new lyrics for an old pre-1975 vietnamese song by Pham Duy -- 2017 lyrics by DNN: TRA LAI ANH YEU TO SIR WITH LOVE

In the early 70s, South Vietnamese songwriter Pham Duy wrote TRA LAI EM YEU, the voice of a young South Vietnamese man who was drafted for war -- the words he left for his love before his departure for combat.

Although the Paris Peace Treaty was signed in 1972, the war escalated with offensive attacks from the North.  South Vietnamese people experienced the worst of warfare, and the men from both sides in combat went through hell. Body counts were horrendous.

Nixon had gone to China; Kissinger (and his counterpart in North Vietnam) each received the Nobel Peace Prize. Yet, the country experienced more fightings and bloodshed than ever, I was told by former soldiers.

TRA LAI EM YEU by PHAM DUY was written in such climate.  It captured the heart of South Vietnamese college students -- my favorite song during my teenage days in Saigon. 

Forty years later, in America, i wrote the following lyrics for this same song, except that this time, it's my "TO SIR WITH LOVE" TRA LAI ANH YEU.  Definitely the voice of a Vietnamese woman.

I sang this a capella for my parents' friends Dec. 17 2017.  I asked them, "Who is SIR, in my libretto?" One woman said, immediately..."SIR IS XYZ...." She was right, but  I am withholding her answer.

I want you to sing TRA LAI ANH YEU WITH the following lyrics. And then you tell me, WHO IS SIR?

TRA LAI ANH YEU

 Tra lai anh yeu

Tieng cuoi tuoi tre

Lau dai tinh yeu

Cua thoi nien thieu

Cuoc doi ngay tho

Khong con xanh nua

Tieng keu oan hon

Cua dan toi buon

Tra lai anh yeu

Van bai lich su

Cua doi gian nan

Con nguoi ta than

Duong dai toi di

Cho du thien ly

Phut xuoi tay nam

Viet ten Lac Hong   

Toi van yeu anh

Bang tình thần thánh

Anh mat trong xanh

Mong vang trung chinh

Duoi anh trang thanh

(Hay) mat troi tuoi sang

Toi se vinh danh

Tinh yeu huy hoang

Toi se yeu anh

Mot doi cho het

Trong trai tim son

Chang can ly thuyet

Toi se yeu anh

Tron doi khong nguoi

Toi da yeu anh

Tinh yeu tuyet voi

Tra lai anh yeu

Cau the hanh ngo

Khong nguoi tung ho

Chang can vu khi

Vi duong toi di

Cho du khong den   

Phut giay tuong phung

Van mo nghin trung

Tra lai anh yeu

Tra lai anh yeu

Moi tinh non nuoc……

WHO IS “ANH”?

POSTSCRIPT:   

Love and patriotism are the only two forces to which one must surrender. 

I dedicate this libretto to those few Vietnamese men whose love and country have become one, and to those few Vietnamese women who have the courage and ideals to love those few men, at the expense of their own womanhood. For those women, personal love and the culture/country have also become one. 

DNN copyrighted end of year 2017

Thai Thanh's version: Tra Lai Em Yeu, sung with full orchestra accompaniment, pre-1975: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=231&v=1TBqgDCJXRk

my version, Tra Lai Anh Yeu, sung with one guitar in a living room, 2017:  
https://voiceofduongnhunguyen.blogspot.com/2019/12/tra-lai-anh-yeu-new-lyrics-to-pham-duys.html?fbclid=IwAR2s-IuwsuJZW1X5UlBP6YuczwDSSZhEMN2Y86cbiqqbeqn9MIHKqc-zvq4