"Ghe ben Sai Gon" ("A Visit to Saigon's Wharf") is a bright urban song by composer Van Phung with lyrics by Huyen Linh, likely composed in the 1950s in Saigon. The music blends a light march pulse with danceable popular style of the era, celebrating Saigon as the "Pearl of the Far East" where people from Central, Southern, and Northern Vietnam gather "as one family." References such as the Republican-era "Cong Hoa" wharf and the Ban Co grid of streets create a vivid postcard of optimism, civic pride, and modern city life.
"Ghe ben Sai Gon" ("A Visit to Saigon's Wharf") la ca khuc do thi ron rang cua nhac si Van Phung, loi Huyen Linh, nhieu kha nang sang tac vao thap nien 1950 tai Sai Gon. Giai dieu mang nhip hanh khuc nhe ket hop phong cach nhac pho thong thoi bay gio, ca ngoi Sai Gon nhu "Ngoc Vien Dong" noi nguoi Trung, Nam, Bac sum hop "mot nha." Cac chi tiet nhu ben "Cong Hoa" va khu Ban Co phac hoa buc tranh lac quan, tu hao do thi va nhip song hien dai.
Columns: Vietnamese Lyrics | English Translation | Cultural & Musical Notes (EN + VI)
| Vietnamese Lyrics | English Translation | Cultural & Musical Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cung nhau di toi Sai Gon, cung nhau di toi Sai Gon | Together we head to Saigon, together we head to Saigon | Diep ngu tao khong khi hanh khuc, ron rang loi goi cong dong. / Repetition builds a march-like, rallying energy. |
| Thu do yeu dau nuoc Nam tu do | The beloved capital of Free Vietnam | Boi canh: Sai Gon la thu do VNCH thoi ay. / Context: Saigon was the Republic of Vietnam's capital. |
| Dung chan tren ben Cong Hoa, nguoi Trung Nam Bac mot nha | Stopping at Cong Hoa Wharf, people of Central, South, and North as one family | Toponym thoi ky; nhan manh hoa hop vung mien. / Era-specific place name; stresses regional unity. |
| Ve day chung song hat khuc hoan ca | Here we live together, singing joyful songs | Do thi nhu diem hen sum vay. / City as a joyful meeting place. |
| Ngua xe nhu nuoc ron rang ngop muon suc song tiem tang | Traffic flows like water, bustling with hidden vitality | Thanh ngu "ngua xe nhu nuoc" goi xe co nuom nuop. / Idiom for teeming traffic. |
| Den dem tung anh sang nhu hao quang | Night lights fling their radiance like a halo | Hinh anh ton vinh ve ruc ro cua dem Sai Gon. / Glorifies vibrant nightlife. |
| Duong di quanh khuc Ban Co, long vui chan buoc dat do | Winding through the Ban Co grid, we stroll with happy, unhurried steps | Khu luoi duong "Ban Co" goi dao pho thu thai. / Checkerboard grid suggests leisurely wandering. |
| Niem thuong lai lang am say tinh tho | Affection overflows, warm and intoxicating like poetry | Ngon ngu lang man tieu bieu tinh ca do thi. / Romantic mid-century urban lyricism. |
| Nguoi oi Sai Gon chon day | O friend, behold Saigon — this very place | "Nguoi oi" goi sac thai dan ca, than mat. / Folk-like address adds warmth. |
| La ngoc Vien Dong | The Pearl of the Far East | Biet danh quoc te cua Sai Gon. / Saigon's international sobriquet. |
| Von da lung danh | Long renowned | Khang dinh danh tieng ben lau. / Affirms enduring renown. |
| Nang len muon chim dua hot | With the sun, countless birds play and sing | Thien nhien lam sang khong gian do thi. / Nature brightens the cityscape. |
| Ben hoa cuoi don | By smiling flowers that welcome | Nhan hoa tao khong khi le hoi. / Personification adds festive warmth. |
| Vinh quang ngay moi | The glory of a new day | Tuyen ngon lac quan thoi dai. / Era's optimistic declaration. |
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