One day | Nguyễn Đức Sơn

A poem in Vietnamese by Nguyễn Đức Sơn
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

One day when hate is nothing but a fog
Blinding will be the Eastern stars across the night sky 
Father will return with the sea and country in his arms
Feet up, limbs abandoned
The only vow between father and son will be is to play night and day
Chasing the ageless clouds
Autumn bursting, grey hair flying
Pointing out how we had aged
Bowing low to kiss the salt of the earth and sky
Father will be but the misty light of an ageless bloomed moon

May 2022
—–

Mai kia

Mai kia tan biến hận thù
Giữa đêm sao chiếu mịt mù phương đông
Cha về ôm cả biển sông
Duỗi chân duỗi cẳng nằm không một đời
Cho con cha hứa một lời
Đuổi mây thiên cổ rong chơi tối ngày
Thu nào tóc bạc oà bay
Có con chỉ trỏ mới hay cái già
Cúi hôn trời đất đậm đà
Cha tan theo bóng trăng tà vạn niên


Nguyễn Đức Sơn, the poet was born on November 18, 1937, in Du Khanh village, Thanh Hai district, Ninh Thuan province, originally from Thua Thien Hue. He began writing poetry very early with the pen name Sao Trên Rừng, and other pen names like Sơn Núi. On the morning of June 11, 2020, passed away at the age of 83.

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.

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By Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

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

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