le
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