Mother gave me hands and arms with mother’s milk.

In my heart, mother had shared her youthful blood.

The crib, so small in the early days,

Mother's fragrant shadow still lingers,

Like a bud just blossoming,

Mother's hair tenderly covers.

In the quiet night, Mother is like the full moon,

Illuminating her child with gentle eyes.

The fragrance envelops mother's cool arms.

In her advice, a clear flowing stream.

Oh, when I see my mother cry,

Each tear feels like a needle.

On rainy days,

Mother smiles, chasing away the rain for her child.

I will never forget

The bones and skin that mother passed on.

Mother's hands, tender and soft,

Nurturing, pouring out gentle lullabies.

In the future, even as I grow older

And travel far away, I will return to Mother.

The vast river, the boundless sea,

Still within the bounds of maternal love.

Dark clouds gather, the forest casts shadows,

When she longs for her child.

by Nguyễn Đình Toàn

English translation by Vuong Thanh, 12.2023