Tag: painting

Ways to die | Bùi Chát

Hoạ sĩ Noah Bùi kí hôm khai mạc. Cảm ơn em Hoàn Bùi Vẫn còn "Đang trôi"... -- Sketch of Bùi Chát by Noah

poem by Bùi Chát
translation by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

Vietnamese people prefer to die standing
Of course. Better than to live one’s life on one’s knees
If I had a choice

I really don’t want to die standing [1]
I don’t want to drown either [2]
I don’t want to die like I’m in a movie [3]
Nor do I want to die in agony [4]
I don’t want my dying to go on and on forever [5]
nor do I want to die as though it’s just my next meal [6]
I don’t want to die flying [7]
nor do I want to die too quickly either [8]
I don’t want to just die and that will be that [the end.] [9]

Because after all, as a poet
You must know how to nurture the ability
To live and die in limbo

Assembling

[1] Even though my poetry is straightforward very firm and straight actually
[2] In the same boat with those half-asleep
[3] Someone will waste their time searching
[4] Ignore those starved for attention scavengers of emotions
[5] When will I come? I will never know for sure
[6] To die daily, satisfied by death fully
[7] To the rise and fall moans(of ecstasy)
[8] Probably not the right Feng Shui
[9] According to the dictionary, death means You’re Fucked

Cách chết


Người Việt thích chết đứng
Dĩ nhiên. Hơn sống quỳ
Một khi phải lựa chọn

Tôi thật không muốn chết đứng [1]
Tôi cũng không muốn chết chìm [2]
Tôi không muốn chết như phim [3]
Và không muốn chết bồi hồi [4]
Tôi không muốn chết dài dằng dặc [5]
Tôi không muốn chết như cơm bữa [6]
Tôi không muốn chết bay lên [7]
Tôi không muốn chết không kịp ngáp [8]
Và không muốn chết là hết [the end.] [9]

Bởi dẫu sao, là một nhà thơ
Bạn phải biết cách nuôi dưỡng khả năng
Sống và chết lơ lửng

Ráp nối

[1] Dù thơ tôi ngay và rất thẳng
[2] Cùng xuồng bọn mắt lim dim
[3] Ai đó uổng công đi tìm
[4] Mặc bầy cảm xúc ăn hôi
[5] Biết ngày nào về? Thì tôi chưa chắc
[6] Chết hàng ngày, chết ngon miệng
[7] Bay xuống bay lên như một tiếng rên
[8] Phong thủy có lẽ không hạp
[9] Theo từ điển chết là Đệt [Death]

Bùi Chát is the poet, writer, publisher and artist’s pen name. Bùi Quang Viễn was born on October 22, 1979, at Hố Nai, Biên Hòa, Đồng Nai Province, Việt Nam. Born to family of patriotic Catholic refugees from the North in 1954.

Graduated in 2001 from the Faculty of Literature, Linguistics, and Journalism of Hồ Chí Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Bùi Chát named and cofounded Nhóm Mở Miệng (Open Mouth Group) with the poet and writer Lý Đợi, promoting Graveyard & Garbage Poetry.

Nhà Xuất bản Giấy Vụn (Scrap Paper Publishing House), also founded by Bùi Chát, distributions of xerographically structured sensitive works by “pavement poets”. In 2004, Bùi Chát and cofounder Lý Đợi were detained for two days for distributing flyers at a poetry reading raided by the authority. In 2005, the culture department blocked their performance at the Goethe Institute in Hà Nội.

In 2011, Bùi Chát was awarded the IPA Freedom to Publish Prize “for his exemplary courage in upholding the freedom to publish.” He was arrested on his return to Việt Nam after receiving the award in Buenos Aires and detained for several days.

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.

forget | Bùi Chát

Bui Chat_photo by Tao Lao

poem by Bùi Chát
translation by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

people generally remember
but for the most, the longer they live
the more they forget

forgetting a person’s name
forgetting something or another
that particular forest they were to give a name
that voice. to the point where there is a place where
they should not forget

for ten years I have forgotten how to write poetry
the verses they escaped me
together with those childish vows
the reason for my existence

lucky though
no matter how bad life gets
some things I will never forget
like how to tell someone to f..k off!

