Lyrics

Written in Vietnamese with English Translation (below)
By Duke Nguyen Browning
Copyright © 2006. All Rights Reserved
License & Performance Rights: BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.)

Trở về quê xưa giờ ta đã nửa đời người
Trở về quê xưa, mẹ già tuổi đã bảy mươi
Bờ dừa cây xanh chạy quanh xóm củ mộng lành
Về lại con sông, diều ta đến chốn biển đông

Bờ rạch măm xưa đầu mưa cá vượt về đồng
Ruộng cày không công chờ mùa lúa chín trổ bông
Chiều tàn trông mong, mẹ ta cấy lúa ngoài đồng
Chiều về chỉ mong chén cơm manh áo là xọng

Biển còn bao la, đời người còn nhiều bôn ba
Trời còn đỗ mưa đời ngưỡi vẫn còn đẩy đưa
Đường đời thêng thang rẻ chia vạn lối vạn đàng
Ngõ nào (không may) chông gai, ngõ nào hạnh phúc, hỏi ại.

Đời là mộng mơ, cuộc đời là một vần thơ
Tình là khúc ca, kể lại mối tình ngày qua
Đời là con sông, lơ ta lac lối, ngươc dòng
Nửa đời chờ mong, nửa đời số phận long đong.

Vì đời ta đi, mộng mơ kiếp sống tràn đầy
Vì đời ta đi, ngại chi số kiếp đổi thay
Lỡ đời không may, dẫn ta đến chốn đọa đày
Chẳng buồn chi ai, vi ta nhận kiếp đổi thạy

Về người em xưa, tình chưa chớm nở lại tàn
Mộng người cao sang mà sao số kiếp dở dang
Một lần sang ngang, tình kia cắt đức vội vàng
Còn người đi hoang, Trời ban kiếp sống bình ạn.

Ngày về quê xưa, mẹ ra đón dưới bờ dừa
Còn đàn em thơ, đã vượt quá tuổi mộng mơ
Về lều tranh xưa, chiều mưa nước thấm lệ tràn
Mộng người đi hoang, tặng mẹ máy ngói điểm trang
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The translation below, and other songs on this website, were intended to assist the English speaking audience who may be interested in knowing the general meaning of the lyrics. It was challenging for me, however, because it is very difficult to convey the full meaning of the lyrics through translation because besides understanding the words, one has to understand the culture to fully appreciate it, and in some cases, to make sense of it. Nevertheless, no matter in which language we are communicating, I hope that the audience will enjoy listening to these songs, and share my feeling that in music and arts, there are no boundaries between us. Duke Nguyen Browning (July 2006)
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Returning to my old hometown, my life?s already half way through
Returning to my old hometown, my mother?s already in her seventies
There, an old path of green coconut trees running along my neighborhood of simple dreams,
Coming back to old the river that takes me to the East oceans.

In an old creek, during the first rains of the season fish hastily go upstream, spawning in the farms,
Working in our farm without compensation, hoping for reward with a good harvest season,
When evening comes, we wait for our parents to come home from planting rice in the farm,
When evening comes, our simple hopes and dreams are to have a meal and the clothes in our back.

As long as there?s still a vast ocean, life?s still a struggle.
As long as the rain?s still falling down, life is still unpredictable (up and down)
The road of life?s winding and long, dividing into ten thousand directions
But who really knows which way to takes us to happiness and which way to misfortune

Life is a dream, a hope, and it is like poetry
Love is a song, its melodies, telling the love story that is already gone
Life is a river and if we misstep, it takes us in the wrong direction, going upstream,
Then a half of our life will be there waiting, half of our life will already be wasted.

I left my hometown for survival and life, hoping for a better and fuller one,
I left my hometown for life and survival, not to worry about the changes along the way;
If my journey turns out badly and leads to misfortune and bad luck,
I will not be sad nor will I blame anyone because I?ve already accepted life?s changes.

Returning to my sister, whose love was broken before happiness was found
Her dream in life was high and ambitious, but it turns out to be such a misfortune
Once married, but that togetherness and love ended suddenly.
Fortunately for me, though once wandering aimlessly, God blessed me with peace and happiness.

Returning to my home, my mother comes out to greet under the old path of coconut trees.
My younger siblings are no longer in their youth with full dreams of life,
They?re still in our little house, and as it rains the water leaks through and tears are falling.
I, once an aimless journeyer, return to fulfill my dream, giving my mother a decorated brick house.