Tribute to the person who translated more than 60 Vietnamese songs into Russian

Teacher and translator Le Duc Man is the one who has diligently translated dozens of famous Vietnamese songs into Russian. Not only translating the lyrics and meaning, Mr. Man also painstakingly selected the language so that the lyrics retain their original meaning and melody when translated into Russian, so that when sung, the song sounds as if it were written in Russian and not translated.

The program "Vietnamese Songs with Russian Lyrics" introduces Vietnamese songs that have been around for years, translated into Russian by Mr. Le Duc Man, organized by a group of former students of the Russian Language Department in collaboration with units of Hanoi University, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Russia (January 30, 1950 - January 30, 2025), the anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory on May 7 and the Victory over Fascism on May 9.

Translator Le Duc Man was born in 1941 in Duy Tien, Ha Nam. He is an excellent teacher, poet and famous translator. He worked at Hanoi University from 1966 to 2002.

With a deep love and understanding for music and poetry, teacher and translator Le Duc Man began translating Vietnamese songs into Russian in the 1990s. Initially just a personal hobby, he later turned song translation into a systematic work.

The songs he translated into Russian include songs composed by many famous Vietnamese musicians, with melodies that are familiar to the public, from pre-war songs, revolutionary songs, lyrical songs, to songs that are loved by young people today such as: Ho Chi Minh's song, Last night I dreamed of meeting Uncle Ho, Hope song, Marching to Hanoi, Love song, Northwest love song, Boat and sea, Do you still remember or have you forgotten, Autumn in Hanoi, Chalk dust, Every day I choose a joy, The first spring, Joining hands in a big circle, This earth is ours, Hello Vietnam, A lap of Vietnam, Rebirth...

Not only is it a passion, translating song lyrics into Russian is also a mission he always wants to pursue: spreading the beauty of Vietnamese culture and music abroad.

In addition to translating song lyrics, translator Le Duc Man also translated dozens of Russian literary works into Vietnamese. Many of his translations have been published and used as teaching materials at universities. According to him, translation work requires not only linguistic knowledge but also an understanding of culture, music and emotions.

Although he is very experienced in translation, when starting to translate any work, translator Le Duc Man is very careful and puts cultural and linguistic factors first.

He shared that during the translation process, he also encountered many difficulties in culture, language and music, especially how to "match" Russian words with the meaning, context and rhythm of the Vietnamese lyrics in the song.

He confided: “I am a person who has some knowledge and love for educational activities, culture in general, for poetry, languages, Vietnamese and Russian, and also loves playing musical instruments and singing.

Throughout my life, I have only sat in one place to teach, write poems, translate books and interact with colleagues, old and new students. In recent years, at the age of U90, I have devoted myself to translating Vietnamese song lyrics into Russian. I think we have translated hundreds, thousands of songs from other countries into Vietnamese so that we can integrate and absorb the quintessence of world music. But the opposite direction is very little…”

His translation work is like a silkworm spinning silk, when each song and each work translated is like a beautiful silk woven from his diligent efforts.

Talking about the translated works of teachers and translators, Le Duc Man, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Trao, Principal of Hanoi University, said that to compose a musical work and love songs, the artist needs creative materials, emotions, creative context, melody and lyrics.

“When translating Russian lyrics for Vietnamese music works, Mr. Man has the power of language, mastery of literature, Russian - Vietnamese language, and great love for both Vietnam and Russia. He has musical sense, true emotions from the heart and soul, empathy, communication between the composer and the translator, and communication of Russian - Vietnamese cultural values. Most importantly, it is the harmony of Mr. Man's heart and soul and the understanding of students of all generations" - Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Trao said.

Many students and alumni expressed their respect and gratitude for the contributions of Mr. Le Duc Man. Nguyen Thi Hoai Thu, a second-year student of the Russian Language Department at Hanoi University, shared: “The songs that Mr. Man translated into Russian not only preserve the national identity but also carry the spirit of cultural connection between Vietnam and Russia. I hope that students who are studying will actively participate in meaningful programs like this because this is not only an opportunity to practice language skills but also to strengthen the love for the homeland and Vietnamese culture, thereby understanding and loving the Russian language and culture more.”

Sharing on the sidelines of the event, Mr. Maksim Kurilov, First Secretary of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Vietnam, emphasized the significance of translating famous Vietnamese songs into Russian in the context of enhancing cultural exchange between the two countries: “We consider this an important activity, creating momentum to promote cultural relations between Russia and Vietnam. In that exchange process, translation plays an essential role, helping the two peoples understand each other better and become closer through language and music.”

Mr. Maksim Kurilov, First Secretary of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Vietnam.

The First Secretary also expressed his deep gratitude to Mr. Le Duc Man - who has devoted many years to translating Vietnamese songs into Russian: "I would like to express my special thanks to comrade Le Duc Man for his tireless contributions. It is a job that not only requires high expertise, but also makes a very meaningful contribution to strengthening the cultural relationship between the two countries."

Talking about his feelings when listening to Vietnamese songs in Russian, Mr. Maksim Kurilov said: “I am really touched and happy to enjoy Vietnamese songs performed in my mother tongue. It is wonderful that there are still enthusiastic people like Mr. Le Duc Man, who has been bringing Vietnamese melodies with strong national identity closer to the Russian public. This shows that the friendly relationship between the two countries is constantly developing, increasingly strong and will continue to be strengthened in the future.”

Translator Le Duc Man and many delegates and audiences at the ceremony.

Up to now, the number of Vietnamese songs translated into Russian by Le Duc Man (over the past 30 years) has exceeded 60 and will certainly not stop there. At the age of over 80, teacher and translator Le Duc Man is still enthusiastic and passionate in his work as a cultural ambassador connecting Russia and Vietnam.

Meritorious Teacher and Translator Le Duc Man was born in 1941 in Duy Tien, Ha Nam. He was eager to learn from a young age. As a child, his father taught him a little Chinese characters, and when he grew up, he studied French in Hanoi. In 1960, he studied Russian at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Hanoi Pedagogical University. After graduating, he returned to Hanoi University of Foreign Languages ​​(now Hanoi University - HANU) to teach and was attached to this school from 1966 until his retirement (in 2002).

Up to now, translator Le Duc Man has translated more than 40 Russian literary works into Vietnamese, including many famous works, such as the epic poem "The Devil" (Mikhail Lermontov), ​​many works by Dostoievsky, Anna Karenina (Tolstoy), "And Here the Dawn Is Quiet" (Boris Vasilyev); "The Jokes" (Azit Nexin) of Türkiye but translated from Russian, "The Church Congregation" (Nikolai Leskov), and many poems by A.Pushkin and many other authors. In 2017, the Vietnam Writers Association awarded the biggest translation award to translator Le Duc Man, with the poetic play consisting of up to 5000 verses "Suffering for Wisdom" by Russian author Aleksandr Griboedov (1795 - 1829).

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tri-an-nguoi-chuyen-ngu-hon-60-ca-khuc-viet-sang-tieng-nga-post878847.html