Quên


Nhiều người hay nhớ
Nhưng phần lớn thường quên
Càng sống càng dễ quên

Quên tên một người, hay một đồ vật
Quên một khu rừng quên chưa đặt tên
Quên một giọng nói. Thậm chí
Quên một nơi ở không được phép quên

Tôi đã quên làm thơ trong mười năm
Quên lời thề tuổi trẻ
Quên ý nghĩa tồn tại của mình

May mắn thay,
Dù cuộc đời rượt đuổi
Tôi vẫn không khi nào quên chửi

Bùi Chát is the poet, writer, publisher and artist’s pen name. Bùi Quang Viễn was born on October 22, 1979, at Hố Nai, Biên Hòa, Đồng Nai Province, Việt Nam. Born to family of patriotic Catholic refugees from the North in 1954.

Graduated in 2001 from the Faculty of Literature, Linguistics, and Journalism of Hồ Chí Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Bùi Chát named and cofounded Nhóm Mở Miệng (Open Mouth Group) with the poet and writer Lý Đợi, promoting Graveyard & Garbage Poetry.

Nhà Xuất bản Giấy Vụn (Scrap Paper Publishing House), also founded by Bùi Chát, distributions of xerographically structured sensitive works by “pavement poets”. In 2004, Bùi Chát and cofounder Lý Đợi were detained for two days for distributing flyers at a poetry reading raided by the authority. In 2005, the culture department blocked their performance at the Goethe Institute in Hà Nội.

In 2011, Bùi Chát was awarded the IPA Freedom to Publish Prize “for his exemplary courage in upholding the freedom to publish.” He was arrested on his return to Việt Nam after receiving the award in Buenos Aires and detained for several days.

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.

HOW TO CONFESS… | Nguyễn Thị Minh Ngọc

Nguyễn Thị Minh Ngọc

thơ Nguyễn Thị Minh Ngọc
Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm dịch

how to confess your love and not lose it
grill other people on how to for the first time love
the unknown doors to brave new worlds
words
vernacular of the flesh
wordless gaze
forget them
run
and that includes death
and still most unfamiliar is affection
the unmet gaze of those we love
dumb anxieties may it be a mean or kind dream

ah who am I to say
to have lived this long to never again love
head first into a river called life
like a fish out of water
craving for death
the way the marriage bed had denied me
as we laugh and cry half a lifetime withered away 
by the games we play 
cross stitches of pride over shame and humiliation 
ignoring the sting of bindii 
    under foot mistaking it for a lover
love came out of nowhere
over the mountains 
through the ravines of a life spent
may it be life or death matter - no
the enthusiasm for oblivion 

discerning the bitter struggle 
smells of an impending storm
hid behind mirrors of illusions
the way storms are imprisoned 
    in the smallness of one's fist
as the clouds in the sky would hid 
    the affections reflected
a fox with nine tails abstained 
    from worldly interactions for 999 years 
    and 364 days and its tails are dripping 
    teary still
cunning enough to get marry 
    to avoid being strike down by lightning
cunning enough to get marry 
    as a glorify way to confess 
love
    regardless of a love that is not real
    regardless of the agony of true pain
    regardless of how harden humanity had become
in its wisdom water could still break
a misguided spirit guardian howling in the dark
enough fret to trouble the moon

LÀM THẾ NÀO…

 
Làm thế nào để tỏ tình mà tình không biến mất
tra vấn tha nhân bài học vỡ lòng yêu
Những cánh cửa đời xa lạ biết bao-
lời,
ngôn ngữ thân xác,
mắt câm,
quên nó đi,
chạy,
và cả chết…
Nhưng xa lạ nhất vẫn là tình
Người mà ta không dám ngó vào mắt khi đối diện
ngẩn ngơ lo cơn mộng dữ hay lành

Ôi ta,
sống đến đây tưởng như không bao giờ yêu được nữa
lao vào dòng sống ngày mỗi ngày
như cá lao mình khỏi nước
nhìn cái chết thèm thuồng
như nhìn chiếc giừơng cưới luôn chối từ ta
tàn nửa đời trộn cười khóc làm trò chơi
đan xéo lòng kiêu nhòa nỗi nhục
giả dại hôn ngọn cỏ châm đau mà ngỡ người tình
Chợt tình đến,
ngang tàng núi non,
lạnh lẽo huyệt thẳm
mòn sống,
thờ ơ chết,
nồng nhiệt với hư vô

