From: Van Tran <0005359961@mcimail.com>
Subject: [THO+] THO+ TRA^`N Y' VA^N
Originator: daemon@media-lab.media.mit.edu
Reply-To: 0005359961@mcimail.com
Organization: N/A
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 16:07:05 GMT

La^?m Ca^?m
     
                         I know that I am alive
                         between two parentheses
                                Octavio Paz: "Certeza (Certainty)"


Lu'c chu+a sinh dda` ye^u nhau co' le??
Ne^n ngu+o+`i ddo+`i va^~n go.i a^'y tie^`n duye^n!
Ye^u nhau ro^`i, ro^`i sao ra nhu+ the^'?
Cho nho+' nhung, ddau kho^? dde^'n trie^`n mie^n.

Ne^'u dda~ va^.y, sao ta ye^u the^' nhi??
Ye^u mo^.t ngu+o+`i, hay ye^u dde^? ddu+o+.c ye^u#?
DDe^? ddu+o+.c ye^u, hay ye^u ngu+o+`i, sao nhi??
Ye^u vi` ye^u, hay vi` so^' pha?i ye^u#?

Thuo+? xa xu+a ngu+o+`i kho^ng ye^u va^~n cu+o+'i
Va^~n sinh con, dde? cha'u dde^'n dda^`y do`ng.
Tho+`i cu?a mi`nh ye^u nhie^`u nhu+ng va^~n ru?i
Na(m na(m ro^`i ngoa?nh ma(.t, chuye^.n tui, o^ng!

          * * *

Chie^`u nay mu+a to^i nhi`n qua khung cu+?a
Tha^'y chu+~ ti`nh bay to+i ta? ddo' dda^y,
Tha^'y gio' ddu+a ma^y nhu+ ti`nh ddo^i lu+'a
Tro^'n ddi ro^`i ma` to^i chu+?a ki.p hay#.

Chie^`u nay mu+a to^i nhi`n bong bo'ng no^?
Nhu+ tim ai nhuo^.m ddo? ma'u ye^u ddu+o+ng.
Sao to^i tha^'y du+o+`ng nhu+ hoa tra(n tro+?
Trong co^ ddo+n, mo+` mi.t bu.i mu+a ddu+o+`ng.

Chie^`u nay mu+a to^i tha^'y hi`nh ai ddo'
Ma`u tho+`i gian hoen o^' ne't dda`i trang
To'c bay bay, xo~a da`i va`o  trong gio'
Du+o+`ng nhu+ quen: Du+o+`ng nhu+ la.: Ngo+~ nga`ng.

          * * *

Sao to^i tha^'y ra^'t nhie^`u ngu+o+`i tha^n thuo^.c?
Ngu+o+`i hi`nh vuo^ng, ke? hi`nh do.c, hi`nh ngang.
Sao to^i tha^'y chi'nh mi`nh ddang nhanh bu+o+'c,
Trong hoang vu, to'c cho+'m ba.c, ddie^u ta`n?

Sao to^i tha^'y nhu+~ng ddie^`u to^i dda~ tha^'y
Ma` nhu+~ng ddie^`u chu+a tha^'y vo^.i ddi dda^u#?
Sao ai cu~ng no'i ve^` ddie^`u dda~ tha^'y
DDe^? tu+o+ng lai, hie^.n ta.i ddu+o+.m u sa^`u#?

Sao to^i tha^'y nhu+~ng ddie^`u ngu+o+`i chu+a tha^'y#?
Va^.y ngu+o+`i dda^u#? To^i cha(?ng bie^'t mo+'i hay#.
Nhu+ng gia? co' dda.i-bo^`-ddoa`n dda^u dda^'y
Thi` to^i dda^y dda~ cha(?ng o+? cho^'n na`y!

          * * *

To^i ngo^`i dda^y hay ngao du dda^y ddo'?
To^i ngao du, hay chi? mo+'i ngo^`i dda^y#?
To^i co': To^i kho^ng: Ra(`ng Kho^ng vo+'i Co'
Chi? Ta.m Tho+`i vi` tra'i dda^'t va^`ng quay! (*)


                         Tra^`n Y' Va^n


(*) Hay co' the^? la` "Chi? ta.m tho+`i vi` hai da^'u ngoa(.c co`n
dda^y" as could be borrowed from Paz?

BTW, Octavio Paz is one of the greatest living poets today, and, no
doubt, the greatest in this hemisphere. He was awarded the 1990
Nobel Prize in Literature for, among other works, his 584-line,
circular poem entitled "Piedra de Sol" (Sunstone), written in 1957.
A short excerpt which might fit forever:

...

gateway of being: open your being, awaken,
learn then to be, begin to carve your face,
develop your elements, and keep your vision
keen to look at my face, as I at yours,
keen to look full at life right through to death,
faces of sea, of bread, of rock, of fountain,
the spring of origin which will dissolve our faces
in the nameless face, existence without face
the inexpressible presence of presences
...
               (M.R. appeared in my notes as translator, but I    
                can't recall full name. TYV)