She’s armed with an onslaught of undercurrents

A poem in Vietnamese by Vũ Hoàng Thư
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

I don’t know if I deserve it, nhưng, em xin cám ơn anh Vũ Hoàng Thư thật nhiều. Thank you for helping me accept who I am. Sometimes she is a stranger to me, this other part of “dược sĩ”.


Cô ấy mang những đợt sóng ngầm dữ dội

âm ỉ cuộn tròn dưới bề mặt một đại dương thẩm nắng

thuyền sẽ căng gió đợi chờ buồm lộng

và viễn khơi gọi lời

ngày ấy

khi bất trắc biến thành cánh hải âu tung trời

cô xòe tròn đôi mắt

ôi đời

những ngọn hồng lạp nhỏ nhoi dưới bến.

She’s armed with an onslaught of undercurrents

firmly curled up tidal waves beneath an ocean steeped in sunlight

sails, drawn and ready for the wind

ready for the call out to sea

on a day 

cornered turns into wings of seagulls fly across the sky

her eyes, round and wide 

gosh

the tiny burning flames at the foot of the landing. 

thơ Vũ Hoàng Thư

[August 2022]


Vũ Hoàng Thư, born Võ Anh Tuấn 1949 in Hue, Vietnam. The poet and translator, head editor of bienkhoi.com currently live in Fountain Valley, California.

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.

By Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

There's magic in translating a body of work from one language to another.

9 comments

      1. Yes indeed and you are welcome 😂🥰.

        I had decided to maintain my composure and resisted complimenting your other loveable attributes for the sake of keeping things general audience 😁🤭🤣

        Liked by 1 person

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