Voluntary

I intended to find a different title for my article about the song "Self-Willingness" by the late composer Truong Quoc Khanh. However, after much deliberation and considering several titles I had written down, I finally chose the song's title for my article. And, I think, perhaps no title is more suitable for my article than "Self-Willingness."

"Voluntary" is the pure, beautiful ideal song of a young generation, of countless Vietnamese youth. In the struggle against foreign invaders and traitors of yesterday, and in the cause of building and protecting the country today, "Voluntary" remains passionately dedicated to noble sacrifice. With lyrics as beautiful as poetry, a melody that is sometimes tender and quiet, sometimes soaring and expansive, imbued with lyricism and heroism, "Voluntary" deserves to be ranked among the greatest revolutionary songs.

Voluntary

Illustration: LE NGOC DUY

Born out of the struggle of young people, students, and schoolchildren in South Vietnam during the years of resistance against American imperialism, "Self-Voluntary" is both a love song brimming with aspirations for peace and a heroic anthem of sacrifice for national independence and freedom. Students at that time affectionately called Truong Quoc Khanh "The Dove Composer." Indeed, the dove, a symbol of peace, flutters its wings in his song.

If I were a bird, I would be a white dove.

First and foremost, it is a voluntary embodiment of the symbolic image of peace. Peace is the greatest and eternal aspiration of the Vietnamese people. The country has endured countless wars and suffered immeasurable pain and loss; a lifetime filled with so much conflict, and as Hữu Thỉnh wrote, "I cling to the bed, to the mat, waiting for you," nothing is more precious than peace.

Naturally, the aspiration for peace will not become a reality if every Vietnamese citizen silently watches the footsteps of foreign invaders without doing anything. We must rise up and fight against the invaders and traitors in the light of justice. We must continue to dedicate ourselves by voluntarily joining the revolutionary army, by passionately loving our homeland, and by selfless sacrifice for the nation.

If I were a flower, I would make a sunflower.

If I were a cloud, I would be a warm cloud.

If I were a human being, I would die for my homeland.

These beautiful, intimate images evoke many associations with the Party, ideals; with life, human relationships, and above all, the voluntary dedication to the homeland. These images are elevated by the musical notes, weaving a majestic melody of a bygone era that still shines brightly and warmly today.

A sunflower following the sun's rays, a warm cloud high above the vast blue sky, a consciousness dedicated to its roots—all remain relevant to the future. Like a radiant light emanating from a tragic memory, like a melody enduringly preserved from yesterday's message. Voluntary, voluntary, and voluntary... continuing in an unbroken flow of past and present, of the past and the future.

And here, the beautiful, very beautiful movement of a patriotic artist's soul, or more precisely, of an entire generation of patriots rising up and marching, rising up and marching with their beloved compatriots along the length of the country from South to North.

As a bird, I will spread my soft wings high.

From the South to the North, news travels continuously.

We should remember that this was a time when the country was divided in two by the Ben Hai River (Quang Tri), but in the hearts of patriots, North and South remained one, mountains connected to mountains, rivers connected to rivers, united. They willingly soared high on the soft wings of peace, overcoming countless hardships and dangers to connect the South with the North.

"North by day, South by night" was the plight of many at that time, and the white dove, voluntarily acting as a messenger of love, erased the vast divisions and separations. The light of hope, kindled by the flame of the heart, created miraculous flight paths for the youth and the nation determined to fight the enemy and reclaim their homeland.

Voluntarily bringing the love of life to everyone, beautiful like a flower blooming in the cool morning mist, its fragrance blending into countless hearts yearning for peace. That romantic atmosphere captivates us, pure and peaceful like a dream in our hearts. A dream that embodies the word "peace"!

Like a flower, I bloom with morning love.

Together, countless hearts are intoxicated with peace.

Once again, we willingly embark on the ideal flight path, carried on the wings of heroism and romance. Like warm clouds carried by the winds of the times, we soar across the sky of our homeland. Each mountain and river carries the majestic spirit of a thousand years, invigorating the present generation. The vast flow of history supports the ship of the nation, but it is also present in each individual. Every son and daughter of Vietnam willingly dedicates himself to the path of righteousness, driving out foreign invaders and crushing traitors, just as our ancestors did for a thousand years. Patriotism multiplies patriotism, heroic spirit multiplies heroic spirit, never diminishing like the law of existence and development of this nation. Listen:

Like a cloud, I fly across the sky on the wind.

That glorious past, I would like to continue the story.

And, on the revolutionary path, how proud and moving it is to see our country's sons and daughters ready to sacrifice, willingly sacrificing themselves for the Fatherland. This is no longer strange; it's truly miraculous, yet it's also incredibly simple and familiar, like the Vietnamese people who simultaneously fight the enemy, write poetry, and sing:

As a human being, I ask for one last thing before I pass away.

I saw my brothers standing nearby, raising the flag high.

How many people have voluntarily laid down their lives like that; their deaths inspire bright and heroic spirit in their comrades, friends, contemporaries, and future generations. They live only once and die only once. They live for the Fatherland, they die for the Fatherland, serene and peaceful like a dove, loyal and steadfast like a sunflower, gentle and carefree like a warm cloud, indomitable and deeply devoted like a flag.

And, shining brightest of all, like a capitalized Human Being, living and dying not just for oneself, but always integrating and transforming into the sublime and vast, that is, the beloved homeland and nation. The flag never falls, even as countless people have fallen, as an eternal symbol of patriotism and immortality.

Today's generation of young people still often sings Truong Quoc Khanh's "Tu Nguyen" (Voluntary). Many still remember the composer, a son of Don Thuan, Trang Bang, Tay Ninh . During the "Sing for My Compatriots" movement in the years of the war against America, Truong Quoc Khanh served as Deputy Head of the Saigon Student and Youth Arts Troupe (headed by composer Ton That Lap). He passed away on June 23, 1999, after leaving behind many beautiful songs for the country, including the extremely famous "Tu Nguyen." The lyrics and melody of "Tu Nguyen" still resonate:

If I were a bird, I would be a white dove.

If I were a flower, I would make a sunflower.

If I were a cloud, I would be a warm cloud.

If I were a human being, I would die for my homeland...

People remember musician Truong Quoc Khanh as a reminder of an unforgettable era, as a way to strengthen faith in the nation's future, and also to pay tribute to those who have passed away, still watching over their comrades as they rise up and raise the flag high.

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