Today’s A Journey through Aesthetic Realms will be presented in Aulacese (Vietnamese), with subtitles in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Thai and Spanish.

Âu Lạc (Vietnam) is a nation with a long-standing traditional culture. Aulacese musical heritage is bountiful; since ancient times, many soul-stirring musical instruments have been created with diverse sounds like those of the copper drum, gong, lithophone, bamboo xylophone, cymbals, and panpipe.

In 2003, Elegant Music, a style of Huế royal court music, was recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an intangible cultural heritage of the world. Âu Lạc’s music represents the unique features of each region, for example, Quan Họ folksongs in the north, Huế tunes in the central, and modern folk opera in the south.

In addition, there are many other forms of music, including hò, lý, ceremonial songs, Aulacese classical theatre, chèo traditional opera, hồ quảng opera, and so on. Indeed, the essence of music is imbued in the hearts of people in this beautiful country, and has been cultivated until this day.

In Aulacese (Vietnamese) traditional folk music, lý is a singing genre that is mostly based on folk poetry in the form of six-eight couplets. The rhythm varies between fast and slow in a recital style, so lý singing genre has hundreds of different tunes. Through simple lyrics, lý songs often describe images and feelings as experienced in life. Enhanced by tender melodies, lý is very accessible and therefore quite popular.

We now invite you to listen to a song of the lý genre entitled “For the One Who Stayed Behind,” composed and performed by Supreme Master Ching Hai. “For the One Who Stayed Behind” is adapted from a poem written by Supreme Master Ching Hai in Munich, Germany during her younger years, at a time when she was about to forsake her happy marriage in search of Truth. The bond between husband and wife is the deepest in terms of human emotions; there is thus no separation without agony.

This was particularly true for the spouse whom she wholeheartedly loved and respected. For the happiness of all beings and due to her immense love, the Buddha’s heart had chosen the noble path of sacrifice, but the human heart had its own poignance and anguish. The first time she sang this song and revisited past feelings, she was profoundly moved. A Buddha does not become wood or stone; on the contrary, she still retains the emotions that everyone experiences, to recognize and understand in-depth all human anxieties and suffering.

With Supreme Master Ching Hai’s precious permission, we will present an excerpt of the song entitled “For the One Who Stayed Behind,” sung by the author herself during the first recording, when she was filled with emotion. This will be followed by the song in its entirety, her second recording of this song. Let us listen together.

When you come home, There will be only grass and flowers There will be only grass and flowers only grass and flowers

Even if my heart was made of stone And my feeling of brass, They would be softened and melt softened and melt Thinking of the pain I've left you! the pain I've left you!

Why were we born in this world of woe For you to pine,

for me to taste sorrow!? for me to taste sorrow!?

When you come home, There will be only grass and flower Greeting your footsteps! The garden sheds her evening dews, The house bows weighed in loneliness, Murmuring farewell!

Even if my heart was made of stone And my feeling of brass, They would be softened and melt softened and melt Thinking of the pain I've left you! the pain I've left you!

Why were we born in this world of woe For you to pine,

for me to taste sorrow!? for me to taste sorrow!?

Since which era have we pledged our faithful vows, Thus bind ourselves bind ourselves in matrimony now? in matrimony now?

Please lift your heart out of the blue web So my mind will also be lightened be lightened when we are apart when we are apart.

Praised be the Buddha whose light guides my way, And protects you And protects you in your lonely days in your lonely days.

One day, I'll be enlightened and bring illumination to the world, We will be together We will be together for eternity... for eternity...

You’ve just enjoyed the lý song “For the One Who Stayed Behind,” written and performed by Supreme Master Ching Hai.

We thank Supreme Master Ching Hai for the special permission to share this priceless and moving song on A Journey through Aesthetic Realms. The sacrifice and limitless love of a Master since your days of youth cannot be comprehended fully by the people in this world. Despite that, year after year, you have continued to grace all beings silently, patiently and unconditionally. We are grateful to you for always being a shining example to encourage all that is noble, beautiful and elevating, like the verses of poetry, the sound of music and the emotions that are expressed from the human heart exquisitely created by the Divine.

Huế singing is a form of music with unique characteristics of the people from Âu Lạc’s ancient capital. With elegant, expressive phonology and intonation, Huế singing, in the old time, was performed only for the royal family and royal court, but now has become a traditional art representative of the idyllic Huế city in central Âu Lạc.

