Lê Vĩnh Tài | no. 15:8 – her heart is so small

Lê Vĩnh Tài, the Vietnamese poet and translator born 1966 in Buon Ma Thuot, Daklak, Vietnam. The retired doctor is still a resident of the Western Highlands, a businessman in Buon Ma Thuot.

Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm, the poet and translator, born 1971 in Phu Nhuan, Saigon, Vietnam. The pharmacist currently lives and works in Western Sydney, Australia.

By Lê Vĩnh Tài, translation by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

her heart is so small

it’s a black hole

forever

sound

within my soul

profound

within my veins

her

causing it to throb endlessly

time never ceasing

forever

it’s afraid

as an egg

fresh

fragile

long ago slipped through our fingers

broke

_____

trái tim nàng quá nhỏ

nó chỉ là một lỗ đen

sâu

hút

linh hồn của tôi

tút lút

bên trong những mạch máu

nàng

làm nó đau đến vô cùng

vì thời gian

có bao giờ dừng lại

mãi mãi

nó sợ

như quả trứng

non

mềm

ngày xưa ta làm rơi

vỡ

4 replies on “Lê Vĩnh Tài | no. 15:8 – her heart is so small”

I wish I knew what you are talking about in this poem. I thought it was a baby, an emotion, but I totally got lost. But the somber choice of words point towards something intimate.

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Thank you for taking the time to read the poem, this one verse in a collection of poems. It’s difficult to explain his poetry as well, and you are right, it is a rare intimacy you can more feel than express.

Ah, I see.Very cool stuff! 🙂

Nice poem

her heart is so small

trái tim nàng quá nhỏ

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By Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

4 replies on “Lê Vĩnh Tài | no. 15:8 – her heart is so small”

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