Cảm được vị đắng nhọc nhằn,
 mùi giông sắp đến
đành nhốt tình sau tấm gương bóng ảo chờn chờn
như nhốt bão trong lòng tay nhỏ
như vùa mây đỉnh trời che kính chiếu yêu
hồ ly tu 999 năm 364 ngày,
   đuôi còn nhỏ lệ
mưu toan kết hôn chạy trốn sét trời
mưu toan kết hôn như để tỏ tình
Yêu,
   bất chấp tình ảo
   bất chấp nỗi đau đớn thật
   bất chấp ngọc người ngàn năm tri thức tan bóng nước
Tịch tà lạc bóng
âm âm tiếng hú gợn nhàu trăng



Nguyễn Thị Minh Ngọc

Director Nguyễn Thị Minh Ngọc, born 5 August 1953 in Bà Rịa, Vietnam. She graduated from stage directing in 1980, trained as an actor at the Ho Chi Minh City School of Theater and Cinema and Tran Huu Trang Theater. She was a student of director Nguyen Tuong Tran (second generation disciple of Konstantin Stanislavski), trained as a cải lương performer with People’s Artist Phung Ha, and she trained many renowned native and international drama and cải lương artists like: Meritorious Artist Huu Chau, Huu Nghia, Hong Dao, Quang Minh, Meritorious Artist Huu Quoc, Meritorious Artist My Hang, Luong My, Mai Lan, Hoa Hiep, Xuan Trang, Thanh Phuong.

She taught the subjects of Screenwriting, Drama Theory and History of Vietnamese Theatre at several colleges and universities, co-founded the Experimental Directing Club (1985), staged about 30 traditional and contemporary plays, wrote about 70 traditional and contemporary plays for the stage and about 30 scripts for cinema, hundreds of episodes for television, several research works on theatre and reformed opera, attended many festivals, seminars, composed and researched on theatre and education in the country and in Australia, England, France, Germany, Tanzania, Norway, Sweden, Philippines, USA, Indonesia, and was the stage personality of the year 2004 voted by Vietnam Television.

She was an actress for the stages: 5B Vo Van Tan, Idecaf… The roles that the audience remembers: Otilia, The Chicken Raising Girl & The Old Girl (Du Luan Quan Chung), Aunt Ba Kim Duyen (Ngoi Nha Khong Dan Men), Grandma (Cau Dong), Grandma Ca & Grandma To Gia (Long Dang Do Cao), Grandma (Tam Nguoi Dan Ba), Crazy Audience (Thuong Hoai Ngan Nam), Grandma Hanh Ngo (Mot va cua toi?). The most recent role was Grandma Vu in the MV Tan Vo with Dam Vinh Hung and Nhan Phuc Vinh.[1] The performance “The Last Romantic” is a 60-minute solo performance made up of ten tragicomic monologues that Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc used to illustrate her talks about theater at universities in and outside the country.

In addition, she is also a member of the Writers, Theater, and Cinema Associations, and is one of the 20 outstanding writers of Ho Chi Minh City selected by the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association.

She is the first Vietnamese woman to bring Vietnamese works to the off-off Broadway stage in New York as an author, director and actress, including: Lost Woman (2008) and We Are… (2011). She was selected as the highlight of the Vietnamese International Film Festival (VIFF) in the US (2007).

In addition to documentaries about Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc produced by VTV, HTV, Binh Duong, and Long An television stations, in 2015, director Hung Phuong made the documentary “Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc – The Treasure Keeper of Gold and Jade” 19’36” long and won first prize in the “I Preserve Beauty” contest.

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.

there were six people there | Bùi Chát

Khai mạc 'Đang trôi'. Bùi Chát on the right.

poem by Bùi Chát
translation by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

prawn heads cooked with calabash soft centre

the husband served the soup

                  the wife slurped it down

                 the help said it was delicious

the nosy neighbour reported it

the reason why I wrote this poem

even though I do not know 
         who could possibly be the sixth

Chuyện sáu người


Râu tôm nấu với ruột bầu

Chồng chan
 
               Vợ húp
 
                 Người hầu khen ngon

Hàng xóm nhiều chuyện nghe thấy kể lại

Nên tôi viết bài này

Nhưng tôi không biết ai là người thứ sáu

(Chúng ta đang trôi đi đâu?! - Nxb Đà Nẵng 2025)

Bùi Chát is the poet, writer, publisher and artist’s pen name. Bùi Quang Viễn was born on October 22, 1979, at Hố Nai, Biên Hòa, Đồng Nai Province, Việt Nam. Born to family of patriotic Catholic refugees from the North in 1954.

