Tran Phuong Lan
Born in 1965 in Nam Dan – Nghe An province of Vietnam, her poems have been published in Song Lam magazine and other central and local newspapers. She won the national gold prize in the recitation program. She loves poetry and writing poetry by fragile and dreamy soul.
In front of the rains
Feeling sad in front of the rains
Dark sky – Opaque ground – Empty streets… Gloomy scene
Just bustling on summer afternoons
Autumn has arrived with clouds of dew
Listening silently in mountain and river realms
Tu Quy Birds calling for friends… Lots of tears
Lady Moon is surprised with the lovely sky
Not thinking that Moon-boy is wistful about the real world
Realizing that it is forever
So that the O Thuoc bridge – Ngan river … Full of tears
Dear princess Chau – passionate love
White roads with goose feathers… wrongly given her loving heart
Pity for the fate of Miss Kieu
What a talent… bearing sadness in her life
The word “virgin” is so embarrassing
Loyalty, filial piety like her, who can?!
Contemplating that everything due to the heaven
“The word of talent, the word of destiny” … Who … Love each other!
***
Back to the past time
Dreaming of an innocent childhood
Taking naked showers in the middle of the day… Countryside River
The night that the moon was over the top of the bamboo
Playing lively drumbeats with friends.
Nobody can hold the time
Full moon, crescent moon – summer fades autumn passes
Just peeled, already old
Just cherished and memorized that already grandmother and grandfather.
Angry and compassionate with lovely traditional songs
Who got married when young that has good fate!
Who is noble, who is poor
A river has different sections – nobody can have good fate for three generations.
Thinking in terms of Heaven and Earth
Dare not to laugh first so people can laugh later
Hoping for someone in good charm with betel nuts
I am – clumsy verse… Back in the past time!
***
The old alley
I just passed by the old alley
The wind is full of directions in the countryside afternoon
The memory is already far away, the sadness is slept silently
Suddenly came back massively… Shallow… Deep…
Afternoon, how strange is my homeland
As near – as far – as real – as unreal
I’m suffocating in the middle of emptiness
Thought it was just yesterday… The hair was already white.
On which direction, dear familiar shadow!
***
To the side that cannot be together
I wander alone in the autumn afternoon
Gathering mists to weave into a thin scarf
Lightly wrapping on shoulders for less cold in the afternoon
The fragrance of alstonia scholaris falls… Tilting the steps
My hair is tilted to the fragrant side without you
Watching the fallen yellow leaves – soft green memory
The heart is still foolish forever
Keeping nervous to the side that cannot be together
Days hold days and autumn holds autumn
Catching heavy raindrops to weave the O Thuoc Bridge
Lost for a thousand years… The fire in my heart has not been extinguished
Just keep burning in love time!
***
I
I love the sunshine color of winter
Spreading gently on the leaves
It’s fragile, but bright enough
Everything shines brightly to show off its beauties.
Not too passionate – not too shimmery
I am – A winter sunshine, gentle and looming
Enough love to warm up your life
Enough tolerance for even mistakes!
I love so much the river
Cooling down the sunny summer afternoons
When the flood overflows to the rolling waves
The years are inclined to the immense sea.
Not too loud – not too quiet
I am – The green river knows to love and anger
A little bit of jealousy is enough to warm up the arms
A little dreamy enough to stir … green afternoon…
Remembering enough to ferment in the depths of looking eyes!!!
***
In front of autumn
Suddenly I feel young again
As if the time of long ago
Immense love and memories
In front of autumn, my heart was in a daze
A light “Ting” sound
Reporting a new message
It’s enough to stir my heart
The afternoon wind passing by
As if real and dreamy
For trees more green leaves
Keep waiting for waiting for
Let be the earth and sky inclining
Sending dreams to the wind
Let be the day not pass quickly
Sending love to the sea
Let be thousand years unrest
Sending to that person far away
A little fragrance … autumn afternoon!
***
In the countryside afternoon
In front of the banana bush my mother planted
Flowers just bloomed that already emitted its fragrance in the countryside
Blue smoke covers to blur the bamboo bush
The chirping birds to call friends to nests in time
Hens are looking for their chicks
Spreading their wings to embrace love
The light sound of afternoon bell is ringing
Dreamy in light sunshine – someone let fly a kite
The village road is very familiar and close
Mother shadow walks quickly tilting in the afternoon sky
Cannot count the burden mother carried?!
Let be my path wide and open
Any place … Still inside
Deep in my heart – not blurred in the countryside afternoon…!
***
In front of spring
Hearing the birds chirping in the leaves
And fragrant wind, blue buds, yellow sunshine…
It’s gone of a frozen winter
I’m on the side of peaceful spring!
Slowly I walk among the love
Holding hands to cherish what I have
Like Heaven and Earth to cherish brilliant spring
No matter plan, years are still changing seasons.
I embrace the poetic spring
Gentle breezing to lull, yellow sunshine at the doorway
The chirping sound of birds knocking beaks
Hearing my heart of broken things… Back away…
Yeah, in front of spring… I suddenly feel…not old…!
***
Just One Person
There is a person to whom I still call the name
Before sleeping and every morning waking up
The one who made my heart ageless
Even when not far away, the memory has formed.
There is one person – only one
The one is all the memory – happiness – sadness – happiness
The one is warm fire – soft silk – thunderstorm in summer afternoon
Through anger… Love again much more!
With this person, my heart is not peaceful
Throbbing with jealousy, which way to be lost
Just a word of love – whispering the singing wind
A “Ting” sound … too much love with heaven and earth.
There is one person – only one
Making my heart never calm one day
Despite white hair, incomplete afternoon
The heart is still as in the beginning.
I wait for that person … And Autumn … holding … autumn…!
Hold my hands
We are walking on the busy road of life
Don’t lose me unwittingly
Let’s hold hands each other and share all joys and sorrows
Like warm sunshine, hot fire, fragrant flower, cool grass!
You know – I’m tender and earnest
A little bit of jealousy is enough to be angry and love
I am – of the family – work hard from early morning
Salty salt with spicy ginger – saving and nurturing.
You know – the road of life has hundred appointment turns
I still go to your own way
I want to be the nice proud wind
To be the gentle and cool moon!
Hold my hands until the end of the road
No one loves you more than I love you
Cherishing all the good and bad things
Of you and love restless!
Don’t turn any way – dear love, otherwise I will get lost!!!
_______________________
(Translated into English by Khanh Phuong)
