and Temple Yards

"Now everybody feels relaxed after work"
"I learned this from a North Vietnamese woman, a refugee living in .Yaigon when I lived there. Those who are
born in north, cerral or southern parts of Vietnam do not have contact with people of other regionr. because of
transportation diffiulties, so the southerners seldom know northern songs. Folk songs like this are sung in the
villages, in the countryside. This one is quite interesting and rare because it only uses two tones. Vietnamese
language hav six tone.^. The aclual structure of the piece uses only the two tones, but the gliding tones are
necessary for people to understand the words."
During severdl days of village festivals in North Vietnam, groups of boys and girls
meet in the temple's yard and sing songs, one after another, expressing love, the joys of
meeting, or wishes for better friendship. "Hdt & " is found among these antiphonal folk
song styles. "Hdt" means "singing" and "dm" is a "crowd" or "group"; thus, the translation
is "singing in (or by) a group." Most of these songs are made from folk poems with couplets
of six and eight syllables, or seven-, seven-, six- and eight-syllable verses.
The recording features a girls' version of "Hdt olim," originating from Hai Duong
Province. The song generally precedes a game of any sort, serving as an introduction, or
preparation for players who might take part in games, jokes and song contests that may
follow. The song has only two tones at the interval of a fifth, making it an appropriate
introduction to Vietnamese language and melody for any age.
NgAy ham nay thanh nhh thong thd
(Ngie home nahze thahn nyang thawng thah
Chi cm m dn la clllra qucn
Tsl dm tah corn lah tsecah kwen
Kh6ng chdi hi' bh &ng hEn Chdi ra chhg bra chE khcn rhi!
Kowng tse~ee
thee bao zahng hakn Tser-ee zah tsosng barn tsay koenthay nah-or)
V
n:
Now everybody feels relaxed after their work.
We are not yet well-acquainted, but games should be fun to play together.
If I don't join the games, I may be thought of as unskilled.
I don't want my friends to judge me.
WordS and Tronunciation:
NgAy h8m nay thanh nhh thong thi
(Ngie home nah-ee thahn nyang thawng thah)
Chi em ta c6n la chua quen
(Tsi aim tah korn lah tsew-ah kwen)
Kh6ng chdi thi' bib rhg h5n
(Kowng tser-ee thee hao zaang hair-en)
Chdi ra chkg ban ch& khen th6 nio
(Tser-ee zah tsoo-ng harn tsay kaen thay nah-or)
.u
nao