The special origin of the English teacher who wrote the lyrics for the song with 3 billion views

Teacher "son of a soldier", father and grandfather were both "Uncle Ho's soldiers"

Besides the original Vietnamese version with more than 3 billion listens, the song "Continue writing the story of peace " also has an English version that creates no less effect.

The image of a female student wearing a white ao dai singing with a clear and emotional voice with the English lyrics received thousands of comments and shares. Musician Nguyen Van Chung himself also introduced this English version on his personal page.

The female student who sang "Continue writing the story of peace" in English is Nguyen Xuan Mai - a student at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted. The person who translated the English lyrics is also a teacher at this famous school: Mr. Mai Thanh Son.

Teacher Mai Thanh Son and student Nguyen Xuan Mai (Photo: NVCC).

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, teacher Mai Thanh Son said that his maternal grandfather was a military doctor who participated in the Dien Bien Phu campaign in 1954 and the Binh Tri Thien campaign in 1968.

Mr. Son's father participated in the Quang Tri campaign in 1972 and was present in the army that advanced to liberate the South on April 30, 1975. His mother used to work at the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, a job that often involved contact with veterans and war invalids who were severely affected by the war.

"I grew up with my father's war stories and through real-life experiences with Uncle Ho's soldiers.

Therefore, the memories and love for soldiers urged me to do something on the occasion of the whole country's turn to the great celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and national reunification.

I chose to express my gratitude by translating "Continuing the Peace Story" into English. My wish is to spread the love of the Fatherland not only to students studying abroad but also to international friends.

"Continuing the story of peace" by musician Nguyen Van Chung is a song that expresses national pride and heroism from its melody to its lyrics. It is a song that makes me both moved and "give me goosebumps". From the first time I heard it, I was determined to translate this song," said teacher Mai Thanh Son.

The song was posted by Mr. Son on his personal YouTube channel "Nhac Dich" on April 30, then spread widely on social networks.

A collection of more than 40 English translated songs

Teacher Mai Thanh Son started translating music in 2009 with a Japanese song, but became truly passionate about this job after participating in a "cover" contest for the movie "Mat Biec".

The teacher translated the song "From then" by musician Phan Manh Quynh into English and had his student Xuan Mai sing it. The song immediately caught the attention of the online community.

From this leverage, Mr. Son created the YouTube channel "Translated Music". The number of songs translated and published is approximately 40.

Teacher Mai Thanh Son owns the YouTube channel "Nhac Dich" which includes nearly 40 songs with Vietnamese lyrics translated into English (Photo: NVCC).

The Ams school teacher said that translating music is a way to relax after stressful working hours.

"I myself have always wanted to work creatively. In addition to translating music, I also write books. These two activities keep my mind thinking and exploring, so I find joy in them.

Vietnamese music is very good, not inferior to foreign music. Translating music into English can help good songs become widely popular.

In addition, I translate music for my students. To me, they are rough gems that need to be discovered. If teachers need to develop and inspire students to have the opportunity to shine, then the same is true for music translators like me, we need to maximize the students' abilities," said Mr. Son.

Although teaching English, Mr. Son always focuses on integrating historical content into his lessons to make his lectures more interesting. That is also the way Mr. Son inspires national pride, gratitude for the past, respect for peace and inspires students to learn, helping them understand the meaning and value of learning and dedication.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/xuat-than-dac-biet-cua-thay-giao-viet-loi-tieng-anh-ca-khuc-3-ty-luot-xem-20250506162208461.htm