Songs For Peace
SONG FOR PEACE 1
(Saigon-1972)
Little one, see the lazy bird
His lungs haven't been well for many years
The mornings have been empty of his happy laughter
This afternoon he stands up
And sings for a long time
Because Peace has come
Because Peace has come
Little one, see the old buffalo
He has been working hard for many years
With the ploughman
Little one, see the old buffalo
Chewing grass peacefully
While machines are working in the field
Don't be sad about the machines, old one
Don't be sad about the machines, old one
Little one, hear the laughter echoing
Children can now play without fear
Schools have just been built
Where prisons used to hold many old and young
Camps have become schools of life
Roses are blooming in the park
Roses are blooming in the park
Little one, it's time
For you and mum to go to the market
Morning till noon, you're still lingering
On the way back
You meet a young hippie
In a tattered shirt, by the church
As beautiful as gentle Christ
As beautiful as gentle Christ.
Little one, this flowering vine
Is a wild thorny vine
That scratches lovers' feet
When the season changes
And you hear explosions
That will be firecrackers at a wedding or some festival
Go to the pagoda to celebrate with the crowd.
Go to the pagoda to celebrate with the crowd.
Little one, I am old now
My strength is failing
Though I live with a withered heart
Little one, now that I'm back
Listen to my story
New stories, old stories, full of sadness and joy
Stories about peace
(repeated several times)
BACK FROM THE DEAD
(Saigon-1972)
Back from the dead, walking along the cool village path
Back from the dead, walking along the big road
Back from the dead, walking on the green hills
Back from the dead, walking on the yellow beach
Back from the dead, a strong ploughman
Back from the dead, an eager miner
Back from the dead, a wakeful herdsman
Back from the dead, a dreamy fisherman
Back from the dead, a victorious hero
Like wise men preferring obscurity
Back from the dead, we are all full of hope
Holding our women in our arms
Back from the dead, a priest on the bell tower
Praying for God to bless the believers
Back from the dead, by Buddha's statue
The sound of gong mixed with a monk's prayers
Back from the dead, a bandit wiping his sword
Tearing off his travel cloak to become a ferryman
Back from the dead, a prostitute wiping off her make up
To put on plain dark clothes
Back from the dead, I say farewell to arms
Back from the dead, I become small again
Back from the dead, with a bottle of good wine
Back from the dead, I travel by myself happily.
IT SEEMS LIKE PEACE
(Saigon-1972)
It seems I hear the sound of people
Yesterday there was only silence
People who used to cover their faces
Today are smiling
It seems like I love my neighbour
Complete strangers suddenly seem close
I even love those I hated
I dream a fairy tale dream
A fairy tale dream!
A fairy tale dream!
It seemed like we were abnormal
We had too much of our homeland, or not enough
It seems like it's our imagination
This land, land without peer
It seems like our land is now one
Land for so long divided
Large our heart may be
It only wants to hold one country
One country only
One country only
It seems like I know the cricket
Through his nightly songs we understand each other
There is no shyness between us
We'll go singing together
It seems like you are the green moss
Holding on to me tightly, a rolling stone
Yesterday love didn't come to the meeting
Today suddenly it is here
Love is here
Love is here
It seems like this night is too long
It seems like this night is too short
Together at the festival
We enjoy ourselves like mad
It seems like I am small again
It seems like I am two years old
My mother hugs me in her soft embrace
Scratches my back, picks up fleas in my hair.
(repeat the last line several times)
LOVE COME TO THE WORLD
(Saigon-1972)
Love come to the world
Over an arid land
Over a dark Earth
Love come to the world
In a dying man's heart
Love come to the world
In the mire of life
Love come to the world
In the prison of this land
Love come to the world
On this globe full of lies
Love come to the world
In the sinning heart of man
Let love come to the world
In this drifting life.
Ten thousand nights of pain
O perpetual nightmare
Ten thousand nights of hate
Ten thousand nights of anger
In this unending mire
Only bones and blood
In this unending mire
Only tears and laments
Ten thousand nights of pain
Ten thousand nights of broken heart
Ten thousand nights of tragedy
Ten thousand nights of pain
REFRAIN
Love come to the world
So flowers can bloom just once
Love come to the world
So lungs can breathe just once
Love come to the world
So doors will open just once
Let love come to the world
Our love.
GENTLE SPRING
(Saigon-1972)
Spring sunshine spreads over the homeland
Shining over the mystical family of the hundred children
Fifty chidren walked down
Fifty chidren walked up
When it's time to talk
The spring breeze carries happy news
A cool wind that brings peace to the heart
They share life
They share death
They decide to wed spring!
