A poem in Vietnamese by Hoàng Xuân Sơn
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Soft is the feminine gene
Cloak in clouds, an ivory sheen
Exquisite wet brows, shapes of crescent moons
Oh don’t baby, don’t do a thing
Bejewelled is life alone, by your grace
The chance I have missed
Each strand of despicable fateful hair accounted for
The faded strands, grey to the core
Allow me then to fade, fade away with the crowd
—
March 2024
–
T H Ù Y
Thuần nữ là áo mây bay
là tà trăng ướt chân mày thục nhi
Đừng làm, [em] đừng làm gì
ngồi yên trang điểm cho thi vị đời
Ta lỡ rồi một cuộc chơi
từng con tóc đếm tả tơi phận hèn
Sợi tóc nào đã thôi đen
thì xin cùng bạc với chen chúc này
)(
h o à n g x u â n s ơ n
5 feb. 2024
Trên vanchuongviet.org
Hoàng Xuân Sơn
A renowned poet, born 1942, writes under various pseudonyms: Hoàng Xuân Sơn, Sử Mặc, Hoàng Hà Tỉnh, Vô Ðịnh…
Hometown: Vỹ Dạ, Huế.
Lý Thường Kiệt Primary
Bán Công High School and Quốc Học Huế High School
Bachelor of philosophy, and postgraduate of political science and commerce at The university of Văn Khoa Sài Gòn.
Worked at the Ministry of Transport and Communication, a branch of the General Department of Postal Service of the Republic of Vietnam.
After 1975 worked in the Postal Office for 7 years. December 1981 settled in Montreal, Canada.
The poet’s career span from 1970 to the present day his work has been published in many literary publications. In vietnam: Văn, Chính Văn, Diễn Ðàn, Khởi Hành, Nghiên Cứu Văn Học, Ðối Diện, Thân Hữu, Xây Dựng Nông Thôn, Ngưỡng Cửa, Nhà Văn. Outside of Vietnam: Làng Văn, Văn Học, Văn, Thế Kỷ 21, Chủ Ðề, Sóng, Sóng Văn, Nắng Mới, Saigon Times, Hợp Lưu, Phố Văn, Gío Văn , Canh Tân, Ði Tới, tạp chí Thơ.
Collaborating platforms: Litviet (U.S.A), Tienve (Australia), Vanchuongviet… and the translations of his poetry into English by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm on SONGNGUTAITRAM.
Published work:
Viễn Phố (thơ, Việt Chiến xb 1988)
Huế Buồn Chi (thơ,93)
Lục Bát (thơ, 2005)
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 
Also liking that you make the word SOFT seem like its letters could stand for Submerged Open-eyed Fascinating Translator. 🙂
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Heheh.. you made me laughed out loud yeah, the verse caught my eye, and I couldn’t let go of it. I told HXS that he must have written it for me LOL.. the poem is bittersweet like a slice of dark chocolate melting slowly in your mouth. I love it. 🥰
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Loving your reaction! Thank you; I agree with you. Your description of the poem is heavy-hearted yet heavenly tasty while insightfully accurate. 🙂
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heheh, again you made me laughed. Thank you. Cheers to great poetry!
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This is beautiful!
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Thank you 🙂
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It’s a beautiful piece
Thanks for the translation
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thank you, I like it too.. ❤
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