Who am I

A poem in Vietnamese by Vũ Hoàng Thư
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Art: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

Vũ Hoàng Thư by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

*** W h o a m I

Who am I?

the sunlight, clouds, lips, the wind

the dying moments

the calling upon time

the sunlight,

on scented locks of hair

clouds,

the long journey paused on deserted isles

lips,

the fumbling clumsy verse

the wind,

by me upon whose lips whose cheeks

–

Who am I?

earth, water, fire, air…

one day shall

return to the ashes of long ago

earth,

the source of your legend

water,

the forever cascades which hugs you

the wind

wraps endless your throat the lustre of jade

fire,

the warmth of your love, and that part of me

–

[26/07/2021]

—

*** Ｔａｌà ａｉ

Ta là ai?

nắng, mây, môi, gió…

tuế nguyệt phôi pha

gọi tháng ngày

nắng,

đậu tóc thơm người buổi nọ

mây,

chồn chân dừng hải đảo buồn

môi,

mấp máy lời thơ vụng dại

gió,

cùng ta ghé má môi ai

–

Ta là ai?

đất, nước, gió, lửa…

một ngày

về cát bụi xa xưa

đất,

tìm lại mầm em cổ tích

nước,

ôm em lưu lượng hằng hà

gió,

lùa gáy em tròn ngọc bích

lửa,

ấm tình em và chút ta

–

Vũ Hoàng Thư

(Oct. 2012)

———————————

Vũ Hoàng Thư, born Võ Anh Tuấn 1949 in Hue, Vietnam. The poet and translator, head editor of bienkhoi.com currently living in Fountain Valley, California.

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.

Clouds

A poem in Vietnamese by Vũ Hoàng Thư
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
PHotography: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

a cloud

you appeared

I was just there

seemed like

I was staring

but

watching

the clouds drifting

in the breeze

rather

nothing new

truly is

neither this nor

ever

that

—

October 2022

mây

em về ta chẳng bước

nhưng

đứng yên

không hẳn đã dừng lại đây

đôi khi như

đợi chốn nầy

thật ra

nhìn

gió

và

mây

vẫn thường

Vũ Hoàng Thư, born Võ Anh Tuấn 1949 in Hue, Vietnam. The poet and translator, head editor of bienkhoi.com currently lives in Fountain Valley, California.

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.

*** Pａｒｉｓ． w i t h o u t ｔｈｉｖũ

A poem in Vietnamese by Vũ Hoàng Thư
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

you have returned to that place
hands idle and free
smiling without a care
your grey hair woven with the white clouds
with the drifting tranquillity of the Seine
endlessly free flowing water
your shadow is the sunlight
flying into flowers
“blooms of sunlight” (1)
the dreamy white light of the song of impermanence in the middle of the night
in the dark the sound of a passing car wakes me up
my head is empty of thought through the jet lag
jittery feet waiting for the first light after a night in Limeil-Brévannes
anticipating the late bloom of the queen of the night
the rise and fall of rows of text along the endless library bookshelves
the constant sound of shifting gears of the print press churning out on Gennevilliers’ news
Quê Mẹ is awake through the night
working through the sweat
the deep sound screams from the South China Sea
what choice was there left
glory to socialism or face an ocean of waiting darkness
the trembling injustice and anger of all living soul
a wavering moon gate on Rue Jaffeux
the deep lyric of the night “a whisper amidst Paris” (2)
please speak up, call for
“a boat for Vietnam”
a boat for the boat people
oh dearest of oceans glowing at the foot of the horizon “an island of light” (3)
Paris. without Thi Vũ
my memories returned to the climbing gourd vines at Quê Mẹ
the nights singing at Quán Trúc in the European city light
the steep incline scattered with paintings in Montmartre
the cafes on the sidewalk
the strong shots of espresso in the streets of Saint-germain-des-prés
a sleepless Vietnamese without a country in Paris
Thi Vũ
poetic pondering
drifting scents of the heart of a flower call home

I’m walking through Paris in the sombre afternoon light
the clouds drifting by as grey and blinding as the century
I called your name
as though you’re still here
still here
downhill to Rue de la Bûcherie Shakespeare bookstore
you were the pungent scent of books across a sky full of poetry
the sudden odd scent of lavender
“like white clouds in brilliant sunlight across the horizon
the calling of the heart’s desire” (4)
Who could there be such a reality?
Paris. without Thi Vũ
when lines of poetry grew wings took to the sky
dancing the dance of immortality
or will a moonflower bloom from the soil steeped in an unexpected shower?
Thi Vũ
“a tiny fragile flower
not once did you stop blooming yet already it’s an endless lifetime” (4)
you are missed, beyond this lifetime!