Graduated in 2001 from the Faculty of Literature, Linguistics, and Journalism of Hồ Chí Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Bùi Chát named and cofounded Nhóm Mở Miệng (Open Mouth Group) with the poet and writer Lý Đợi, promoting Graveyard & Garbage Poetry.

Nhà Xuất bản Giấy Vụn (Scrap Paper Publishing House), also founded by Bùi Chát, distributions of xerographically structured sensitive works by “pavement poets”. In 2004, Bùi Chát and cofounder Lý Đợi were detained for two days for distributing flyers at a poetry reading raided by the authority. In 2005, the culture department blocked their performance at the Goethe Institute in Hà Nội.

In 2011, Bùi Chát was awarded the IPA Freedom to Publish Prize “for his exemplary courage in upholding the freedom to publish.” He was arrested on his return to Việt Nam after receiving the award in Buenos Aires and detained for several days.

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.

undeniable | Bùi Chát

Không thể chối từ 85x110cm Sơn dầu, Oilstick trên canvas 2023 artist: Bùi Chát

poem inspired art by Bùi Chát
translation by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

it can kill
turn people into killers

turn people into liars
drown people in hate

it’s as attractive. as a disguise
the eyes used to incite evil

from quietude
undeniable

K h ô n g t h ể c h ố i t ừ

Nó có thể giết chết ngươi
Biến ngươi thành thủ phạm

Nó làm ngươi trở nên dối trá
Dìm ngươi trong hận thù

Nó hấp dẫn. Như mặt nạ
Ngươi mang vào để thực thi cái ác

Nó đến trong thinh lặng
Và ngươi không thể chối từ

(Chúng ta đang trôi đi đâu?! – Nxb Đà Nẵng 2025)

Bùi Chát is the poet, writer, publisher and artist’s pen name. Bùi Quang Viễn was born on October 22, 1979, at Hố Nai, Biên Hòa, Đồng Nai Province, Việt Nam. Born to family of patriotic Catholic refugees from the North in 1954.

Graduated in 2001 from the Faculty of Literature, Linguistics, and Journalism of Hồ Chí Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Bùi Chát named and cofounded Nhóm Mở Miệng (Open Mouth Group) with the poet and writer Lý Đợi, promoting Graveyard & Garbage Poetry.

Nhà Xuất bản Giấy Vụn (Scrap Paper Publishing House), also founded by Bùi Chát, distributions of xerographically structured sensitive works by “pavement poets”. In 2004, Bùi Chát and cofounder Lý Đợi were detained for two days for distributing flyers at a poetry reading raided by the authority. In 2005, the culture department blocked their performance at the Goethe Institute in Hà Nội.

In 2011, Bùi Chát was awarded the IPA Freedom to Publish Prize “for his exemplary courage in upholding the freedom to publish.” He was arrested on his return to Việt Nam after receiving the award in Buenos Aires and detained for several days.

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.

to begin a poem | Bùi Chát

Khai mạc 'Đang trôi'. Photo by Trà Cù Lủ

poem inspired art by Bùi Chát
translation by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

the way one would go to sleep
what could truly be
beyond the aptitude of forgetfulness
where we did once upon a time exist
to begin a poem

Để bắt đầu một bài thơ


Như cách chúng ta khởi động giấc ngủ
Điều gì đã thực sự tồn tại
Ngoài kinh nghiệm của lãng quên
Nơi chúng ta từng hiện diện
Để bắt đầu một bài thơ

(Chúng ta đang trôi đi đâu?! – Nxb Đà Nẵng 2025)

Bùi Chát is the poet, writer, publisher and artist’s pen name. Bùi Quang Viễn was born on October 22, 1979, at Hố Nai, Biên Hòa, Đồng Nai Province, Việt Nam. Born to family of patriotic Catholic refugees from the North in 1954.

