The flaws in poetry

A poem in English by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Translator: Lê Vĩnh Tài
Photography: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm


những vết thương không chảy máu trong thơ

———-

.

những vết thương làm bài thơ

lãnh thẹo

vết sẹo tươi đến mức làm nhà thơ

kinh ngạc

.

bài thơ chỉ lo khóc lóc

.

thơ

nó bị mắc kẹt đâu đó trong vết thương

giữa các sợi huyết tương

bạch cầu hay huyết khối

hemoglobin lo mang thơ vào trái tim

cho nhà thơ lim dim ngồi im

thở…

.

nhà thơ luôn là một kẻ ngốc

thổn thức

quên mất vết thương của thơ

đang lên da non hoàn hảo …

.

_____

THE FLAWS IN POETRY

.

The flaws, imperfections

Scattering raw scars

Me in awe, a witness

__Poetry’s weeping

.

Stuck, somewhere between the molecules

Fibres of oozing plasma, white blood cells

Haemoglobins carried Poetry into my heart

I’m a sobbing fool 

.

Ah,

Perfection…

March 2020


Lê Vĩnh Tài, the poet and translator born in 1966 in Buon Ma Thuot, Daklak, Vietnam. The retired doctor is still a resident of the Western Highlands and a businessman in Buon Ma Thuot.

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.

7 comments

      1. LOL I am glad that’s why you think about it 🙌💙🤣🥰. And thank you for your adored lesson in Vietnamese proverb haha.

        I will definitely keep that in mind and I am doing very well 🤩🤩. I can only hope to keep up with 2023, it’s already the 3rd of March 👍😂

        Liked by 1 person

  1. Trâm what a beautiful piece. Also, what a lovely photo of you such a beautiful woman. Thank you for all the work that you do translating and introducing poets, and art that we would never otherwise get a chance to see. Blessings, prayers and love going towards you, and all of your loved ones and poetica friends.

    Liked by 1 person

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