The Boat Towards 
Faraway Shores
 

[lời Việt Hà Huyền Chi 



Dew and smoke is rising in the Sunset’s twilight above the high sea Willow’s leaves are fluttering with sorry in the wind
Purplish red clouds lie across the distant horizon
On the Đà River’s waves a fragile boat is leaving her harbour

Oh my dear boat ! A faraway foreign land !
Only once the boat is parting the reeds by the river water's edge
She is heading for a strange faraway Country’s shore.
From a faraway wellspring, an Eternity Song
Is drifting through the afternoon endless and homeless rain.

Looking back towards the faraway motherland village
It seems Life has lost her own way and pace

With the undecided and hesitate steps
Looking backwards to the beautiful hamlet
By the sorry weeping Đà River
A grey haired mother is silently sitting
Thinking of her beloved children

To the homeland this homesick evening
I send back many unbounded  longings
From the heavens a macroworld of sadness and homesickness
Is descending like a curtain upon this foreign land.
A veil of dew and smoke is rising
By the water the willows weep with bitter sorry
In this evening’s twilight a boat is lifting her anchor
Heading out for a faraway Country’s shores... 

Translated by Nguyen Huu Vien

Singapore, Spring 1980 – Paris, Fall 2002


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