English version by the author
1. LNG QU
Khi anh tr? v?
Ng??i v? ? ch?t
V?t mu kh trn ng?c
Trong b?i tre c rc lin h?i
Ti?ng th? nh?t: anh khng nghe
Ti?ng th? hai: anh d?ng l?i
Ti?ng th? ba: anh l? m? nh?n ra
Anh ??t thang thu?c b?c ln th?m nh
Ci ??u, li l?i
R?i nh? so
R?i b?n.
1. VILLAGE
When he returns home
His wife has died
Dried blood on her chest
In the bamboo bush owls constantly coo
First sound: he does not hear
Second sound: he stops in his steps
Third sound: he dimly recognizes
He leaves the tonic herbal medicine on the porch
Bow his head, steps back
Then pulls the pole
Leaves the pier.
2. M?C ?CH C?A O QU?N
M?c ?ch c?a o qu?n
Khng ph?i ?? m?c
M ?? th? r?i xu?ng
Ngy em ??n tm anh
M?c ?ch c?a kh?n tay
Khng ph?i ?? lau n??c m?t
M ?? chi th?t s?ch
Bia m? trong c? xanh
2. THE PURPOSE OF CLOTHES
The purpose of clothes
Is not to wear them
But to let them drop
The day you come find me
The purpose of a handkerchief
Is not to wipe away your tears
But to carefully clean
A gravestone in green grass
3. TRONG K ?C C?A CH? T?CH X
Chng ti tr?ng nh?ng cy n?m gi?a lng ???ng
Vi th?t k? ?? khng ai bi?t
C hm m?t chi?c cng xa ?i qua
C hm m?t chi?c xe ? ?i qua
C hm m?t c?p trai gi ch? nhau trn xe Honda ?i qua
T?t c? ??u bay ln trong b?i m
Chng ti ci m?t bng h?ng trong b? n??c r?a chn
Tr??c th?m nh tn thn tr??ng
N?m gi? sng h?n v? nh r?a chn
Tr??c khi ln gi??ng v?i v?
Bay ln gi?a b?i m
Chng ti lm th? l ?? tr? th
Cho ??ng ??i chng ti
Tr?n tru?ng b? ko l trn m?t ??t n?ng l?a
T? ??u lng ??n cu?i lng
Nh?ng k? ch?m ph?i mn Claymore
Bay ln nh? b?i m trn hng ro thp gai
By gi? v? gi ti h?i b? lng tai
3. IN THE MEMORY OF THE SUBDISTRICT CHIEF
We planted mushrooms in the middle of the road
Buried it so that no one knows
One day a government car passed by
One day a long-distance bus passed by
One day a couple of boy and girl passed by on Honda scooters
They all flew up in the dust
We put a rose in the foot washbasin
In front of the village chief’s house
At five in the morning he came home and washed his feet
Before going to bed with his wife
He flew up in the dust
We did it for revenge
For our communist comrades
Naked and dragged on the hot burning ground
From the entrance of the village to the end of the village
Those who have hit Claymore mines
Soared up like dust above the barbed wire
Now I am old, a little hard of hearing, thats why
4. CHA V CON
M??i b?n n?m sau ngy cha ti m?t
Ti tr? v? n?m trn chi?c gi??ng c??i c?a ng
??c cu?n Ki?u ?? m?
N?a ?m th?c d?y ng?i ?nh c? m?t mnh
Bu?i sng c?o ru b?ng dao c?o c?a cha ti
M??i b?n n?m sau ngy cha ti m?t
Ti v? b?c m? ng
C?m n?m ??t trn tay
Gi th?i
M?t chi?c x??ng c m?ng
Bu?i chi?u ti mang ?i ?ng c?a cha ti
?i th?m cnh ??ng n??c l?n
??ng tr??c hin nh
Ch?t nh? v? ??a con trai ? ?i xa
4. FATHER AND SON
Fourteen years after my father’s death
I return to lie on his wedding bed
Reading the Kieus book opened
I wake up in the middle of the night to play chess alone
In the morning I shave with my father’s razor
Fourteen years after my father’s death
I go to exhume the remains
Holding the earth in one hand
The wind blows
A thin fish bone
In the evening wearing my father’s boots
To visit the high water field
Standing on the front porch
I suddenly remember a son once gone away
5. CHA
G?i Ch? Lan Vin
Anh l?t tri l sen h?
Th?y ?? m?y ch?
Ln cha
V?y l anh ln cha
Th?m Ph?t
Cha v?ng ng?t
H??ng la trn mnh mng
Lng vo ma g?t
Ch ti?u c?ng ra ??ng
Ngoi sn
D?m ?a h?ng m?i n?
H?i th?m
S? c? ? v? qu l?y v?
Anh ng?n ng? nhn ra ng
Hng tre gi th?i lao xao
M?t con chim ? ?u
Bay v? gy
Cc cu cc cu cc cu cc cu
5. PAGODA
For Ch? Lan Vin
He turns over the lotus leaf
And sees a couple words
Go to the pagoda
So he goes to the pagoda
To visit Buddha
The pagoda was deserted
The scent of rice was immense
It was harvest time for the village
Young novice monks also went to the fields
In the front yard
A few newly roses just bloomed
He asks about
The abbot monk already returned to his hometown to get married
He looks blankly out at the gateway
Rows of bamboo rustle to the blowing wind
A lone bird from somewhere
Flies back to tweet
Cuckoo cuckoo cuckoo cuckoo
6. CHA TRN NI
Ti?ng c rc sn cha
Th?ng b?n ti g c?a b?ng chn ph?i
C?a m?
