Vietnamese Poems Translated

I am a Việt Kiều, who was born in Thủ Đức, Sài Gòn, Việt Nam but immigrated to Chicago, Illinois, United States at the age of 4. I returned to Vietnam in 2015 and started to learn the Vietnamese language and culture. I hope to share what I have learned in the motherland with you, starting with idioms, proverbs, and folk poems (thành ngữ, tục ngữ, ca dao) and their translations/explanations. Please enjoy!

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Thề non hẹn biển.

Swear by mountain, promise by sea. This is describing pledges of eternal love made by lovers. This is a variant of “Promise by jade, swear by gold / Hẹn ngọc thề vàng.” This is similar to “cross my heart and hope to die” (i.e., trust my sincerity).

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Kí cả hai tay.

Sign with both hands. This is describing that one completely approves. This is equivalent to “Wholehearted support” (i.e., complete approval) and “Two thumbs up” (i.e., strong approval).

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Ngựa chạy có bầy, chim bay có bạn.

Horses run with herds, birds fly with friends. This is advising people to befriend others. This is similar to English poet John Donne’s “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main” (i.e., people are not meant to be alone).

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Có chí làm quan, có gan làm giàu.

Have the will to be a mandarin, have the courage to get rich. This is advising those wanting honor and social standing (mandarins were bureaucrats with power and status) to have ambition and will power and those wanting wealth to have courage. Variants include “Có khôn mới làm nên quan, có gan mới làm nên giàu” (i.e., Have to be wise to become a mandarin, have to be brave to get rich) and “Khôn…

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Ăn ngon mặc đẹp.

Eat well and dress beautifully. This is describing a life of comfort and luxury. Other variants include “Ăn sung mặc sướng” (i.e., Eat and dress blissfully) and Ăn trắng mặc trơn (i.e., Eat white (rice) wear smooth (clothes)). This is equivalent to “Living the high life” and “Living life in the lap of luxury.”

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Sông có khúc, người có lúc.

Rivers have parts, people have moments. This is advising others to keep an upbeat attitude and patience. Variants include “Con sông có khúc chảy khúc vắt” (i.e., A river has parts that overflow and parts that are parched), “Đời người có nhiều đoạn nhiều khúc” (i.e., A person’s life has many stages and many parts), and “Người có lúc vinh lúc nhục, nước có lúc đục lúc trong” (i.e., People have…

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Gắp lửa bỏ tay người.

Gắp lửa bỏ tay người.

Pick up fire to put in someone’s hand. This is criticizing acts of slander that sow discord in others in a cruel way. This is equivalent to “Sowing the seeds of discord” (referring to the Golden Apple of Discord that was a prize for the most beautiful goddess in Greek mythology) and “Casting aspersion” (i.e., trying to blacken someone’s name).

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Thuận buồm xuôi gió.

Favorable sail, with the wind. This is wishing well someone who is starting a journey or new venture, i.e., having sails in good positions and tailwinds to move forward. This is equivalent to “Bon voyage” (i.e., French for good voyage), “Godspeed” and “Smooth sailing.”

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Mèo mù vớ cá rán.

Mèo mù vớ cá rán.

Blind cat finds fried fish. This is describing a lucky situation that would not have been possible with own ability. This is similar to “An ounce of luck is better than a pound of wisdom”, “Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while” (i.e., even ineffective people can be lucky), and “Even a broke clock is right twice a day” (i.e., when people are undeservedly successful because of luck).

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Hoạn nạn mới biết bạn hiền.

Hoạn nạn mới biết bạn hiền.

Only through adversity do you know kind friends. This is advising on finding good friends. This is equivalent to “A friend in need is a friend indeed” (i.e., a person who helps you at a difficult time is a truly reliable person).

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Bắt cóc bỏ dĩa.

Bắt cóc bỏ dĩa.

Catch a toad to put on a plate. This is describing a futile action (i.e., a toad will hop away even if you place it on a plate). This is equivalent to “Like herding cats” (i.e., organizing a large group is near impossible), “Flogging/beating a dead horse” (i.e., flogging a dead horse will not compel him to do useful work), and “Carrying water in a sieve” (i.e., the Danaides of Greek mythology…

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Một nửa ổ bánh mì vẫn là bánh mì, nhưng một nửa sự thật không còn là sự thật nữa.

Một nửa ổ bánh mì vẫn là bánh mì, nhưng một nửa sự thật không còn là sự thật nữa.

Half a loaf of bread is still bread, but a half truth is no longer a truth. This is describing lying by omission. This is equivalent to “Economical with the truth” (i.e., withholding information) and American statesman Benjamin Franklin’s saying “Half the truth is often a great lie.”

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Phép vua thua lệ làng.

Phép vua thua lệ làng.

King’s law loses to a village’s customs. This is describing that local customs can overrule other authorities. This is similar to Chinese saying “Thiên cao hoàng đế viễn / Heavens are high, the emperor is far” (i.e., remote areas are beyond the control of the ruler) and contrasted with “The long arm of the law” (i.e., far-reaching power of the law).

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Duyên ai nấy gặp, đừng chờ (đợi) uổng công.

Duyên ai nấy gặp, đừng chờ (đợi) uổng công.

Whose fate they meet, do not wait in vain. This is advising people to take action and not hesitate. This is equivalent to Roman statesman Appius Claudius Caecus’s “Every man is the architect of his own fortune, be master of your own fate.”

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Nhập gia tùy tục, nhập giang tùy khúc.

Nhập gia tùy tục, nhập giang tùy khúc.

When entering a house, follow the rules, when entering the river, follow the bends. This is advising people to follow the local customs when in a different place. This is equivalent to “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” (i.e., adapting to local customs).

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Một nghề cho chín còn hơn chín nghề.

Một nghề cho chín còn hơn chín nghề.

One trade until ripe is better than nine trades. This is advising that becoming a master in one trade is better than learning nine trades. This is a variant of Chinese proverb “Nhất nghệ tinh, nhất thân vinh / Adept in one trade, glory for one person” (i.e., becoming a master in one trade will bring glory and success). This is contrasted to “Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes…

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Một nghề thì sống, đống nghề thì chết.

Một nghề thì sống, đống nghề thì chết.

One trade will live, many trades will die. This is advising that becoming a master in one trade will prosper while working many trades will die. This is a variant of Chinese proverb “Nhất nghệ tinh, nhất thân vinh / Adept in one trade, glory for one person” (i.e., becoming a master in one trade will bring glory and success). This is contrasted to “Jack of all trades, master of none, but…

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