Reading My Poems Again

Vuong Thanh’s translation of
Đọc Lại Thơ Mình -  by Huệ Thu

Reading my poems again, I feel melancholy
Over half a century, my soul still remains Poetry!
Looking at the sky, it's just a little past noon
Looking at myself, am I about to return to the otherworld?

The otherworld, a faraway and mysterious place
Or is it just outside the gate, by the flower-covered bank?
The age of thirteen had already long passed
When I was laughing and wearing a conical hat in the drizzling dusk...

The age of youthful dreams had long passed.
Leaving school, leaving class, getting married.
I still remember a classmate, in her sixth grade
"You go, I'll take care of your old books..."

You and I are no longer together
I sought for you, but life had changed too many things so much. Oh well!
Feeling sad, I reopen my old poem notebook.
Seeing the words again seem like seeing my old image in the mirror!

Reading my poems of long ago, I see feelings of love and affection
Feeling of sulkiness, of anger, and heart-breaking passions.
Many times, we promised to meet on a winter night
Igniting the fire to blaze up , but then ... forgotten!

Many times we promised rendez-vous, only to forget again
Let’s ignite the fire to blaze vigorously  just once.