Green spring, you are a spring virgin
Your life force is the shimmering brook
Sloping down the mountain
Drifting to the sea
Curving its young body
Green spring, I am white haired and wrinkled
My life force is the vast old sea
Stretching from the beach
Towards the forest I reach
Releasing clouds into the sky
Spring night, you sleep in a dream of love
Beautiful moon tiptoes after you
With a pair of doves
Cooing to warm each other's hearts
Sleep of spring, I go deep into a fairyland dream
Picking a peach, drinking some wine
Coming to the well
With my arms crossed I call the names
Of benevolent heaven and earth
Young Spring, old Spring, familiar spring
I now know Spring is love's rebirth
Autumn, Winter, Summer may die
Only Spring lives on
Encouraging blood to flow back to the heart
Spring is not leaving, Spring is staying
Staying in the world to carry us on her back
I love Spring
I love Spring
And I live with sweet spring
LULLABY FOR MOTHER
(Saigon-1972)
Mother is fifty year old, fifty years of war
The child is twenty year old when Peace came to visit
For so long the guns have rung
Today silence catches the world by surprise
My mother does not sleep well
Shés used to be lullabied by the sound of bombs
Mother! Sleep is late coming
I have a thousand verses to sing to you
The songs of Nguyễn Du
Six-eight foot verses that bring peace
The song of Nguyễn Du
Six-eight foot verses that bring peace
Fifty years you have drifted
Twenty years I am lost on the road
Our houses may have been destroyed
But Vietnam is still in one piece
Have a good sleep, my mother
I will stay awake to watch you
You have never slept very much
I will sing to make you sleep all day
To the sound of my song the hammock will swing
An old rhyme, warm as a life dream
Fifty years you have lacked a dream
Twenty years I lie waiting for a sweet dream
From now you will sleep in peace
I will share with you my gentle dreams
Mother! Such beautiful dreams
I give them to Vietnam's life
Dreams without bloodshed
Dreams about innocent children
Íll sing a song that will span
The lullabies of centuries
Íll sing a song that will span
The lullabies of centuries.
PEACE GREETING
(Saigon-1972)
Wearing my good shoes and clothes
I greet my land now living in peace
I bow to older brother
I stand and greet younger brother
I reach up and greet Faith
I greet the morning, noontime, the afternoon
Night has come and I still say my greetings
I feel cries of joy inside myself
I see people greeting each other all around
And I haven't forgotten to greet myself
Greetings of peace !
Greetings of peace !
Greetings to you peasants of few words
Who give to the world
Rice full of the fragrance of human toil
Workers please have a rest,
Traders please come home
And listen to the people's greetings
I greet the soldier with his gun
Sitting by the deserted stream reciting a poem
I will follow the holy man
To the temple to pray
And ring a bell to send all humanity
A greeting of peace!
A greeting of peace!
I greet the clear pool in summer
I greet the warm jacket in winter
I thank the flowers of spring
I kiss the autumn breeze on the hill
I love the sun and the rain that the days bring
I greet the crying baby
I wave my hand to the vehicles
In a funeral procession
I want my life to transcend itself
Greeting of peace!
Greeting of peace!
I greet the little globe in space
I greet the world that all humans share
The five oceans that people share
And the tall icy mountains
And the arid deserts
I greet a thought of shared joy and sadness
Of peaceful co-existence
Of sharing water and rice
Of sharing clothes and roofs
We shake hands and greet each other with a happy voice
A greeting of peace!
A greeting of peace!
GOOD BYE NIGHTMARE -- (Paradise Refound)
(Saigon-1972)
My love, say good bye to the nightmare
Together we'll go to Eden
Where big rivers flow
We'll love in the wild meadow
My love, do not be afraid
Where we go the wolves are asleep
Dark eyed fawns will follow us around
Along the little brook
My love, say good bye to darkness
We'll love under the sun
Yellowing dry grass will be our bed
Rain will cool our heart.
My love, when the cool night comes
We'll love under bright lights
In a room with gayly colored walls
We'll look at each other to remember our bodies
My love, say good bye to the nightmare
Together we go to Eden
A sacred garden with the fragrance of skin
Your lips are sweeter than a heavenly peach
My love, say good bye to the past
To suffering, to frustration, to anger
My love, say good bye to hatred
To remorse, to regret, to sorrow.
CHRIST OF PEACE
(Saigon-1972)
If they get angry
If they are hostile
If they are mislead
And become ruthless
If they hit me
And slap me on this cheek
I will remain silent
And turn the other cheek!
Jesus, my Jesus
Who bestowed love onto us!
Jesus, my Jesus
Who made us love peace!
Having committed a sin
The unchaste woman is crying
Surrounded by a crowd
Waiting for the stones
O would be judges
If you haven't sinned
Then throw your stone!
O Christ, my Jesus!
Have pity on mankind
O Christ, my Jesus!
Don't judge mankind, but judge me!
If on the coin you see
The profile of Rome's emperor
He who imposed the taxes
Then return it to Ceasar
As to the lamb
Return it to Christ!
O Christ, my Jesus!
My body goes out into the world
O Christ, my Jesus!
My heart goes back to me.
O Christ, my Jesus!
In a man's difficult life
O Christ, my Jesus!
I accept you as my joy
Amen.
DAY WILL COME
Peace, O Peace!
Peace, O Peace!
Day will come with so much joy
Joy to see the end of war
Our homeland already so beautiful
Will be more beautiful, more happy, more splendid
Peace, O Peace!
Peace, O Peace!
On harvest day we walk to the country market
The brightly lit road holds no more fear
On the dyke the mines and spikes are gone
No war plane is shaking the little boats
Peace, O Peace!
Peace, O Peace!
On the day the war ends, wives and husbands reunite
The guns have gone silent, parents meet their children
Brothers are no longer ennemies
Hand in hand we build the future
Peace, O Peace!
Peace, O Peace!
Day will come, the country wil be one again
North and South, we can go anywhere
I will show you a Hanoi autumn
You will show me a Southern sunshine
Day will come, and Vietnam
Will no longer be a word that means sleepless nights
Will no longer be a word that means suffering
But will sound like a fairy tale.
Peace, O Peace!
Peace, O Peace!
Day has come, and LOVE and FRIENDSHIP
Which we have always doubted
Today become reality as we embrace each other
And love each other like little children
Peace, O Peace!
Peace, O Peace!
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