ANH VỀ ĐÂY                           

Anh đã về                                                      
Sau hơn ba mươi năm xa quê                    
Mẹ vắng bóng, con đường xưa mất hút     
Cô bé xóm Kên                                          

Mắt mờ tóc bạc                                          

Chuyện chúng mình                                  
Nhớ nhớ quên quên                                   

Anh đã về                                                  
Con đường cũ thay tên                              
Cầm tay em                                               
Như ngày xưa hò hẹn                                
Bàn tay run                                                
Thuở ấy vì tình bây giờ vì lạnh                 
Nắng hoàng hôn không ấm nỗi sương chiều

Quê hương mình                                       
Mẹ và em                                                       
Đều thay đổi quá nhiều                             

Duy chỉ có                                                  
Chiếc loa đầu đường                                 
Thì vẫn thế                                                 

Sau gần bốn mươi năm                              
Loa loa loa; mồm loa mép dãi                   

Vẫn phát hoài                                            
Tiếng nói Việt Nam                                   

Dân chủ, Tự do                                           
Chỉ nói không làm                                     

Anh đã về                                                  
Như cây gỗ gió xoang trầm                       
Chút võ vẽ những mảnh trời khai phóng   
Em nghe anh…                                          
Mỉm cười trông ngóng:                             
Làm được gì ngoài bán mộng tay không   

Dân chủ - Tự do                                        
Đả đảo hoan hô                                           
Hàng quốc cấm                                          

Chỉ được nhìn ngắm                                  

Không được sờ, không được đụng            

Giở nón chào ca tụng bâng quơ                

Muốn độc lập                                             

Phải có tự do                                              
Muốn tự do                                                
Phải có dân chủ                                          
Muốn dân chủ                                             
Phải hóa sinh thân xác cũ                           
Chờ bao năm                                              
Xác ướp có linh hồn                                  

Anh về đây em                                          
Đường tự tình quê hương yêu dấu            
Chí lớn mang về chẳng từ Mỹ từ Âu         

Trong tim em                                              

Khát vọng dấy từ lâu                                 

Như giông bão                                           

Đang nằm sâu trong đất                              

Chờ đợi bao năm nên em cúi mặt                
Ngước lên nhìn!                                         

Triệu ánh mắt:                                           

Tìm nhau                                                   

Đừng đợi mãi bên cầu                               

             Trần Kiêm Đoàn       

HERE I HAVE COME BACK

Back here I have come    
After over thirty years home away from.
Mom absent, the old way lost in the whirl.
The once Ken Hamlet girl

With dim eyes and grey hair,

About her personal affair
Remembered and forgot in confusion.

Back here I have come. No illusion.
The former street has changed its name.
I held your hands all the same
Like I did those days we were on a date;
Your hands shook blate
In the past by love but now by cold, true,
The setting sun couldn’t warm the dusk dew.

Our fatherland land:
Have had too many changes to stand  
Mother and sister.

Except that the blister
The street corner’s loud speaker
Is the same as always a squeaker.

After nearly forty years
Garrulous, loquacious, verbose to all ears,

Still broadcast forever, never calm,
The Voice of Vietnam.

Democracy, Liberty: none!
Only said never done.

I have come back to make good.
As an old tree catching wind of agarwood
Dabbling a little in bits of liberated life
You listened to me while evil is rife
Smiled, looking forward with a gleam…
Empty-handed to act: to sell one’s dream!

Democracy! Liberty!  (blah)
Down with! Long live! Hurrah!
Forbidden merchandise

Only to look, contemplate, for one’s eyes

Not allowed to touch let alone to hold.

Hats off for a salutation vague and cold.

Independent to be
You must be free.
To be free (not hypocrisy)
There must be democracy.
To be democrat
You must renovate the old life flat.
How many years to expect in whole
For a mummified body to have a soul?

Back here I have come
With deep feelings for our country glum.
cause is not from US or Europe smart,

But it does exist in your very heart.

Aspiration so far arisen urging to perform

Like a storm

Has been lying in the earth profound.

So long in wait to stoop you were bound.
Now, raise your head, look up to see

Millions of eyes in glee

Are seeking one another in a world wider:

Start off! No longer remain an outsider!

            Translation by THANH-THANH

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