Vũ Hoàng Thư, born Võ Anh Tuấn 1949 in Hue, Vietnam. The poet and translator, head editor of bienkhoi.com currently live in Fountain Valley, California.

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 ramble

A poem in Vietnamese by Vũ Hoàng Thư
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Art: Đinh Trường Chinh

the end of the rambling

carried by daylight

–

awakening

the scent of the rocky

embankment of yesteryear

–

returning in waves crashing

an untitled melody

–

the echoes of a wild season

dusk upon a foreign land

–

(November 2021)

*** 𝓬𝓾ộ𝓬 𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓰

–

cuối cuộc rong

ánh ngày đưa

hưng phấn dậy

bờ đá xưa sóng về

vỗ reo âm bản không đề

mùa hoang sơ vọng

chiều quê quán người

–

Vũ Hoàng Thư

July 2018

Vũ Hoàng Thư, born Võ Anh Tuấn 1949 in Hue, Vietnam. The poet and translator, head editor of bienkhoi.com currently lives in Fountain Valley, California.

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.

Wisteria

A poem in Vietnamese by Vũ Hoàng Thư
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Art: Đinh Trường Chinh

*** W i s t e r i a

I’m an explosion of purple

first thing in the morning

wisteria weeping

me begging the day to come along

in sweet words

the blooms awaken

folk verses turning over a new page of spring

what magical language

may be more flawless

than the wandering

branches of blossoms

does it bother you dear?

embarrassed you?

that I’m suspicious by all the purple

vines and branches wrapped around

a half mesmerised soul

the nameless song

in my heart

in all my wisdom

a home

steeped in the scent and hues of eggplant

its purest form

—

April 2022

—–

*** Ｔử đằｎｇ

tôi bừng tím

buổi sớm mai

tử đằng rũ

tôi rủ ngày rong chơi

hoa trở dậy

ngọt tiếng lời

bài dao ca mở trang đời xuân xanh

diệu ngữ nào

thượng thừa thành

bất ngờ giong ruổi

đơm cành phương nghi

em có ngại?

ngượng ngùng chi?

mà tim tím gọi hồ nghi tôi về

cành nhánh quấn

nửa hồn mê

vô thanh tôi hát

không đề bài ca

tuệ trung tôi

một cõi nhà

ươm màu hương thủy

tím cà nguyên khê

Vũ Hoàng Thư

03/2017

Vũ Hoàng Thư, born Võ Anh Tuấn 1949 in Hue, Vietnam. The poet and translator, head editor of bienkhoi.com currently live in Fountain Valley, California.

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.

Poetry

A poem in Vietnamese by Vũ Hoàng Thư
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Art: Đinh Trường Chinh

Poetry is never fully revealed? Or is it because we can never wholly understand Poetry? These are the questions that may take more than a lifetime to answer, it is something we all strive for, an unattainable goal, it continues to evolve in vain in the minds of those who compose poetry. Otherwise Poetry will cease to exist.

—

Poetry is never fully revealed

poetry,

an inspired thought

a strand of silk

why worry?

a glimpse

gosh

possibilities.

poetry,

oblivious

to time,

not any kind of rendezvous

a privy calling

or soul mating.

poetry,

far yet

at hand

arms wide open

to nothing but the mist

poetry,

taking flight

without a word,

the swallow’s shadow

soundlessly greets

welcome.

though

now and then

there about

the verses are audible

reaches the high notes

in a promise to return.

