VietNamNet Bridge – US President Barack Obama quoted poems and lyrics by Vietnamese great poet Nguyen Du, late composers Van Cao, Trinh Cong Son, Tran Lap, and pop star Son Tung M-TP in his remarks delivered in Vietnam.

Late composer Trinh Cong Son was mentioned in President Obama's speech.

During his three days in Vietnam, President Obama had many speeches and conversations. He impressed Vietnamese audiencesby quoting poems and lyrics and mentioning the names of Vietnamese senior and young artists.

In the speech at the state banquet at noon May 23, President Obama mentioned the proverb “An qua nho ke trong cay” (When you eat the fruit, think about the one who planted the tree) when talking about paying tribute to the people who set the foundation for the relationships between Vietnam and America.

Obama said: "I’m told there is a saying here in Vietnam - which I will not say in Vietnamese - but it says, When you eat the fruit, think about the one who planted the tree.  And today, we pay our respects to all who came before us - Vietnamese and Americans - who planted and tended the tree that has become our comprehensive partnership.”

And also at the state banquet, the US President also talked about the Vietnam’s national flower, the lotus, "You draw inspiration from the lotus flower. It takes root in the mud and thus is a symbol of hope amid hardship.  It survives where other flowers cannot, and thus is a symbol of strength and endurance. It radiates colour, and is therefore a symbol of beauty. So I'd like to propose a toast - to the spirit of the lotus - in the perseverance and the hopes of the Vietnamese people; in the strength and endurance of the partnership between our two nations; and in the beauty of both of our peoples and the desire to live in peace, dignity and justice."

In a speech before 2,000 people in Hanoi on May 24, President spoke about the heroic past of Vietnam. He quoted verses in the work of the famous general Ly Thuong Kiet to affirm the Vietnamese spirit: "And yet, over the centuries, your fate was too often dictated by others.  Your beloved land was not always your own.  But like bamboo, the unbroken spirit of the Vietnamese people was captured by Ly Thuong Kiet -- 'the Southern emperor rules the Southern land.  Our destiny is writ in Heaven’s Book'.

Also in this speech, when talking about the relationships between Vietnam and the US, from enemies to friends, Obama borrowed the lyrics in a song by late composer Van Cao: " As Vietnamese and Americans, we can all relate to those words written by Van Cao. From now, we know each other’s homeland; from now, we learn to feel for each other.”

The song by late composer Trinh Cong Son was also mentioned when the US president talked about the future relationship of the two countries. "I think of all the Americans and Vietnamese who have crossed a wide ocean -- some reuniting with families for the first time in decades -- and who, like Trinh Cong Son said in his song, have joined hands, and opening their hearts and seeing our common humanity in each other."

Ending the remark, Obama cited verses by Nguyen Du: " And many years from now, when even more Vietnamese and Americans are studying with each other; innovating and doing business with each other; standing up for our security, and promoting human rights and protecting our planet with each other -- I hope you think back to this moment and draw hope from the vision that I’ve offered today.  Or, if I can say it another way -- in words that you know well from the Tale of Kieu -- 'Please take from me this token of trust, so we can embark upon our 100-year journey together'.   

Obama also spoke about the contemporary music scene of Vietnam. On May 25 morning, in a talkwith young Vietnamese in HCM City, President Obama mentioned the name of Son Tung M-TP, a pop star in Vietnam, when talking about the power of technology and social networking.

"More than 30 million people in Vietnam are using Facebook, post selfie photos, and share music by Son Tung M-TP,” Obama said.

Late songwriter - singer Tran Lap was also mentioned by President Obama in this talks: "You are changing the region, like the late songwriter Tran Lap wrote: the road to days of glory is not far."

On his historic visit to Vietnam in 2000, former US President Bill Clinton recited a verse: “Just as the lotus wilts, the mums bloom forth; time softens grief, and the winter turns to spring”.

In July 2015, US Vice President Joe Biden quoted another phrase from the poem while welcoming Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in Washington: “Thank heaven we are here today. To see the sun through parting fog and clouds”.

And so, President Obama has won the love from many Vietnamese people for his respect and understanding of Vietnamese culture and people.