bilingual poetry TÂM SỰ HÒN VỌNG PHU -- HEARTBREAK OF VIETNAM'S AWAITING WIFE

Artwork by Ng.Uyen
original in enamels
digital infusion
copyrighted 2014-2020 

ENGLISH VERSION:

HEARTBREAK OF VIETNAM'S AWAITING WIFE

I don’t just stand here to count time

Like tears, time flows by old towns that no longer shine,

Under midnight stars

Into rivers

Out to such immense sea

I let my tears be…

Over me,

the fogged moon’s no longer free

I don’t just stand here to greet passers-by

My body splits such border line,

My hair the Red River’s silt,

yarned into our homeland’s quilt

The nation’s sword sparkles into green jade

My hair whitens: my cry for the gloom of our fate 

Yet, I don’t just stand here to mourn for nationhood

The story of our first Hung King, now gone for good

‘cause tomorrow, like me, pray to stonify

Breakage of the country: the nocturne of my cry

So I don’t just stand here, on top of this mountain

To shed tears for the Tran emperor, or relive the ancient

If the people miss the glory of the past,

simply burn incense for our tomb, and hope its light will last...

WND copyrighted 2014-May 2020

ABOUT POETS AND POETRY 

my poetry, place of refuge,  not to be touched
as it is beyond reproach
since it is the harvest's last stalk
from a ricefield meant to be mine
my rice: 
my sweat, blood, flesh, bone...my cry...

DNN May 2020