… a cloud of hair, snow-white shoulders, fragrant breath, skin of ivory… a smile more joyous than a blossoming flower…

Long before the Việt Minh,
Peace reigned in the land of the Kinh,
Though the Han were near,
The people had no fear,
For they were the children
Of Âu Cơ and Lạc Long Quân.

The rice grew tall and the people stout,
Love and children were seen all about,
Across the oceans, the mountains and the plains,
Happiness and abundant rains.

Upon the backs of elephants they would pack,
The brave, Trưng Nhị and Trưng Trắc.
Traveling to save the kingdom
Until their lovely feet got blisters,
No sacrifice too great for these heroic sisters.

And while they rode the great beasts,
Partaking of the people’s feasts,
They organized and strengthened,
The defense of this proud nation.

Trưng Trắc and Thi Sách were very much in love,
He was her turtle and she was his dove.
So Trắc didn’t like it when local Han,
Tried to boss Thi Sách around.

To avenge Thi Sách, her loving husband,
Who suffered much at Su Ting’s hand,
Trắc enlisted sister Nhị,
The duo recruited many women and men,
And attacked to cause the Han to run.

T’was years before when Han warriors,
Were made to look the sorrier,
And Kinh crossbows won the day,
But Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị knew,
Han would return and not to play.

When the mighty invaders drew near,
All listened so they could hear,
The sisters proud give all their might
To defend and if need be fight,
And drive the invaders from their sight.

When they behold the lithe Trưng Nhị,
Enemy soldiers run and flee,
Of Trắc they do beware her,
For they shrink and hide in terror,
The two in all their glory!
-- both the heroines of our story --
With strong limbs gleaming they ride,
Trắc and younger sister side by side,
On faithful elephants that save their mistresses,
From any insults or military distresses.

In Mê-linh where fate awaited,
Ma’s army of twenty thousand not yet sated,
The people of Cấm-Khê still wish
Ma Yuan had never been
To sacred Mount Tán Viên.

When all was done and said,
Trưng Trắc had lost her head,
And then the people could see,
The same fate befell Trưng Nhị.
A wail arose throughout the lands,
People frowned and wrung their hands.

It was A.D. forty three, and
All were sad when it was known,
That in the Imperial court at Lo-yang,
The precious heads were shown.

But many others look on high,
And see Trắc and Nhị up in the sky,
They have no further doubts,
That Nhị and Trắc are in the clouds.

When the people cried,
Even the Wave-Calming General Ma sighed,
The people looked at the land wide,
And solemnly vowed to put outside,
Any who came to injure their pride.

And as the years passed,
Walking upright in the tall grass,
Swimming freely in the ocean,
Climbing the mountains in motion,
They found a way to make it come,
The land they call Việt Nam.

But none forget the will to be,
Shown by Trắc and sister Nhị.
And all remember their beginning --
Guided by these strong women.
Tác giả bài viết: Christopher Reichl