A poem in Vietnamese by Lê Vĩnh Tài
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Art: Trần Băng Khuê
Who are you
with your eyes cracking open suddenly
causing every single colour
to bleed?
–
Who are you to instigate
the execution of all colours
as soon as your nail polish dries up
–
Who are you actually?
What resides in your heart?
What had turned us into strangers?
In that case, who should I be?
—
May 2021
–
bạn là ai
khi hai mắt của bạn bỗng dưng bị vỡ
làm các màu sắc đều bắt đầu
chảy máu?
–
bạn là ai
khi sơn móng tay của bạn đã khô
làm sắc màu đã chết
–
bạn là ai?
trong trái tim bạn
để chúng ta trở thành người dưng?
rồi tôi sẽ là ai?
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.
Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm 