Quảng Ngãi Nghĩa Thục

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THE DAY I LIVE

POEMS

English translation by Vu Anh Tuan and Ngo Binh Anh Khoa

Revised by Bob Chee

USA – 2023

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Table of Contents
TRAN NHUAN MINH:
“My inspiration is coming from the fate of people in the terrible shocks: war,
terrorism, natural disasters…”
WISH
THE FOUR SEASONS
WITH FRIENDS
WHEN PASSING THROUGH THE STREET, I ALWAYS SEE…
RETURNING TO MY PARENTS’ HOUSE
BA KIM (Villager KIM)
STEALTHILY LISTENING TO TWO LADIES’ CONVERSATION
AUNT HUU
DESERTED HILL
WITH SISTER HONG TAM (ROSY HEART)
LIBERALITY
RECALLING A PARTY MEMBER
IN THE LAND REFORM
MS BONG
WHITE CLOUD AT HOANH MO
SEEING A SOLDIER’S WIFE OFF
BRAIN-WAVE
OLD FRIEND
FAR INTO THE NIGHT
OLD MR VONG
NEW YEAR’ S EVE
PHUC
THE POEM I DIDN’T INTEND
TO WRITE
ONE HUNDRED YEARS IN…
OLD MR TU
VISITING THE KONSTANTINOVO VILLAGE,
HOMELAND OF RUSSIAN POET SERGUEI ESSENINE
WHITE NIGHT
MEETING BY CHANCE A FRIEND
ON THE SEVASTOPOL-MOSCOW EXPRESS
BESIDE THE URAL THINKING
OF SAPAEP
ON THE SEREMECHEVO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
I WENT TO THE SOVIET UNION AND MET YOU
A POEM FOR A FELLOW COUNTRYMAN
IN GERMANY

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TO MY NEPHEW
WORDS OF A FRIEND HAVING A WIFE BEING CHOSEN TO BE AN OSHIN IN TAIWAN
A POET-FRIEND INVITED ME
TO DRINK ON THE SHORE
OF TIEN RIVER
IN THE HOUSE
STANDING ON THE HO CITADEL AT THANH HOA AND REMEMBERING UC TRAI NGUYEN TRAI’S VERSE
“ONLY WHEN THE BOAT CAPSIZED, CAN ONEKNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE LIKE WATER”
IN THE MIST OF CAO BANG
THE CAT
WHITE CLOUD
LAO XA
HOW CAN IT BE SO?
THANKING THE PEOPLE
FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL
AN DƯƠNG VƯƠNG’S WORDS
NIGHT FEAST
NARRATIVE
OLD MR. CHIEN SAW HIS NIECE
OFF TO WORK AS A MAID-SERVANT ABROAD
TO MY DEAR FRIEND
THE CALL
MORNING TIME
COMMON SENSE
DAILY AND ORDINARY THINGS
AT HOME
VISITING THE POET THAT HAS
TWO DAUGHTERS
LEARNINGTHE ART OF FIGHTING
THAT QUESTION
GOING INTO THE SẤM (THUNDER)
VILLAGE
WILL YOU GO BACK TO HẠ LONG…
THAT ERA
TO MISS A BROTHER
MOUNTAIN OF FLOWERS
UNBOSOMING WITH MY FRIEND
UPON ENTERING THE AGE OF 70
MOTHER
WHY THE DAYS I’M LIVING IN ARE
SO STRANGE?
WATCHING ON THE TELEVISION
ADOCTOR LEARNING THE ART

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OFFIGHTING
THE DESERTED LAND
THERE IS A POET… (*)
IT’S POSSIBLE…
THE WISE MAN…
I ONCE YEARNED FOR
THE OLD MAN FORTUITOUSLY…
NOTING DOWN A HEART-RENDING
STORY IN THE AGRARIAN REFORM
THE DOG’S BARKING…
ONE EVENING…
O THE MADLY BUSY GENIUS
I’VE BEEN FOOLISH ENOUGH…
THE FIRST MYSELF WAS DEAD
I FIND MY OWN SOUL
THE RIGHT HAND DOESN’T KNOW…
ON THIS PLACE SOMEONE…
THE EARTH BREATHES BY THE WIND
BE AT EASE, YOU DON’T HAVE TO
THINK ABOUT ANYTHING!…
ONE NEEDS A SOUND OF BELL…
BLINK
“FROM THE HORIZON OF ONE MAN TOTHE HORIZON
OF ALL MEN”
About the author:
TRAN NHUAN MINH
His published poetry books in English version:

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For poet Tran Nhuan Minh, it is not the conflicts which are the center of
poetry, but the way through and the way out of those conflicts… In this
sense, Tran Nhuan Minh’s poetry is a warning and awakening messages…
it challenges the boundaries between left and right, right and wrong,
orthodox and unorthodox, south and north, past and future…
Anyday, there are still unhappy people in this world, who need to share
their faith and unhappiness… they will still search to read Tran Nhuan
Minh’s poems.

NGUYEN DUC TUNG
Poet and literary critic in Canada