PHAYA NORAPAMOK GENERAL 

VANG PAO 1929-2011

Yawg Hlob Nai Phoo Vaj Pov

Grand Officer of the Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol.

Commander of the US Legion of Merit

Knight of the French Legion d'Honneur

Grand Officer of the Thai Order of the White Elephant

Medal for Combatants from King Sisavang Vong

Medal of the Reign of King Sisavang Vatthana

French Croix de la Guerre des Operations Exterieures, four bronze stars and 1 bronze palm

French Foreign Legion Indochina Vietnam Colonial Medal

French Foreign Legion Indochina Campaign Dien Bien Phu

In honoring the Honorable Phaya Norapamok General Vang Pao on this day of January 6th (the day he passed away in Clovis on Jan 6, 2011), here's a special poem for your pleasure reading. I hope you read Hmong or find a Hmong friend to read it for you.  Why honoring him you may ask? Because he is the father of the Hmong People. His extraordinary journey changed the destiny of the Hmong People in including me. I would be sitting here blogging to you without this great man. Hmong will forever remember him for many reasons, but one thing for sure is his undeniable love for his people. AND, here's the poem goes: 

Ntuj nis peb yawg hlob Vaj Pov…

Thaum peb hnov txog koj tsab xo

Tias koj tso peb haiv hmoob tseg

Siab dhua rhe npaum li xob tua

Lub kua muag ntws los tshaj dej

Koj puas paub tias peb nco koj

Tsis xav noj thiab tsis xav haus

Xyov yuav xaus lub neej li cas

Nco koj tas npaum li no nas

Tej mi hav nroj ntsuag ntsuab xiab

Ua peb siab nyob kho siab khuav

Peb tseem tuav koj txoj kev hlub

Tsis tau pub nws ploj mus li

Ntuj os me yawg hlob Vaj Pov

Koj puas hnov txog peb lub suab

Thaum ntuj nqhuab thiab tshav ntuj nrig

Koj tus plig nws puas paub txog

Hais tias yog peb seev txog koj

Nco tsis ploj hauv peb nruab siab

Tag ib txhiab thiab tag ibtxhis

Peb yuav tsis hnov qab koj li

Thov koj tig txoj kev tshua rov

Tig los hnov lub suab seev cuag

Koj cov ntsuag nyob rau tom qab

Hnov suab sab txog koj thaum twg

Txawm yuav pw los tsis tsis tsaug zog

Tsuas yog zaum tsheej pab pawg quaj

Vim yog nco txog tej kev hlub

Niaj hnub qhub txog tej txiaj ntsim

Uas koj tsim cia rau haiv neeg

Es yuav seev koj txog tav twg  

Li lub lwg mam li peem tsheej

Ua lub neej Hmoob li yav dhau los

Ntuj nis peb hlob Nai Phoo

Thov koj tso koj tej koob hmoo

Tej kev zoo rau peb haiv Hmoob

Kom peb Hmoob tsuas muaj loj hlob

Zoo li tsob ntoo loj zuj zus

Zoo li dej ntws tsis txawj tu

Kom lub plhu nyob tshiab li khi

Nyob luang ntxhi thiab tsis muaj mob

Ruaj npaum cob thiab loj npaum roob

Kom haiv Hmoob muaj zoo lawm xwb.

Tab sis peb yawg hlob Vaj Pov,

Zaum no koj tso tag haiv neeg

Nyob ua neeg lub siab khoob lug

Txij koj nrug dua ntawm peb lawm

Lub sijhawm zoo li raug nres

Txawm daus te yuav pauv tsawg tom

Los tseem pom koj lub ntsej muag

Pom tseeb cuag li yog nag hmo

Thaum koj nrog peb nyob luag ntxhi

Los kuamuag nws yeej tseem nrog

Vim xav txog tus neeg peb hlub

Thov koj pub ib lub sijhawm

Es yog txawm yog hauv npau suav

Los peb yuav zoo siab tos txais

Tsuav tau hais qhia tau ib lo

Tias peb nco koj npaum li cas

Xav piav tas peb txoj kev hlub

Tawm hauv lub siab Hmoob ntsuag

Xav kom tuav tau koj txhais tes

Thiab nyob ze li thaum yav tas

Ntawm koj npab hauv koj xub ntiag

Txawm ib pliag xwb los yeej kam

Tsuav tau tham txog txoj kev nco

Tshe ntau hmo yuav piav tsis tas

Tabsis mas peb yeej paub lawm

Tias sijhawm tig tsis tau rov

Tus uas hnov kuv tej lus hais

Ces qhov rais qhov rooj lub tog

Thiaj li yog tus uas paub tshaj

Hauv lub txaj peb tej hauv ncoo

Lawv paub zoo peb kev mob siab

Kuamuag iab ntxaum lawv txhua hmo

Txoj kev nco lawv thiaj piav tau

Tias nco dhau nws zoo li cas

Yog piav mas ntshe lub qhov rais

Nws yuav hais qhia rau koj tias

Peb yeej ntsia txoj me hauv kev

Ntsia los ntev yog nws txawj yaig

Tshe twb yaig ua roob ua hav

Xav tias tas txoj kev cia siab

Tsis nco thiab tsis tos koj lawm

Los thaum tawm rooj plaws pom luag

Muaj tus coj thiab muaj us qhia

Peb lub siab nco koj dua ntxiv

Peb leej txiv koj koj txoj kev hlub

Zoo li hnub yuav yuav tig ua hmo

Yuav cas nco koj txog ntua

Thiaj yuav tsis nco tsis nco qab hais

Thiaj tau txais txoj kev zoo siab

Tawm xyoo tshiab thiab xaus xyoolaus

Tsaw xaus los peb nco koj

Txoj kev nco tseem nyob li qub

Tseem niaj hnub xav txog koj xwb

Yog koj rov tsis tau tiam no

Lwm tiam ho puas yuav rov dua

Lub vam huam sib luag puas yuav muaj lawm

Tshe tias txawm pes tsawg tiam los

peb yuav tos koj xwb ib leeg

Nyob ua neeg yog tsis muaj koj

Ces peb yeej tsis paub yuav nyob ua ntsuag li lawm peb yawg hlob Nai Phoon Vaj Pov….