Giao Duyen Singing - Hát Giao Duyên

Hò (calls) are classified into two categories: calls during work and calls during rest. Work calls were usually transformed into love songs. Thus, after the word hò we always see the words giao duyên (dual love). Nevertheless, because hò are songs inspired by daily work, hò giao duyên still keeps the characteristics of work calls, reinforcing and entertaining. Facing the needs of a song type as a means to express personal affections and to compete against the talent of others in public, the actual hát giao duyên (dual love songs) was born.

In the North, hát giao duyên do not especially serve the rythm of the work.

Gặp nhau đây mới đầu trăng gío,	Meeting here like this before any courtship
Hỏi một lời đã có chồng chưa?	I want to know: are you married?

Love, as expressed through hát giao duyên, was very simple and as gentle as its tune:

Ngồi xuống đây bẻ cây vạch đất,	Sit down here, break a branch and draw on the ground,
Cỡi khăn trầu kết cấu lương duyên.	Take off the scarf, promise a marriage.

Hát giao duyên in the North were called Lý giao duyên in Central Vietnam and Lý giao dươn in the South. In Central Vietnam, lý means villager's song compared to the music of Hue which was the production of nobles (imperial family, mandarins, etc.). All folk songs in Central Vietnam and in the South are either hò or lý. Lý is developed from children songs to songs for fun, popular theater songs, ritual songs, music of Hue, traditional and reformed theater music. Lý songs were named after the content of the song or the first few words of the lyrics. The following song was sung in the pentatonic scale nam, nuance ai (RE nearly flat, FA vibrato, LA nearly flat) and was named "Lý vọng phu" (Waiting for husband):

Gío mùa xuân rưng rưng nước mắt,	Spring wind blows, my eyes fill with tears,
Nhó tới chàng ruột thắt héo don,	I feel emptywhen I think of you,
Gío mùa hè tiếng ve kêu dề,	Summer wind blows, cicadas call to crickets,
Mong nhớ chàng bóng xế trăng lu,	Waiting for you, the days decline, the moon fades,
Gío mùa thu mẹ ru con ngủ,	Autumn wind blows, I lull you, my child,
Cha con đà vui thú nơi đâu,	Where does your father dawdle,
Gío mùa đông nằm không thấy bạn,	Winter wind blows, resting here alone,
Nhớ thương chàng nhiều đoạn đắng cay.	Missing you, I feel deep pain.

Lý giao duyên turns from a self-evolved love song to a declaration to the love objects:

Giải sông Ngân mây rầu rầu chuyển,	On the milky way a cloud sadly flows,
Một bước đường trời biển chia hai,	In a moment the sky and the sea will separate us,
Hỡi nàng nàng ơi!	My dear!
Anh dặn một lời xin đừng quên,	Don't forget what I tell you:
Cảnh phù tang gío vàng hiu hắt,	This short life is just like the light breeze,
Một bước đường như cắt lòng tơ,	One step from you, my heart hurts much,
Hỡi nàng nàng ơi!	My dear!
Em dặn một lời xin nhớ đừng quên....	Remember what I tell you, don't forget....

extracted from "Musics of Vietnam" by Pham Duy

Home • About us • Activities • Music and Video • 25th anniversary • Instruments • Sheet Music • Traditional songs