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Celebrating Tet early in the middle of the Fatherland's sky and sea

AN DUC January 16, 2025 14:00

Early Tet in Truong Sa by author Le Thanh Van is a work imbued with the breath of the sea and islands, both warm and sincere, yet resilient and full of emotion.

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No need for exact month or date/The ship docks at a distant island and we celebrate Tet...

Early Tet in Truong Sa

Do you need to pay on the exact month and date?
The ship docked at a distant island and we celebrated Tet.
Big smiles and firm handshakes
The moment the mainland meets Truong Sa

Tet is displayed early
There are green square banh chung wrapped in Indian almond leaves showing off their beauty
Though the wind blows hard,
The guitar still plays a lively tune

We display many cute games.
Blind man's bluff, tug of war, soccer...
But all are ready with guns
Because every inch of border land is the blood and flesh of our country.

Early Tet in Truong Sa, sharing joy with the mainland
Tomorrow the ship will weigh anchor again, the waves will hit the shore with longing
So many feelings in the vast waiting
A stirring spring returns

So Tet early in Truong Sa
Memories are forever full...!

LE THANH VAN

Le Thanh Van is the author of many epic poems about his homeland and the Fatherland. In particular, recently, he has composed many poems about love for the sea and islands, thereby affirming the sacred sovereignty of the nation.

Early Tet in Truong Saby author Le Thanh Van is a work imbued with the breath of the sea and islands, both warm and sincere, yet resilient and full of emotion. With simple images and words, the author has created a picture of a special Tet holiday at the forefront of the wind and waves. Without the need to display elaborate words, the poem has created an appeal from the simplicity, sincerity and burning love for the Fatherland of the soldiers.

The poem opens with a scene of early Tet - Tet does not wait for a specific date. It is a Tet of joy and reunion of people with Lac Hong blood in the vast ocean and sky:

Do you need to pay on the exact month and date?
The ship docked at a distant island and we celebrated Tet.
Big smiles and firm handshakes
The moment the mainland meets Truong Sa

Through simple language and direct expression of emotions, the author has highlighted the special features of Tet in Truong Sa. On the remote island, time and space seem to have no limits. Tet is no longer limited by conventions of specific time or date but is defined by moments of reunion, when ships from the mainland dock.

Just having people from the mainland come, bringing the love and care of their fellow countrymen is enough to make Tet. That reunion scene is expressed through “bright smiles” and “firm handshakes” - simple but warm images, expressing joy and spreading love. This is how the author affirms: Tet is about humanity, the emotions of people who share the same love for the country, the connection between the mainland and the distant islands.

Unique and interesting in its discovery, Le Thanh Van has created an early Tet space amidst harsh nature but with an unmatched spirit of creativity and optimism. The Truong Sa soldiers appear beautiful and romantic through the display of homemade Tet gifts from mainland and island products:

Tet is displayed early
There are green square banh chung wrapped in Indian almond leaves showing off their beauty
Though the wind blows hard,
The guitar still plays cheerfully.

The image of green banh chung wrapped in square-leafed almond leaves - a type of leaf only found in Truong Sa - evokes the beauty of creativity, adaptability and optimism of the soldiers. The soldiers brought the spirit of Tet to the remote island, creating Tet themselves from what was available, from what nature had to offer. This image is not only a testament to ingenuity, but also a symbol of love for the homeland, of the will to overcome all difficulties to maintain national customs.

Despite the strong sea wind blowing “through the sky,” the guitar still resounded cheerfully and cheerfully. The sound of the guitar in the middle of the ocean was like an affirmation of the resilient, optimistic and hopeful spirit of the soldiers. They used music to dispel the cold, to warm their hearts during Tet holidays far from home.

Like a filmmaker with close-up techniques, poet Le Thanh Van sketches the soldiers' folk games in a lively and fun way. Having fun but attached to a sense of responsibility, that is the joy that goes hand in hand with the spirit of vigilance in the work of protecting the sovereignty of the Fatherland:

We display many cute games.
Blind man's bluff, tug of war, soccer...
But all are ready with guns
Because every inch of border land is the blood and flesh of our country.

Folk games such as blind man’s buff, tug of war, and soccer remind us of the countryside atmosphere and peaceful childhood memories. In the midst of the storm, the island soldiers also find ways to have fun and live every moment to the fullest. But the precious thing is that they never forget their responsibilities. Even while having fun, “everyone is ready with their guns,” ready to protect every inch of the border. The author emphasizes that “every inch of the border is the flesh and blood of our country,” affirming the awareness of the sacredness of every part of the country, every wave here.

Soldiers in Truong Sa not only live for themselves but also live for their responsibility to the Fatherland, for their deep patriotism.

And this is the deep nostalgia and affection for the mainland of the marine soldier. Borrowing the image of the waves lapping the shore in nostalgia, the author evokes many stirring emotions, waiting for the immense ships heading back to the island, where there are still many springs ahead:

Early Tet in Truong Sa, sharing joy with the mainland
Tomorrow the ship will weigh anchor again, the waves will hit the shore with longing
So many feelings in the vast waiting
A stirring spring returns

Although celebrating Tet on a faraway island, the soldiers’ hearts always turn to the mainland, where their relatives and compatriots are waiting. The phrase “waves lapping the shore of longing” evokes a deep, profound nostalgia, both close and distant. Each time the ship sets sail, the soldiers have to part ways with their comrades on the mainland, carrying with them memories and feelings that have not yet been fully expressed. They live amidst the vast ocean waves, but their hearts always “wait” for the spring of reunion. The desire for a complete, fulfilling spring is the motivation for them to overcome difficulties and protect the border.

The end of the poem is full of nostalgia and intense love for the country:

So Tet early in Truong Sa
Memories are forever full...!

The last two lines of the poem are a quiet and profound ending. Early Tet in Truong Sa is not only a holiday, but also a symbol of nostalgia for the mainland and the overflowing affection of the island soldiers. “The everlasting nostalgia” is not only nostalgia for Tet, but also nostalgia for the homeland, for family, and pride in contributing to protecting the Fatherland. This is an everlasting nostalgia, always present in the hearts of the soldiers - the brave and resilient people standing in the middle of the ocean for the peace of the whole nation.

PoemEarly Tet in Truong Sawritten in free verse, the language is simple, familiar but full of emotion and depth of thought. Author Le Thanh Van used simple images such as "green sticky rice cake wrapped in square betel leaves", "guitar sound", "firm handshakes" to create the power of honesty, while skillfully using contrasts: joy - responsibility, mainland - remote island, harsh nature - optimistic spirit, creating liveliness for the poem. Moreover, the author also used highly symbolic images such as "gunman", "flesh and blood of the country" to emphasize the patriotism and vigilance of the soldiers. The metaphor "waves lapping the shore of longing" along with the repetition of the word "full" in the final sentence brought about lingering emotions, leaving a deep impression on the reader.

The poem is not only a picture of Tet on a remote island but also a song about love for the Fatherland, about the loyalty and sacred responsibility of soldiers towards the country.

Early Tet in Truong Sais a tribute to the silent but strong and resilient people who are the “living shields” protecting the border. The work is a reminder that despite the distance in space, love for the homeland is always a strong bond between the mainland and the remote islands.

AN DUC
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Celebrating Tet early in the middle of the Fatherland's sky and sea