related article ( 3) : " UPLIFTING POEMS / RAISE YOUR HEADS / a poem by THE PHONG -- source: Virgil Gheorghiu , 27/ 02/ 2012 .

 

VIRGIL GHEORGHIU

THỨ HAI, 27 THÁNG 2, 2012

UPLIFTING POEMS / RAISE YOUR HEADS / a poem by THE PHONG 

                           Asian Morning Western Music , 

                    poems by  The Phong 

                                                                                                                     This Edition , Jan.2012  - HCM City . 

     R A I S E    Y O U R    H E A D S

        a poem by THEPHONG

     translated from the Vietnamese by

                     ĐÀM XUÂN CẬN 

1.

When  they have much money ,

           sure  you can ask then to buy this or that

Sure

           they are the cream of society

Sure

           their services can never be free

Sure

           their hands are clean thanks to good , 

                                               expensive soap 

Sure 

           their teeth are clean and shinning 

           ( for the same reason )

Sure 

           their voices  are resounding 

           because full of pride

They come to you

           do nothing for you

anyway

           they expect too much from you

" I tell you

          nobody needs to worry about them ".

2.

Whatever you do which involves no real labor ,

           no genuine care ,

           no love on your partner

I couldn' t care less about it

           because  it has no value

They should have suffered ,

           but now it is too late for that 

They should have earned their life honestly ,

           but they should have the will

They should have known humility

           so that they are not full of arrogance

Really they have never known real love 

           so they should not talk of love 

" I tell you ,  they are downright contemptible ".

3.

Today

         I walk Saigon streets in sunny weather

The air is invigorating

         I am enjoying myself

I feel myself a new man

Cheer up ,

 Dear fellow .

Saigon, July 17 , 1963 .

THEPHONG

( from  ASIAN MORNING WESTERN MUSIC , 

  poems by THE  PHONG.

  First published by DAI NAM VAN HIEN BOOKS ,

Saigon 1971.

 -  This Edition ,Jan . 2012 -  Ho Chi Minh City -- p. 58- 60  ) .