The Streetlamp and the Moon

A poem for kids in Vietnamese by Nguyễn Lãm Thắng
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Photography: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm


The Harvest Moon

The Streetlamp and the Moon

Trăng và đèn đường

The streetlamp annoyed with the moon
– Why can’t you stay put
Be vigilant and stand still
Like I do all night

The moon consoling
– I might look like I’m playing
But I never stop, I’m constantly circling
To light up the world.

May 2023
___

– Sao bạn trăng ham chơi
Vội biến đi đâu mất
Tôi vẫn đứng giữa trời
Suốt đêm không chợp mắt

– Bạn thì đứng một chỗ
Tôi phải đi khắp nơi
Công việc cứ luân hồi
Tôi vòng quanh Trái Đất.


Nguyễn Lãm Thắng

Born August 14th, 1973, writes under many pseudonyms: Nguyễn Lãm Thắng, Lam Thuỵ, Trà Thị Kim Xuyến and as a children’s author: Nguyễn Trần Bảo Nghi, Du Lãm, Nhật Quang, Nguyễn Trần Khải Tú…

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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