A poem in Vietnamese by Lê Vĩnh Tài
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Return when
the un-besieged verses
Eg when the vernacular is screaming words across the sky
we see clouds and its hidden sadness
that clumsy unfolding of wings
not soothing not a metaphor
The clouds the fading hues of a young woman
playful and at ease
she’s chatting laughing quietly
her skeleton is the wind
startled as she caught us noting her words
turning it into poetry for those who dream
after she’s already deep in the ground
Where she lay
her warmth pooled into tears
it worried about how she couldn’t breathe
but never lost hope
with the sky and the stars and the white clouds and the dreaming and the singing
An endless blue sky
April 2019
Bao giờ trở lại
những câu thơ được viết ra không cần tra tấn
Ví dụ khi ngôn ngữ thốt ra tiếng bầu trời
ta thấy mây bay với nhiều u uẩn
cái xoãi cánh hơi chệch choạc ấy
không du du không ẩn dụ
Những đám mây màu thiếu nữ nhợt nhạt
nhàn tản rong chơi
nàng vừa nói vừa cười nhè nhẹ
bộ xương của nàng là gió
và ngạc nhiên thấy ta ghi lại lời nàng
làm bài thơ của kẻ mộng du
sau khi nàng đã bước sâu xuống đất
Nơi nàng nằm xuống
hơi ấm đã đọng thành nước mắt
nó lo nàng ngạt thở
nhưng nó không mất hy vọng
về bầu trời và ngôi sao và mây trắng và mơ hồ và hát
Mây xanh
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.
Stunning 👌👌
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Thank you so much, happy Easter! ❤
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Happy Easter🙏🙏
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So beautifully written and what a lovely photograph as well. Thank you for this wonderful translation as well. 🦋🌹
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Thank you Joni, I hope you are well. ❤
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Very nice
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Thanks 🙂
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nice
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thankyou ❤
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Beautiful poetry. The plant in the photo I have on my roof.
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Thank you yeah. The plant is a must have in an Asian household LOL, it’s the money tree. :))
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You’re welcome. Good to know 😁
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