An Evening of Poetry and Music – Traces of Previous Lives and Love Songs for the Homeland, Part 13 of a Multi-part Series

Ladies and gentlemen, the image of a mother is not only beautiful, but also a sacred picture in our heart. That image represents survival, childbearing, and continuity of life. Ladies and gentlemen, with this in mind, we would like to start the second part of the program by inviting you to enjoy the dance entitled “Beautiful Mother,” performed by Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association members, with music composition by Phạm Duy, and accompaniment by Duy Cường.

Ladies and gentlemen, we now invite you to enjoy “A Riddle For You” composed by Phạm Duy and sung by Thái Thảo. “Can you tell how many rice stalks there are? How many segments a river has? Oh, how many layers the cloud has? Know how many layers the cloud has? Can you sweep all the forest leaves So that I So that I advise the wind not to The wind not to shake the tree Can you tell where the wind comes from When the wind is absent, and when the wind is at home? When it is at home? Can you tell how old the moon is So that I So that I can say I love you deeply I love you deeply... Can you sleep without dreaming? I know you often dream when you sleep. The moon descends at midnight and stands waiting at the porch I come at midnight to the shore of love Can you find others’ heart? I know that you picked up my heart So that I may sing to make life poetic So that I may tenderly offer it to my dream beloved So that I may sing to make life poetic So that I may offer it to my dream beloved”

And to continue with the program, I would like to introduce the singing voice of Tuấn Ngọc. And next, I would like to invite you to listen to the song “Where Can I Send My Heart’s Confidence?” composed by Phạm Duy. “I promise to return tomorrow Spring’s cold and lonely still O fair maiden Spring’s bleak and desolate still On my journey Filled with longing every step O beloved How we’re separated by oceans We are apart for higher ideals O beloved from our homeland Mind not the boundaries Mind not the immense distance Thousands of years later On stones, tears will still be falling Our story, who would understand And who will empathize…”