Thơ không bao giờ nói hết? Hay ta không thể nói hết về Thơ? Một câu hỏi muôn đời vì Thơ là một cái gì ta vươn tới, một mục tiêu bất khả đạt, nó tiếp tục di dời trong vô vọng của kẻ làm thơ. Nếu không Thơ sẽ ngừng hiện hữu.

—

Thơ

thơ,

ngẫu nhĩ

vương sợi tơ,

trầm trọng chi?

một thoáng

khơi

vơi

cùng.

thơ,

vô tư

với ngàn trùng,

không hò hẹn,

gọi riêng, chung,

ân cần.

thơ,

xa ngái

trong khoảng gần,

dang tay với,

sương khói hân nhiên mời.

thơ,

vụt cánh

không cất lời,

một bóng nhạn

vẫy tiếng mời

vô thanh.

và

đôi khi

nhịp nhàng quanh,

tiếng ly tao

hẹn thái thanh

tương phùng.

vht

July 2021

Vũ Hoàng Thư, born Võ Anh Tuấn 1949 in Hue, Vietnam. The poet and translator, head editor of bienkhoi.com currently lives in Fountain Valley, California.

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.

She’s armed with an onslaught of undercurrents

A poem in Vietnamese by Vũ Hoàng Thư
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

I don’t know if I deserve it, nhưng, em xin cám ơn anh Vũ Hoàng Thư thật nhiều. Thank you for helping me accept who I am. Sometimes she is a stranger to me, this other part of “dược sĩ”.

Cô ấy mang những đợt sóng ngầm dữ dội

âm ỉ cuộn tròn dưới bề mặt một đại dương thẩm nắng

thuyền sẽ căng gió đợi chờ buồm lộng

và viễn khơi gọi lời

ngày ấy

khi bất trắc biến thành cánh hải âu tung trời

cô xòe tròn đôi mắt

ôi đời

những ngọn hồng lạp nhỏ nhoi dưới bến.

—

She’s armed with an onslaught of undercurrents

firmly curled up tidal waves beneath an ocean steeped in sunlight

sails, drawn and ready for the wind

ready for the call out to sea

on a day

cornered turns into wings of seagulls fly across the sky

her eyes, round and wide

gosh

the tiny burning flames at the foot of the landing.

—

thơ Vũ Hoàng Thư

[August 2022]

Vũ Hoàng Thư, born Võ Anh Tuấn 1949 in Hue, Vietnam. The poet and translator, head editor of bienkhoi.com currently live in Fountain Valley, California.

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.

Which half?

A poem in Vietnamese by Vũ Hoàng Thư
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Art: Đinh Trường Chinh

W h i c h h a l f ?

one half joking

one half fun

one sunny breeze

one moment waiting for the rain

one green spring

just right

one private thought residing

the separation overwhelming

one touch of dew

the rows of tears

one felt someone falling

the unforeseeable ups and downs

one calculating

amongst the ambiguity

one sat down

laughed about nothing at all

–

(October 2021)

—

*** Ｎửａｎàｏ？

một nửa đùa

một nửa chơi

một vờn nắng gió

một chờ đợi mưa

một xuân xanh

biết đã vừa

một riêng ngồi lại

ngập thừa ly tan

một sương sa

lệ luống hàng

một nghe thân ngã

những thăng trầm mù

một toan tính

giữa thật hư

một ngồi xuống

bật tiếng cười hư không

–

Vũ Hoàng Thư

02/2013

Vũ Hoàng Thư, born Võ Anh Tuấn 1949 in Hue, Vietnam. The poet and translator, head editor of bienkhoi.com currently lives in Fountain Valley, California.

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.

*** W h o a m I

*** Ｔａ ｌà ａｉ

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*** 𝓬𝓾ộ𝓬 𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓰

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*** W i s t e r i a

*** Ｔử đằｎｇ

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Poetry is never fully revealed

Thơ

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Cô ấy mang những đợt sóng ngầm dữ dội

She’s armed with an onslaught of undercurrents

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W h i c h h a l f ?

*** Ｎửａ ｎàｏ？

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*** Ｔａｌà ａｉ

*** Ｎửａｎàｏ？