And the morning is as cold as the century

A poem in Vietnamese by Nguyễn Quý
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

And the morning is as cold as the century

The tiny hairs stood up in attention, quivering

Naked, because clothes are not an option

The clothes as they were, abandoned on the side of the mountain

In the darkness of a drunken night.

–

(December 2021)

_____

Và buổi sáng lạnh lùng như thế kỷ

Những sợi lông ngơ ngác đứng run run

Không mặc áo bởi vì không có áo

Vì hôm qua say rượu bỏ trên đồi.

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Nguyễn Quý, the poet is currently an electrician in Ban Me Thuot, 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.