From nowhere came | Nguyễn Quý

Thơ vượt biên giới, nhà thơ Nguyễn Quý

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

From nowhere came
a drop of rain
the poet dubs it
rain water
from nowhere came
the bird shit
the poet dubs it
tis true
avian poo.

The poet say
to our dismay
things do not just come
from nowhere besides rain
water and avian poo

The poet say
poetry do not simply come
from nowhere
and this true
like rain and bird poo.

Từ trên trời
Rớt xuống một giọt mưa
Thi sĩ gọi
là nước mưa
Từ trên trời
Rớt xuống
Cục phân chim
Thi sĩ gọi là cứt chim.

Thi sĩ nói
Trên đời này làm gì có thứ tự nhiên
Từ trên trời rớt xuống
ngoài nước mưa và cứt chim

Thi sĩ nói
Thơ không tự nhiên mà có
không tự nhiên rơi xuống từ
trên trời
ngoài nước mưa
và cứt chim.


Nguyễn Quý, the poet is currently an electrician in Ban Me Thuot, Vietnam.

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.

Like the other man, he finished first | Nguyễn Quý

Thơ vượt biên giới, nhà thơ Nguyễn Quý

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

The panel voted for the man
The poet didn’t welcome the gain
And so, the shit hit the fan
Just another day in this country.

Long long ago, there was another poet
Like the other man, he finished first
On his way to receive his tall award
He was snatched and bashed like dirt.

(Gosh the mirth)

Writing poetry I thought it’s rather nice
Poets I thought were rather, well, monk-like
And poems were thrills and frills
Yet there are those in it, just for the kill.

February 2024




Hội đồng xét trao giải
Nhà thơ không dám nhận
Rồi tranh cãi bùng lên
Chuyện chẳng lạ nước mình.

Năm xưa có nhà thơ
Cũng đạt giải to đùng
Trên đường đi nhận giải
Bị chặn đánh toe mồm.

Làm thơ tưởng nhẹ tênh
Nhà thơ như thầy tu
Làm thơ như tô điểm
Vậy mà thật nguy hiểm.


Nguyễn Quý, the poet is currently an electrician in Ban Me Thuot, Vietnam.

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.

Windswept on either side of the night | Nguyễn Quý

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

Windswept on either side of the night
I’m awake at the spine of the hill
The moon is lost
Boundlessly wandering.

Mountainous on either side of the night
Peaks of anxious anticipation
Running through the river of the night
The incessant trickling sound of water.

Yearning on either side of the night
The hovering kisses of clouds
Moments beyond reality
Brimming joy.

Desolation on either side of the night
Lucid dreams of inebriation
Either side of I
You are by my side.

December 2022

Đêm lật bên nào cũng gió

Anh trở giấc ở bên đồi
Trăng bây giờ đi biệt tích
Đang còn mê mải rong chơi.

Đêm lật bên nào cũng núi
Khuya khoắt mà cứ bồi hồi
Sông đêm vẫn triền miên chảy
Tiếng reo con nước không nguôi.

Đêm lật bên nào cũng nhớ
Môi hôn lơ lửng như mây
Phút giây nào hơn thực tại
Niềm vui có lẽ đong đầy.

Đêm lật bên nào cũng vắng
Ta mơ ta tỉnh ta say
Ta lật ta ra để thấy
Có em trong cuộc đời này.


Nguyễn Quý, the poet is currently an electrician in Ban Me Thuot, Vietnam.

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 QUÝ

Thơ vượt biên giới, nhà thơ Nguyễn Quý

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


Nguyễn Quý, the poet is currently an electrician in Ban Me Thuot, Vietnam.

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.

And the morning is as cold as the century | Nguyễn Quý

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

And the morning is as cold as the century
The tiny hairs stood up in attention, quivering
Naked, because clothes are not an option
The clothes as they were, abandoned on the side of the mountain
In the darkness of a drunken night.

(December 2021)

Và buổi sáng lạnh lùng như thế kỷ
Những sợi lông ngơ ngác đứng run run
Không mặc áo bởi vì không có áo
Vì hôm qua say rượu bỏ trên đồi.


Nguyễn Quý, the poet is currently an electrician in Ban Me Thuot, Vietnam.

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.

The innumerable poets | Nguyễn Quý

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

The innumerable poets
continuous production of poetry
overloading the publishers

The readers aren’t so eager
dare not spare
the change
to buy them

Poetry is scattered and exhausted
all over the floor
in all the bookstores.

Nhà thơ nhiều vô kể
Thơ ra liên tục
Nhà xuất bản quá tải
Độc giả không dám bỏ tiền mua
Trong nhà sách
Thơ nằm la liệt.


Nguyễn Quý, the poet is currently an electrician in Ban Me Thuot, Vietnam.

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.

Touch down | Nguyễn Quý

A poem in Vietnamese by Nguyễn Quý
Translators: Lê Vĩnh Tài & Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Photography: Thận Nhiên

Touch down
And I still have two balls
So I’ll keep one for me
And you can have the other one, babe.

[Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm]

One day touch down
There are still two testicles left
One I saved
I have one left for you.

[Lê Vĩnh Taì]

Một hôm sờ xuống dưới
Vẫn còn nguyên hai hòn
Một hòn ta để lại
Còn một hòn cho em.

March 2023


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 Quý, the poet is currently an electrician in Ban Me Thuot, Vietnam.

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.