A poem in Vietnamese by Vũ Trọng Quang
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Photography: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Behold by chance the hand held
the regret of letting go
the goodbyes in the middle of the road
the joy and sorrow to follow
.
Behold by chance the first kiss
the regret of soft red lips
the firm embrace, inevitable separation
kisses in blooms of sadness
.
Behold by chance the nights together
sound regrets buried in the night
the wave begged for a smile as keepsake
the half and half draft copy of the other
—–
TIẾC
–
Nếu tay không lỡ cầm tay
tay trong tay nắm tiếc ngày tay buông
tiễn đưa chừng giữa đoạn đường
mỗi nhau gieo mở vui buồn về sau
.
Nếu môi không ghé hôn đầu
môi trong môi đỏ tiếc màu môi xa
chặt ôm là chỗ rời ra
giữa nụ hôn mọc nụ hoa rầu rầu
.
Nếu đêm không đến tìm nhau
đêm trong đêm chạm tiếc sâu đêm vùi
vẫy tay xin giữ nụ cười
nửa này bản thảo của người nửa kia.
_____
JANUARY 2022
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.
Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm 
I love the imagery in this poem. ❤
Particularly the last two lines.
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It took me a long time trying to understand his poetry, I’m not sure what it is, but he is one of those kind people who like to push you into getting a better version of yourself. I guess sometimes, I just don’t want to, but after re-editing his poetry, I’m getting a better understanding and I’m more open to improvement LOL..
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