the affection sound in the lake

A poem in Vietnamese by Thái Hạo
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

source: Thái Hạo’s social media page

THE AFFECTION SOUND

       IN THE LAKE

The lotus bloomed in the old lake when you came

Green again was the month of March

A domain of sleeplessness

Overhead was the thoughtful sun

Anxieties in the light

In the coming days

Age curled up like a bud

To bloom and die over and over again

Bursting with unsaid love

But tormenting was the scent of lotus

Residing forever soundly in the lake

June 2022

_

TÌNH TỰ

     TRONG HỒ

Em đến thăm anh sen nở trong hồ cũ
Xanh lại tháng ba
Một vùng mất ngủ

Mặt trời lặng lẽ trên đầu
Thắp những âu lo
Về ngày đang tới

Tuổi cuộn tròn như búp nụ
Nở tàn đã bao lần
Muốn nói một điều gì thương mến lắm
Mà hương sen day dứt
Đọng mãi trong hồ sâu

May 2020


Thái Hạo, the poet and journalist is currently living in 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.

By Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

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

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