So that the lullaby may live on forever.

In Khuoi Le village, Bang Thanh commune, Mrs. Hoang Thi My, over sixty years old, still maintains the habit of singing lullabies whenever she looks after her grandchildren or in her free time. Since childhood, she has been familiar with lullabies, having learned them from her mother and maternal grandmother. Today, when many young people no longer know how to sing lullabies in the Tay language, she has become the guardian and teacher of lullabies for the village.

Ms. My taught lullabies to the younger generation in the village.

Preserving lullabies in the villages.

Ms. My is not the only one in the village who knows lullabies, but she is perhaps the one who has preserved the most of the old Tày lullabies. For her, lullabies are not just a habit, but a part of her cultural identity, continuing the traditional values ​​passed down from her grandparents and parents. Every time she holds her grandchild, or during her free time, lullabies fill her small stilt house, as a way to connect one generation with another.

“In the past, my mother used to carry me on her back, rocking me to sleep while working. My siblings did the same; she would carry them on her back and sing those heartfelt lullabies. Later, my grandchildren also became immersed in those lullabies. I heard them so many times that I knew, remembered, and sang them myself,” Mrs. My shared.

In the tranquil afternoon, lullabies echoed, sometimes softly, sometimes rapidly, like the tireless footsteps in the fields, carrying with them stories of simple yet profound life. These lullabies not only helped children sleep soundly but also contained knowledge and lessons about labor, family love, and gratitude towards nature.

Mrs. My recounted that, in the old Tay community, each lullaby was not only a lullaby to put a child to sleep but also contained the simple dreams of mothers and grandmothers. These dreams included a life of abundance, of rice fields, buffaloes, and afternoons spent harvesting and pounding rice. These lullabies included songs such as:

“…The silkworms fill both laps of my dress/The sparrows have seven eggs/One goes to wash diapers/One goes to cook while waiting for mother to come home…”

Lullabies, therefore, are not simply for putting children to sleep, but also a form of education . From the time they are in the cradle, children are taught how to live, how to love, and how to cherish the values ​​in life. These songs may be simple, but they contain precious lessons intended for children.

Ms. My performed at the ceremony to receive the Intangible Cultural Heritage "Folk performance art of lullabies of the Tay people in Giao Hieu commune" (now Bang Thanh commune).

The "inheritor of three no's" and the journey of preserving heritage.

In recent years, lullabies have become less common. Many children no longer get to be sung to sleep by their grandmothers or mothers. Instead, they have phones and televisions. Mrs. My worried about this: "No one remembers, no one sings. Losing the lullabies means losing our roots." So she decided to teach them. No paper, no classroom. She taught anyone who wanted to learn, sometimes at home, sometimes in the yard, even while working in the fields. People called her "the inheritor of the three no's": no need for training, no escorting, and no secrets kept.

The lullabies sung by grandmothers are not only heard during teaching sessions. They are also present on special occasions – such as the first month celebration of young children.

On the occasion of the one-month birthday of Hoang Dinh An, the son of Mr. Hoang Van Su from Na Hin village, the family invited Mrs. My to sing a lullaby to celebrate. In the stilt house, filled with relatives from both sides of the family, Mrs. My sat holding the baby, her voice soft as a whisper:

“Lullaby… my baby… sleep/Sleep soundly/On this auspicious day, I carry you to sell your tears/So that from now on you will be safe/…May our grandchild grow up quickly/Every day you grow as tall as a banyan tree…”.

Even now, in her old age, Mrs. My still maintains the habit of singing lullabies. Sometimes she sings for her grandchildren, sometimes to recall old memories. She enthusiastically teaches anyone who wants to learn. She says, "As long as I remember, I will sing. As long as there are people listening, I will teach." That alone is enough to preserve a cultural tradition in the village…

With these precious values, on June 1, 2023, lullabies of the Tay people in Giao Hieu commune (now Bang Thanh commune) were included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202507/de-loi-ru-con-mai-0a0199e/