Ta tự hào đi lên, ơi Việt Nam (Oh, Vietnam, Let's Go Ahead With Pride)

Annotation

Unknown date, but probably released in the war years on the Dihavina record label (# CKS 0004), originally the state label of North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) before reunification in 1975. Several of the titles focused on socialism and the party: the song "Đảng là cuộc sống của tôi" ("The Communist Party, That's My Own Life"), and the song "Đảng cộng sản Việt Nam" ("Song Dedicated to the Vietnam Communist Party"), while several other titles dealt with national pride and patriotism, such as the song "Ta tự hào đi lên, ơi Việt Nam" ("Oh, Vietnam, Let's Go Ahead With Pride") - this one contains references to combat: "to the front we enter the battle... aim straight at the enemy and shoot".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: We stand at the crest of the wave amid the current of the age, the torrent of life / We stand at the crest of the wave, where currents of thought stir humanity / In life's torrent our boat is small, but our hands hold the oars steady / Without rocking, we head straight on our course / We stand at the crest of the wave, at the forefront of a wondrous, storm-tossed struggle / Where hope blooms like gardens of flowers, where truth shines bright at the head of the storm / We go forward with pride, oh Vietnam! Marching amid the great festival / These wondrous days of fighting on the front line / We go into battle with youthful souls seething with pride / Like a gushing torrent, come, we set out across a thousand mountains / Bearing our oath, heading straight for the front, we go into battle / Where cries of hatred ring out, where we aim straight at the enemy's head and fire / So that the nation shines with the flag of victory. We go forward with pride, oh Vietnam! Friend, come to our homeland / Gaze at the blue sea stretching to the far horizon / Hear the waves surging on the open sea / The wind whistling through the casuarinas on the shore / Sails spread their wings, crossing the waves out to sea / In the rosy sunlight, blazing bright / The South of the country, our homeland / Has green coconut groves stretching to the far horizon / The young women, brimming with youthful love / Lovely and fresh, at the age of loving life / The young men's hearts, vast as the open sea /…

Notes

Dihavina CKS 0004, 33 rpm, stereo, "Nhà xuất bản Văn hóa – Hà Nội Việt Nam", "Made in Czechoslovakia"; dark grey labels with silver Dihavina lettering, the rim reading "Thu thanh tại phòng thu Xưởng đĩa hát – Hà Nội Việt Nam"; run-out etched "CKS 0004 A/A". The front sleeve is a painting of bamboo, mauve mountains and palm trees on a shore, titled "Việt nam quê hương tôi" and "Vietnam, my native country". The back sleeve lists each song in Vietnamese and English with music (nhạc), lyrics (lời / lời thơ), accompaniment arrangement (soạn phần đệm), conductor (chỉ huy) and singers: Side A – "Như hoa hướng dương" (Tô Vũ / Hải Như; Tuyết Thanh và Thanh Hòa), "Những thành phố bên bờ biển cả" (Phạm Đình Sáu / Huy Cận; Kiều Hưng), "Bài ca biên giới" (Xuân Giao; lĩnh xướng Thanh Hòa – Minh Quang), "Tiếng hát sông Hồng" (Văn Ký; Duy Tân), "Bài ca thống nhất" (Võ Văn Di; Thu Hiền), "Việt nam ơi!…

About the artist

Various Artists

Themes

Vietnamese Perspective · Patriotic · Communism · Ho Chi Minh Trail

In collections

North Vietnamese Songs