The setting to enjoy Huế singing is often a small, cozy room; a charming corner in the garden; or a boat’s cabin on the peaceful Perfume River. Huế songs convey deep and earnest sentiments. They describe the joy and sorrow of a human life and praise nature’s beauty, using outside scenery to express inner thoughts. Huế singing has many different tunes such as Cổ Bản, Phú Lục, Long Ngâm, Hành Vân, Nam Ai, and Lovelorn.

Love keeps growing more tender with every moon season of rendezvous. When one is away from the beloved, the moon kindles many memories of a time of meeting and seeing each other off. “I beckon the moon The moon waits to accompany you home The moon shines mystically on the distant road” We now invite you to enjoy “Following You Home,” a Huế tune in the Old Song style, performed by Phong Thủy.

Cold wind chills the winter night You walk home on a quiet street, accompanied silently by the golden light Moon of vows awaits a beloved in a dream The moon and I are one My heart entangled with love I affectionately hope for a beautiful day that joins us in a tender bond.

Floating amid the moon season, an immense Moon Palace Moon pearl pins on lustrous tresses Like a gentle swallow of eastern sky, you dream of the coming spring when rose blossoms perfumed my being. I beckon the moon The moon waits to accompany you home The moon shines mystically on the distant road In someone’s garden, lingering dewdrops gently fall By the lake, silhouettes of branches and leaves shimmer Cock crows late at night I pine for my sweetheart When did I become enamored with you such that a dream stirs my soul and deep longing tugs at my heart? I understand now how you feel Your life has met with sorrow and joy, vicissitudes and partings.

Yet your devotion never fades Moon of yearning illumines yonder sky My heart goes on loving through adversity and hardships. Music of life will ever mesmerize this winter night The moon is full You walk home in the cold mist The moon stays awake Her golden light silently accompanies you On this long night, I dream of a poem and sending it to the nocturnal sky A Huế song of love: “Following You Home.”

Since time immemorial, greetings have been seen as a tradition of ethics and courtesy of the Aulacese people. This graceful cultural beauty is expressed in folk art through the songs. “First I greet graciously and gently Then I greet gracefully and modernly” We now invite you to enjoy the song “Hò Hê,” a Hò singing style from Bình Định, central Âu Lạc, with vocals by Minh Hoàng.

Hasten not onto the carriage, my friends!

Getting on the carriage, then off the carriage Hear my greetings, O young men and women! First I greet

First I greet graciously and gently Then I greet gracefully and modernly

The modern way is the carefree way Above, flowers vie to blossom; below, golden tower’s bell chimes. I arrived here

I arrived here, the land of heroes

May I ask you, the young beauties Who is really Vân Tiên’s wife?

Let me know, I’ll greet you now You’re my sister-in-law, of course!

Who has long been kind and righteous?

Today we meet,

we meet to express our love.

In love, we aren’t discouraged by the distance; we’d climb mountains and cross rivers to find our beloved. “If you love someone, just say it outright Lest I’d waste years wooing your affection.” The song “Looking for the Beloved,” a folk tune from Nghệ Tĩnh, will be presented by singers Thu Hiền and Hồng Kỳ. Please enjoy.

Ducks eat and swim in the Milky Way River A golden tortoise bites the root of the benjamin tree

If you love someone, just say it outright Lest I’d waste years wooing your affection.

Diving into Lam River to find fresh water Climbing up Hồng Lĩnh Mountain to gather a rose myrtle fruit I love you, thus I went looking for you. Now that we meet, it’s like Kim and Kiều

O sweetheart If you love me, love wholeheartedly If you don’t, let’s call it off for good Don’t be like a rabbit standing at the meadow’s edges He’d play with its shadow when happy and walk away when bored.

O beloved That I love you, keep it a secret If you love me, let no one know For gossip may spread unfavorably Woe to you and woe unto me even more.

Supreme Master Ching Hai lovingly sent gifts to the artists contributing to the Aulacese folk music programs on Supreme Master Television. Singer Thu Hiền expressed her appreciation as follows:

I’m very surprised upon receiving Master Ching Hai’s gifts. I’d like to wish Master Ching Hai good health and convey my most sincere gratefulness. I’m also very happy to be able to offer my singing voice to friends in Âu Lạc and abroad, so that they may know more about the Aulacese culture and people.

Singer Phong Thủy, who performed the song “Following You Home,” has participated in previous folk music programs on Supreme Master Television. She also received Master’s gifts and well wishes.

Thank you for watching our program today. Please tune in to Supreme Master Television for more folk music programs in future broadcasts. Coming up next is Vegetarianism: The Noble Way of Living, after Noteworthy News. Farewell for now.