Graduated in 2001 from the Faculty of Literature, Linguistics, and Journalism of Hồ Chí Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Bùi Chát named and cofounded Nhóm Mở Miệng (Open Mouth Group) with the poet and writer Lý Đợi, promoting Graveyard & Garbage Poetry.

Nhà Xuất bản Giấy Vụn (Scrap Paper Publishing House), also founded by Bùi Chát, distributions of xerographically structured sensitive works by “pavement poets”. In 2004, Bùi Chát and cofounder Lý Đợi were detained for two days for distributing flyers at a poetry reading raided by the authority. In 2005, the culture department blocked their performance at the Goethe Institute in Hà Nội.

In 2011, Bùi Chát was awarded the IPA Freedom to Publish Prize “for his exemplary courage in upholding the freedom to publish.” He was arrested on his return to Việt Nam after receiving the award in Buenos Aires and detained for several days.

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.

Write | Bùi Chát

poem by Bùi Chát
translation by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

Sketch of Bùi Chát by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

I am writing before I put pen to paper
I am writing after I put my pen down
I stop writing when I put pen to paper
When I put pen to paper
I am thoughtful
I am full of thoughts

Viết


Tôi viết trước khi viết
Và viết sau khi viết
Trong khi viết tôi không viết
Tôi chỉ nghĩ
Chỉ nghĩ

Bùi Chát is the poet, writer, publisher and artist’s pen name. Bùi Quang Viễn was born on October 22, 1979, at Hố Nai, Biên Hòa, Đồng Nai Province, Việt Nam. Born to family of patriotic Catholic refugees from the North in 1954.

Graduated in 2001 from the Faculty of Literature, Linguistics, and Journalism of Hồ Chí Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Bùi Chát named and cofounded Nhóm Mở Miệng (Open Mouth Group) with the poet and writer Lý Đợi, promoting Graveyard & Garbage Poetry.

Nhà Xuất bản Giấy Vụn (Scrap Paper Publishing House), also founded by Bùi Chát, distributions of xerographically structured sensitive works by “pavement poets”. In 2004, Bùi Chát and cofounder Lý Đợi were detained for two days for distributing flyers at a poetry reading raided by the authority. In 2005, the culture department blocked their performance at the Goethe Institute in Hà Nội.

In 2011, Bùi Chát was awarded the IPA Freedom to Publish Prize “for his exemplary courage in upholding the freedom to publish.” He was arrested on his return to Việt Nam after receiving the award in Buenos Aires and detained for several days.

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.

Present | Bùi Chát

chưa có tên, sơn dầu trên canvas, 150x195cm . Bùi Chát.

poem inspired art by Bùi Chát
translation by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

we alone have so many faces
mine have all taken a hold of me

my natural compulsion is to run
run again and again
run away as far as I can

to forever escape from all those faces
I have found a place to hide within you

forever within you
to embracing a new day

Hiện hữu


Có quá nhiều mặt trong một khuôn mặt
Cố bám riết lấy tôi

Theo phản xạ thông thường
Tôi bỏ chạy
Rồi lại bỏ chạy

Và để vĩnh viễn thoát khỏi những khuôn mặt
Tôi đã trốn vào em

Mãi mãi ở trong em
Ôm trọn ngày đang tới

Bùi Chát is the poet, writer, publisher and artist’s pen name. Bùi Quang Viễn was born on October 22, 1979, at Hố Nai, Biên Hòa, Đồng Nai Province, Việt Nam. Born to family of patriotic Catholic refugees from the North in 1954.

Graduated in 2001 from the Faculty of Literature, Linguistics, and Journalism of Hồ Chí Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Bùi Chát named and cofounded Nhóm Mở Miệng (Open Mouth Group) with the poet and writer Lý Đợi, promoting Graveyard & Garbage Poetry.

Nhà Xuất bản Giấy Vụn (Scrap Paper Publishing House), also founded by Bùi Chát, distributions of xerographically structured sensitive works by “pavement poets”. In 2004, Bùi Chát and cofounder Lý Đợi were detained for two days for distributing flyers at a poetry reading raided by the authority. In 2005, the culture department blocked their performance at the Goethe Institute in Hà Nội.

In 2011, Bùi Chát was awarded the IPA Freedom to Publish Prize “for his exemplary courage in upholding the freedom to publish.” He was arrested on his return to Việt Nam after receiving the award in Buenos Aires and detained for several days.

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.