A poem in Vietnamese by Choé
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Trót làm người vui tính
Khi gặp chuyện đau lòng
Ta không dám khóc
Bằng nước mắt
Being of merry temperament
In facing heartache
Dare I cry at all
With tears
—
October 2017
[Source: CHOÉ, Nghề Cười; The Business of Laughter]
Choé, Nguyen Hai Chi, born November 11th, 1943, in An Giang, Vietnam, the political cartoonist became famous for his ugly depictions of American and South Vietnamese political leaders, and scathing commentary on the savagery of war. His cartoons were featured in Newsweek and the New York Times. Choé passed away on March 12th, 2003, in Virginia, U.S.A.
[Source: annexgalleries.com]
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 