By Thanh Dang, translation by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
I’ve been on the battlefield
Through our eyes, a lifetime is not enough to forget
Ukraine, who’s pushed you into such sadness
How could one human to another make an ocean of tears
.
I want to hold you child, together we’ll cry
No longer could I volunteer to be by your lover fight
The young people of Vietnam did once lay down their lives
The bitterness resided in our heart may it be North or South
.
You will die child, out on the battlefield you will die
What’s left of your wins will be a nation of decimated cities
Shredded villages
The graves long with more graves
The entire nation’s a graveyard
.
I feel sorry for your loss and mine to have been born in the chaos of war
How could we blame the Creator
How could we blame anyone…
—
March 24, 2022
—–
Chiến trường đó một thời tôi đã thấy
Dưới mắt người, một kiếp khó lòng quên
Ukraine, phiên buồn ai đưa đẩy
Người với người sao biển lệ mông mênh
.
Tôi không thể ôm em cùng khóc
Tôi cũng chẳng thể cùng anh xung phong
Những người trẻ Việt Nam một thời nằm xuống
Dù Bắc dù Nam đắng chát trong lòng
.
Em sẽ chết, vào chiến trường em sẽ chết
Phần thắng là quê hương em thành phố tan hoang
Rách nát thôn làng
Mộ dài với mộ
Cả tổ quốc là nghĩa trang
.
Chia buồn cùng em cũng như chia buồn cùng tôi đã sinh ra trong thời binh loạn
Không thể trách được Thượng Đế trên trời
Cũng không thể trách về ai…
.
Thanh Dang
13 replies on “Thanh Dang | I’ve been on the battlefield (4)”
A poem that shows the sadness and folly of war.
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we can but share such sadness, to lighten the burden…
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Reblogged this on Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News.
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Reblogged this on johncoyote and commented:
War, there is no winner. Always people who must learn how to live again.
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Dear Nguyễn. Needed and powerful words shared my friend.
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Thank you my friend.
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You are welcome, dear Nguyễn.
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Reblogged this on Art et Technique / Art and technics and commented:
Je trouve cet article, comment dire poignant..on apprendra jamais, du moins certains…I found this post, don’t know, I found it reaching deep, we will never learn, at least some of us.
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thank you for sharing your thoughts my friend
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Some posts are really reaching far, thank to Coyote who shared your post, I just ‘stumbled upon’ yours, sometimes it is good to follow links, thanks again friend!
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I’m so glad it reached you, thank you for reading the translation, my friend. 🙂
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You’re more than welcome, thank you for following back, look forward to read more of your posts, in fact I did..:) sometimes it is nice to follow leads from others and find more than you did expect, glad I did this time, so to the next reading, I am looking forward to it!
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You are welcome, likewise. 🙂
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