Driven mostly from personal professional experience, this research recommends an approach to translating a song between English and Vietnamese, including a prioritized list of factors to be preserved during the process. Unlike most other text types, the highest priority is form, rather than meaning. Factors to be ensured in song translation include (in priority order): melody (form), grammar, and meaning. Among these, the most important is melody, consisting of number of words/syllables, tone (especially in tonal languages such as Vietnamese or Chinese), verse making and other artistic features. After grammar, translator also has to pay attention to song meaning. Ideally, the translation should have similar content as the original song. However, if a meaning change is needed to ensure other factors of higher priority (especially appearance), this requirement is not always a must. The research is accompanied by authentic examples for illustration
