Being of merry temperament

A poem in Vietnamese by Choé
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

Being of merry temperament

In facing heartache

Dare I cry at all 

With tears

October 2017

Trót làm người vui tính

Khi gặp chuyện đau lòng

Ta không dám khóc

Bằng nước mắt

[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.

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