A poem in Vietnamese by Vũ Trọng Quang
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

An easy restful day
escape from the senseless Friday and Saturday
fed up with all the mindless conversations
necessary and unnecessary
familiar and foreign
escape Chi Pheo’s exhausting screams
choking the cock crowing at first light
shaking a cockroach as flat as a sheet of paper
eager sewer rats in the kitchen
trailing sounds of scraps for sale
escaping the pitch black power
dropping from the attic
the cafe at the T-section waiting for you
a thief behind you stealing a page out of your opened book
they stole even your loneliness
–
Left a drop of coffee drifting in the park
summer burning up the bantering of riff raffs
a sticky pair of dark sunnies clinging to the back of your neck
clinging onto the loneliness
–
Noon, the loneliness is exposed at the tip of your shirt sleeves
the bedroom screaming, fully awake
someone stealing someone else’s loneliness in your bed
the piling loneliness
–
At night you swallow the heavy spirit
the creator detests the underhanded talks of brotherhood
sound of slurry swishing touching the bottom of all that loneliness
touching bottom of the pit of despair
–
Running away from retribution in a season
burning paper offering for the lost lonely souls
complicit burning cigarettes
ashes burning over the loneliness
—
June 2022
_
CÔ ĐƠN & CÔ ĐƠN
–
Ngày nghỉ thèm bình yên
trốn ma mị giác quan ngày thứ sáu thứ bảy
chán ngấy trong tuần bội thực gặp gỡ
cần thiết và không cần thiết
quen thuộc và xa lạ
chạy thoát Chí Phèo quát tháo trong kiệt
bóp cổ tiếng gà gáy đá độ sớm
rũ con gián dẹp như giấy
chuột cống nhiệt tình lộng bếp
tiếng rao phế liệu bỏ đi
thoát khỏi cúp điện đen
nhảy từ gác xuống
góc quán ngã ba chờ
sau lưng có kẻ trộm chữ trang giấy mở
trộm luôn cô đơn
–
Rời giọt cafe chảy ra công viên
hè cháy lời mị dân cùi bắp
đôi kính đen bám sau gáy
bám luôn cô đơn
–
Trưa tay áo hở cô đơn
cào thức phòng ngủ
người này chiếm cô đơn người kia trên giường
chồng/chất cô đơn
–
Đêm xuống rượu mạnh
chúa ghét ly bàn bên ê tứ hải giai huynh đệ
tiếng nhừa nhựa cặn chạm tới đáy
chạm cô đơn
–
Chạy trời không khỏi mùa
tiền cúng vung vãi truyền đơn cô hồn
cùng những điếu thuốc đồng lõa
lửa rơi trên ngọn cô đơn
Vũ Trọng Quang, the poet currently lives in Saigon, Vietnam.
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.
Thank you again Trâm for bringing us such amazing words of many poets. This brings me to tears.
“the bedroom screaming, fully awake
someone stealing someone else’s loneliness in your bed
the piling loneliness
How beautifully expressive and brings such sadness. Thank you. 🦋❤️
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Awe, sending you hugs Joni. I’m glad I’m able to share some of the beautiful pain with you. Take care hun. Trâm.
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It makes me sad to read many of the poetic pieces you bring to us through your graciousness and kindness to your fellow human being. Often the pieces are sad but it doesn’t take away from the incredibly talented poets these artist are. Thank you again, love Joni
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What will I do without your encouragement and kind heart Joni. Luv you, Trâm.
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I can’t imagine that someone would not love to publish these works which are bilingual. The work you do (and I am also talking about your own beautiful work.) I wish I had time to read everything you publish. It has substance, real meaning in life, things that we should all read. I am going to say a prayer about this as I really would love to see you publish all of these amazing writers that you know and their experiences as well as your own beautiful poetry. I get so much out of each piece I read. Again, bless you for caring and giving these writers such a blessed gift. Love you too, Trâm, Joni
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You left me speechless Joni.. Thank you for your prayer.
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I am so grateful to be able to pray for someone who works so hard to give a voice to herself and those amazing poets she knows. You are the blessings Trâm. 🦋
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❤
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