New year’s day means surviving

a poem by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
translation into Vietnamese by Lê Vĩnh Tài

New year’s day means
surviving
the trauma of family and Christmas

I love my family
mostly because
I didn’t choose them

As for those I choose to love
it is the strangest of paths
strewn with ramble and poison ivy
all the wildest of creatures
in a nightmare or dream

the irony of love
mostly bitter
not sweet.

January 1st, 2023
—

ý nghĩ của ngày mùng một tết
là tôi vẫn còn sống sót
sau chấn thương của đêm Giáng sinh
tôi yêu gia đình tôi
chủ yếu vì tôi đã không chọn họ

còn những người tôi chọn
đó là con đường kỳ lạ nhất

vung vãi đầy những dây thường xuân
phủ lên những sinh vật hoang dã
trong ác mộng hay cơn mơ

sự trớ trêu của tình yêu
chủ yếu là tôi ôi vị đắng
tôi không bao giờ ngọt ngào.

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.

By Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

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

14 comments

      2. I’m sorry about the late reply, your message was in my spam box LOL. I still have no idea how all this works, or rather manage it all, I’m just glad I didn’t miss it all together. I appologise for anu=y future delays yeah.. now I sound like a BOT. Cheers to better connections Cindy. Trâm. ❤

        Liked by 1 person

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