A poem in Vietnamese by Nguyễn Đức Sơn
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Photography: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

Hold on and roll child

Curl up like a chubby little rock and roll

So that life may be more of a stroll

Get used to losing your balance so on so and so on

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May 2022

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Nhìn con tập lật

Nắm tay lật úp đi con

Co thân tròn trịa như hòn đá lăn

Muốn cho đời sống không cằn

Tập cho quen mất thăng bằng từ đây

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Nguyễn Đức Sơn, the poet was born on November 18, 1937, in Du Khanh village, Thanh Hai district, Ninh Thuan province, originally from Thua Thien Hue. He began writing poetry very early with the pen name Sao Trên Rừng, and other pen names like Sơn Núi. On the morning of June 11, 2020, passed away at the age of 83.

Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm, the blogger, poet, and translator, was born in 1971 in Phu Nhuan, Saigon, Vietnam. The pharmacist currently lives and works in Western Sydney, Australia.