Nhac Kich: Chuyen Tinh Thoi Chinh Chien by The Son and Nhu Quynh
(Paris By Night 88 – Lam Phuong Duong Ve Que Huong)

English Translation


Ngay Tam Biet…

I can still remember the last time we saw each other,
you looked as beautiful as an angel.
Tomorrow I will leave.
I hope we can one day see each other again.

Today we can be happily together;
with loving music playing in our ears.
Love words come easily
just like the moment we first met.

But my dear love tomorrow we separate;
you stay here while I have to go far.
Separation! Who is good with it?
Grief turns our forehead green.

Remembering when the sun set
I would put the flower in your hair.
Who was the shadow of that afternoon?
What can I say when we departs?


Khoc Tham…

After sending you off, I come home alone.
Outside the moon shines beautifully,
but I feel shaken all around.
Thinking the shadow of the night was you;
loving you more as I try to close my mouth.

Oh god how much I love you;
but now we separate after numerous years of love.
I love you now that we separate between smiles.
The far road is dangerous and windy
and your life without me is bitter and hard.

Years already and days past by slowly;
we’ve been through the sweet and bitter of life.
But now I have to face the world all alone.
Many nights have past by;
hearing each leaves falls from the branches.

Each gunshot causes my stomach to swirl with fear.
Without you the room seems empty and abandon.
Remembering you, remembering each breath you take.
Now I know without you my life is dead.


Chieu Hoang Vang…

There are afternoon where rains pour heavily down.
There are afternoon where the cold freezes your soul.
I pass through the village over the hills; the forest is
green and abandon causing me to feel empty.

Many years the life of a soldier travels far.
Many years the life of a soldier twists and turns.
Sometimes we carry along the memory of our homes.
However, we still feel lonely and sad because
our country is still in grief.


Con Tau Dinh Menh… ft. Luong Tung Quang, Trinh Lam, Huy Tam, and Quynh Vi

When we leave, we see the road is far.
The road to freedom is even farther.
Over twenty thousands pairs of hand
helps each other to get here.

Leaving during the times of desperation;
during the worst times of our country –
longing for a better life style.

Who leaves, who stay, who knows?
Peoples going North, going East;
together we live in grief…
Together we live in grief.

The ocean is wide and endless;
waves raises high and beyond.
How do we know where the boat floats?
How do we know where the boat floats?

The moon shines and reflects deep into the ocean.
Please help and teach me on
how to stop feeling sorrow.
How to stop feeling sorrow?

I love the boat “Chuong Xuan”;
the boat that survive the storms.
With love deep inside,
with love deep inside.

I want to clasp my hand together;
bringing the children to safety,
thousands of thank you.
Thousands of thank you!

Where in the future I might go;
never will I forget this hardship,
where I will teach someday.


Mat…

After the terror the night gets even darker;
leaving the country during its hardest.
In grief I can hear the words of lies;
in disbelieve we sob and separate apart.

Do you know the thirtieth is the day we lost the country;
the day of separation, day of death?
I wander into the bright side of the world,
but to find the wide ocean bordering the escape.

Love, love comes in thousand of different words.
Love, love the moment of separation we say nothing.
Love, love comes and goes.
Love, love losing the country, losing you, I have nothing.

Love, love comes in thousand of different words.
Love, love the moment of separation we say nothing.
Love, love comes and goes just like the sunset.
Love, love losing the country, losing you, I have nothing.

If the love has vanished then why still send hope;
hoping and praying everyday for your return.
I hope and pray for the storm to not come
so my boat can bring me back into your arms.


Vinh Biet Nguoi Tinh…

Ten years of separation my health declines.
Ten years of anticipating for your safety.
All of the grief and sorrow; my life is a mess.
Bitter tears fall in hope of tomorrow.

In the past years I still have hope;
still waiting for that day where we can form a family.
But today my dream disappears because the storm hit hard.
Drowning the boat and I die in the deep sea of love.

The pedal from that year shatters into pieces;
sending it along with the waves toward to you.
I have tried to go find it in the wide and endless ocean;
the everlasting love that only last in fairy tales.

The tiny boat is like a marriage carriage;
holding and wrapping my body closely into the ocean.
There I have found the peaceful of everlasting love.
There I will forever be with you.

I send all my love into this flower,
even though it’s smashed up.
Asking the water to take it to you;
I would like to say thank you for your love
which motivate me to continue to love.
Goodbye my love, goodbye.

Analyzing the song:
All of the songs putted together represent and tell a story about the life of two innocent – youthful lovers during the time of war in Vietnam. The beginning of the act we see the couple saying their goodbye and farewell, hoping and praying for that person to return. Once the girl says her good bye, she realizes without her love her life is dull and gloomy. She cries alone during the middle of the night alone; a sudden sound of a gun shot would scared her to death for the life of her love. While she is praying for his return, he is out in the battlefield fighting to defend his country. Hoping one day the war would end so he could return to the side of his love. During the hazard and destruction of the war, everyone tries to find their way to freedom; the only way is to flee the country and go to America. Everyone hope and pray for the country as they leave one by one. After he unsuccessfully couldn’t find his love, he flees to America as a soldier leaving her. Each on the other side of the world they still connect in spirit as he anxiously wait for one day they could see each other again while she prays for the boat to sail out at sea without hitting waves. After years of waiting, he gets news that her boat had miserably sunk into the wide ocean drowning her and many other passengers. The only thing he could do now is to send the flowers she has given to him years ago when he set off to war. He asks the waves of the ocean to please bring the flower to her representing his love for her.

Thoughts:
What a magnificent act delivered by both Nhu Quynh and The Son. You could see the emotions and tensions in their eyes as the story progresses. The songs selections were perfect and everything went smoothly. Of course both of their vocals were great. Come on its Nhu Quynh and The Son! I also thought that having this is the show talking about composer Lam Phuong was acceptable because he were up during the time period of the war and fleeing to America – which is a big part of his inspiration to produces all those songs. Overall, from acting to singing to lyrics these combinations of song were perfectly done.