A poem in Vietnamese by Lê Vĩnh Tài
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
imprinted are the voices of those
I once knew
to never meet again
I am pulled back
into a world of endless
undiscovered futures
and possibilities
each page is a scab
a bleeding wound once upon a time
each scratch of the nib of my pen is a scar
on my heart are these teary ultimatums
and there is no time left
to dream…
TÔI ĐỌC NHỮNG BÀI THƠ TRONG KỶ YẾU
bị ám ảnh
bởi giọng nói của những người
tôi đã biết
nhưng tôi sẽ không bao giờ được gặp
tôi
được lôi cuốn
vào những thế giới
tôi từng khám phá
nhưng sẽ không bao giờ
nhìn thấy
cảm xúc tôi khi đọc
được phóng to và vắt kiệt từng trang
với vết mực xé nát trái tim
tôi khóc vì mình chỉ còn một câu kết
tôi hết
giấc mơ…
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 
Wonderful ♥️
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Such raw emotion, beautifully written. Sometimes, the past weighs heavy on the heart, but your words carry so much depth. Stay strong.
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Thank you.
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The way the emotions are described and put across to the reader are just so emotive. It grabs you in and makes you feel what the poet is feeling. Gorgeous. 🙂
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Thank you, I have not read his poetry for a while. I forgot how much I love it. Happy Tuesday to you my friend.
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Very nice
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thank you my friend
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Trâm, your translation beautifully captures the sorrow and depth of the original. It’s clear, tender, and powerful in just a few lines. Well done.
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Thank you.. I love your kindness and sincerity my dear thank you and thank you 😍
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A very amazing poem, thank you and greetings from Italy
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hello Italy, thank you so much. cheers from Australia.
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