Ti l?p t?c xng vo
Dng g?y qu?t ti b?i
M?t nh s? tr? tu?i ?ang ch?p tay
Ni?m Ph?t tr??c bn th?
?? gi? d?i tn
Ph?n b?i
Ti ht ln
Cho ?? s?
Th?ng b?n ti ? vo nh??ng chn
Lm h?n ng ng?a
Ti ko ra gi?a sn
H?n co ng??i l?i v ?au
Ti ??y l?t nho
L?n ?i m?y vng
Xu?ng h?
Ci ??u tr?c l?c
L?n theo
Mu r? ra
Ti tr? v? nh
Sai v? l?y kh?n n??c nng
Lau m?t, chi s?ch
R?i ngm mnh trong b?n t?m su?t ngy
Ti ng?i im nhn b?n b?c t??ng
Tr?ng tot th?t lu
M?t con mu?i ??u ln t??ng
Chn cn dnh mu
Ti th?n th? su?t ?m
L?ng tai nghe pha ni
N?u ti?ng c rc thm l?n n?a
Ti s? m?c o c sa v ra ?i
6. PAGODA ON THE MOUNTAIN
The sound of owls hooting in the pagoda yard
My friend knocks on the door with his right foot
The door opens
I immediately rush in
And repeatedly beat around with a cane
There a young monk with clasped hands
Was chanting Buddha’s name in front of the altar
You fraud
You traitor
I shout
To be less afraid
My friend kicks him in the leg
Causing him to fall backwards
I pull him out into the yard
He cringes over in pain
I push and hurl him over
Rolling around a few times
Down into a pit
His bald head
Rolls along
Blood oozing out
I come back home
Order my wife to get a hot towel
To wipe my face and clean it
I then soak in the bathtub all day
I sit still staring at the four walls
Pale white for a long time
A mosquito lands on the wall
Blood still on its legs
I stay listless all night
Closely listening to the mountain side
If I hear the sound of owls hooting one more time
I will put on my kasaya robe and leave
7. N?U EM MU?N, TH ANH C?NG MU?N
N?u em mu?n, th anh c?ng mu?n
Chia cho anh m?t n?a ??i em
M?t v??n nhi?u s??ng xu?ng
M?t vai xanh l ?m
M?t ngy nh? cc o
Lng anh th ? ra ging
M tnh cn l?m t?m
Hoa c?i vng g?i n?ng
Anh cn g?i tn em
Ngy ch?a ?i h?t ma
?m cn g?p khun m?t l?
Sng ra trong tay v nhu chi?c l
Th?m anh tm b?c t?n ng?n
Chia cho anh n?a ??i kh kh?n
Chia cho anh n?a ??i nh?m l?n
Hoa ci mnh ??i gi
??t ci mnh ch? em
Em v?n vng la m?i
G?t mi ch?a xong tnh ??u
Cnh di?u gieo m?m g?c r?
Dng d?ng ???ng xanh l du
Chia cho anh lng nhau
M?t lng cn n?c n?
M?t lng nh? v s?
Lng my n??c trong veo
N?ng ? vng tri b??i
L?u ? ?? ngoi t??ng
Lu?ng cy l?p nghing chuy?n c?
Chia cho anh cnh ??ng
Chia cho anh b?y ong
Chia cho anh m?t ??i im nh? ni
Chia cho anh chi?u thu c c?ng nh? khng
N?u em t?i, th anh c?ng t?i
Chng ta t?i ?y trong ngy t?n th?
Anh s? tr?ng m?t ci cy
Trong chi?c giy c?a anh ?y
Sen v?n cu?ng sen h?ng
Ng?c v?n l ng?c nh?
Anh ??t tnh yu ln chi?c l
Th? em tri theo dng sng
7. IF YOU WANT, THEN I WANT IT TOO
If you want, then I want it too
Share with me half of your life
A garden full of dew
A midnight green shoulder
A day like a button
My heart has already edged forward
But our love is still glistening
Canola flowers call to the sun
I still call your name
Days unpassed, seasons unfinished
At night I still see an unfamiliar face
In the morning a crumpled leaf in my hand
My veranda is eight steps shy
Share with me half of your difficult life
Share with me half a life of confusion
I wait for the wind as flowers bow down
I wait for you as the land crouches down
You are still the golden new rice
No matter the harvests, first love never ends
Kites sow softly stubbles are sown
Use the road of green mulberry leaves
Share with me your heart
A heart still sobbing
A heart unscathed
Eyebrows and clear water
The sun has turned grapefruits yellow
Pomegranates have reddened on the outside of the wall
The furrow covers up old stories
Share with me the rice fields
Share with me the bees
Share with me a quiet life like that of a mountain
Share with me an autumn evening whether it is or is not
If you come, I will come too
We have come here on this doomsday
I will plant one tree
In this very shoe I wear
Lotus flowers still have pink lotus stems
A small heart is still nevertheless a heart
I put my love on this leaf
And let you float along the river
8. TRONG KHI CH? GODOT
Cc nh v?n Vi?t Nam c g ?? ni khng, Camier ni,
N?u khng c g th h? khng c?n ni
H? c nhi?u ?i?u ?? ni ??y, Mercier ni
Th? sao h? khng ni, Camier h?i
H? khng th? ni ???c, Mercier tr? l?i
N?u h? khng th? ni ???c, Camier ni,
Th hy ?? h? im l?ng.
8. WHILE WAITING FOR GODOT
Do Vietnamese writers have anything to say, Camier said,
If there is nothing then they need not say anything
They do have a lot to say, Mercier said
So why dont they talk, Camier asked
They cannot speak, Mercier replied
If they cannot speak, Camier said,
Then let them be silent.
N. ?. T
