…
A spider’s hammock being torn by the lifting fog
Returns freedom to the soft tongues of grass
The drifting clouds rub out
A horizon that has just buried darkness
Blood resurrected within the ground
Turns into young sap welling up at each falling leaf
While long-suffering shadows remain silent
The thrush bursts out a firework of calls
Buds are shooting up dividing walls
As arteries of streams clear and circulate
Tongues made of glass break into voices
To discuss each discolored photo
The words in a notebook having dreamed of fire
Just before they become ashes, suddenly come to
When moving out, one has tossed the incense sticks’ leftovers into the river
So one wonders why fragrant smoke still lingers…
(Trans. by Nhat-Lang Le. Edited by Susan Blanshard)
Jiwa Terbang Menjauh…: Puisi Mai Văn Phấn
…
Hamparan laba-laba yang robek oleh kabut yang mengangkat
Mengembalikan kebebasan pada lidah-lidah lembut rumput
Awan-awan yang melayang menghapus
Cakrawala yang baru saja mengubur kegelapan
Darah yang dibangkitkan kembali di dalam tanah
Berubah menjadi getah muda yang memuncak di setiap daun yang jatuh
Sementara bayang-bayang yang telah menderita lama tetap diam
Burung pengicau meledakkan kembang api panggilan
Kuncup-kuncup melepaskan dinding-dinding pemisah
Seperti arteri dari aliran yang jernih dan mengalir
Lidah-lidah yang terbuat dari kaca pecah menjadi suara-suara
Untuk membahas setiap foto yang memudar warnanya
Kata-kata dalam sebuah buku catatan yang telah bermimpi tentang api
Tepat sebelum mereka menjadi abu, tiba-tiba muncul
Saat berpindah, seseorang telah melemparkan sisa bungkusan kemenyan ke sungai
Jadi seseorang bertanya-tanya mengapa asap wangi masih melayang…
(Terjemahan bahasa Indonesia oleh Bambang Kariyawan Ys)
Vietnamese poet Mai Văn Phấn was born 1955 in Ninh Bình, Red River Delta in North Vietnam. Currently, he is living and writing poems in Hải Phòng city. He has published 16 poetry books and 1 book “Critiques – Essays” in Vietnam. 30 poetry books of his are published and released in foreign countries and on Amazon’s book distribution network.
Poems of Mai Văn Phấn are translated into more than 40 languages.
Mai Văn Phấn has won a number of Vietnamese and international literary awards, including:
- The Vietnam Writers’ Association Award in 2010;
- The Cikada Literary Prize of Sweden in 2017;
- The Award of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in 2019;
- The Literary award from Association of Literary Translators of Montenegro in 2020;
- Twice won the Golden Pen Literature Award of Russian Federation in 2019;
- The Award Aco Karamanov of North Macedonia in 2020;
- 1st Prize in The International Creative Meeting and Festival “Together in the XXI Century” in Bulgaria 2020;
- The medal Alisher Navoi of the Union of Writers and Historians of Central Asia in 2021;
- Winner of Sahitto (Bangladesh) International Award for Literature 2021;
- The Award of Newspaper Kitob Dunyosi (Uzbekistan) in 2021;
- The Award of the International Slavic Literary Forum “Golden Knight” 2022;
- The Poetry Collection of Year Award of Boao International Poetry Award (China) in 2022 (for the Poetry Collection “Улетел на рассвете”);
- The Award of the International Poetry Competition “My heart in the Mountains” named writer William Saroyan (Armenia) in 2022;
- The Frederick Turner prize of Mundus Artium Press (USA) for Poetry in 2023;
- The Award of the International Literary online Competition “To you, Nesvizh, I dedicate …” (Belarus) in 2023.