Mẹ Tôi - Trần Tiến (My Mother - Tran Tien English translation)

"Mẹ Tôi" (My Mother) is one of the most profound and emotionally piercing masterpieces by Trần Tiến - a legendary figure in contemporary Vietnamese music known for his rustic, nomadic, and deeply narrative songwriting.

The song was not written overnight; it carries a raw, decades-long ache of a son mourning his late mother. Trần Tiến began writing the first half of the song back in the wings of a theater on the very day of his mother’s death anniversary, forced to perform despite his grief. It took him nearly twenty years, over several subsequent anniversaries, to finally gather the emotional strength to complete it. For a long time, the song was never meant for the public; the composer placed the manuscript on his family altar as a private prayer to his mother, confessing that he could never sing it completely without breaking into tears.

It was not until his niece, the acclaimed diva Hà Trần (who also lost her mother at a very young age), discovered the piece that "Mẹ Tôi" was finally brought to light. Her ethereal, deeply empathetic rendition instantly struck a chord with the public. Over the years, "Mẹ Tôi" has become a timeless anthem of filial piety, performed by powerhouse vocalists like Tùng Dương. It is widely embraced as a poignant piece of art where listeners of all generations find comfort, looking back at their own childhood and the boundless, irreplaceable warmth of a mother’s love.

Note: The embedded player below features the powerful and stirring rendition by singer Tùng Dương (My personal favorite). Readers are highly encouraged to search the internet for other interpretations—such as the deeply intimate versions by Hà Trần or the composer Trần Tiến himself—to experience the multi-faceted emotions of this timeless piece.

Title: Mẹ Tôi
Composer: Trần Tiến

  

English translation: My Mother

Oh mother, I am old now, yet here I sit, longing for you, crying like a child. Oh mother, I am old now, wandering in thoughts, yearning for our home of the days gone by. Once upon a time, father sat with his wine, mother wove the winter coat. Out there, in the chill of winter, the old almond tree let its leaves fall. Once upon a time, my sister sang sweet, idle tunes, drifting into my boyhood dreams. Once upon a time, mother wrapped me in a scarf, warm with her very own breath. Once upon a time, by the bed where father lay, mother sat gazing into the distance. Looking at him, aching for him - a man of great ambitions left unfulfilled. When ocean waves roar, a day of longing for you sends the tide surging to the deep blue sea. When wild winds sweep the sky, a day of weeping for you sees the moon fade and stars fall. Oh mother! The world out there is boundless, yet never as vast as our warm home. Childhood was like a soft pillow, where old age can finally bury its face. Climbing up the mystical mountain of paradise, I see you watching the golden clouds. Oh mother! Please take me with you, so I can be by your side forevermore. Oh mother! The world out there is boundless, yet never as vast as our warm home. Though wealth and glory may shine, nothing compares to having you by my side. Climbing up the mystical mountain of paradise... oh mother, where have you gone? For a thousand years, the white clouds drift along... oh mother, where have you gone?

Original Vietnamese Lyrics

Mẹ ơi con đã già rồi con ngồi nhớ mẹ khóc như trẻ con Mẹ ơi con đã già rồi con ngồi ngớ ngẩn nhớ ngôi nhà xưa Ngày xưa cha ngồi uống rượu, mẹ ngồi đan áo. Ngoài kia, mùa Đông cây bàng lá đổ. Ngày xưa chị hát vu vơ những câu ca cổ cho em nằm mơ Ngày xưa mẹ đắp cho con tấm khăn quàng cổ ấm hơi mẹ tôi Ngày xưa bên giường cha nằm mẹ ngồi xa vắng. Nhìn cha, thương cha chí lớn không thành. Biển sóng thét gào một ngày nhớ mẹ sóng trào khơi xa Trời gió mây ngàn một ngày khóc mẹ trăng tàn sao rơi Mẹ ơi! Thế giới mênh mông, mênh mông không bằng nhà mình. Tuổi thơ như chiếc gối êm, êm cho tuổi già úp mặt. Trèo lên dãy núi thiên thai ối a mẹ ngồi trông áng mây vàng Mẹ ơi! Hãy dắt con theo ối a để con mãi mãi bên mẹ. Mẹ ơi! Thế giới mênh mông, mênh mông không bằng nhà mình. Dù cho phú quý vinh quang, vinh quang không bằng có mẹ. Trèo lên dãy núi thiên thai ối a mẹ tôi về đâu? Ngàn năm mây trắng bay theo ối a mẹ ơi mẹ về đâu?

Notes
This translation has no noticable notes!