QUÊ
HƯƠNG, KẺ ĐI NGƯỜI Ở
Viết sau khi đọc:
Những bài thơ của Đỗ Trung Quân mới xuất hiện trên Tiền Vệ
Mấy câu thơ của một ông thợ hớt tóc ở Đồ Sơn:
Hạ giới thơm
làm sao?
Bất cứ địa
phương nào
Sờ vào đâu cũng thối”
“ Quê hương là
chùm khế ngọt
Ai cao thì
hái được nhiều”
“Quê hương là chùm khế ngọt”
sao bây giờ cắn quả khế nào
anh cũng che mặt bảo…chua?
nhưng muốn được lòng người anh yêu (1)
anh nói bừa là khế ngọt?
Hay tại sống với kẻ vô tình
lâu rồi khế ngọt cũng thành chua?
“đường đi học
con về rợp bướm vàng bay”
giờ sao chỉ thấy
rợp trời bay cờ đỏ?
Có phải tại ngày xưa
anh thổi phồng con số?
hay tại bướm vàng…
sợ cờ đỏ bay đi?
Anh còn hát về
con diều biếc,
con đò nhỏ,
chiếc cầu tre
cả hàng cau đầu hè
hoa trắng xóa
như muốn nài nỉ:
“Người Việt ơi!
Bỏ quê hương đi, sao nỡ!”
Nhưng những thứ ấy làm sao đổi được áo cơm
và một chút tự do
để sống cuộc sống
của con người?
gần gũi lâu ngày
thành thân thương
có người gọi là quê hương
có người gọi là kỷ niệm
một lần
đem hết kỷ niệm của đời mình
đổi lấy hai chữ tự do
rồi ngày lại ngày
lênh đênh trên con thuyền viễn xứ
kỷ niệm hiện về
lòng quặn thắt nhớ thương
hát mấy bài ca,
ngâm mấy vần thơ
mà ở nơi gọi là quê hương
người ta cho là đồ quốc cấm
được sống giữa lòng kỷ niệm
không bồn chồn khi trời nắng
chẳng ray rứt lúc trời mưa
nhưng cắn phải quả khế chua
lắm khi phải gượng cười
nói là khế ngọt
(1) nhưng lại không yêu anh
·
MOTHERLAND, LEAVING OR STAYING?
Written after reading:
The Do Trung Quan poems on Tien Ve
A few verses of a barber at Do Son about the corruption of the communist authorities
“Heaven is still rotten
How can aromatic this world be
Any locality
Stinks everywhere when touched”
A few other verses of a young poet in the Tho Nguyen Tieu Day
“Homeland is sweet like a bunch of star fruit
The higher one goes up the more he harvests”
You sang in the old days
“Homeland is sweet like a bunch of star fruit”
Why when you bite at any star fruit
You also say… sour with your face hidden?
Perhaps in the old time the star fruit is sour
But to please the one you love (1)
You said without thinking it is sweet?
Or is it for having lived with the indifferent
After some time it turns from sweet to sour?
In the old days you sang:
“The path to school was full of flying yellow butterflies”
But now why the yellow butterflies fly scarcely
Instead of too many red flags high in the skies?
Was it possible that you blow out the numbers?
Or it is because the yellow butterflies…
Fly away because of the fear of the red flag?
You also sang
About the blue kites
The small boat
The bamboo bridge
Even the row of areca trees at the beginning of summer
With white flowers
As to plead:
“Oh! Vietnamese people! How could you leave your Homeland?”
But these things can’t change into foods or materials
And some bit of freedom
To live the life of a human being?
There are simple settings
Which become familiar after a while
Some call it Homeland
Some call it souvenirs
I am a reckless merchant
Once
Taking all the souvenirs of my life
To exchange for freedom
And day after day
Drifting on the going faraway boat
The souvenirs come back
I feel ached with souvenirs
However I can easily
Sing some songs
Recite some verses
Which in our homeland
Are considered forbidden things
And the ones who stay back
Living among the souvenirs
With no worries when it is sunny
Nor sufferings when it rains
But when biting the sour star fruit
Sometimes have to force a smile
And say that it is sweet.
Written at Do Son after the Lunar New Year Canh Dan 2010
(1) But she did not love you.
Written after reading:
The Do Trung Quan poems on Tien Ve
A few verses of a barber at Do Son about the corruption of the communist authorities
“Heaven is still rotten
How can aromatic this world be
Any locality
Stinks everywhere when touched”
A few other verses of a young poet in the Tho Nguyen Tieu Day
“Homeland is sweet like a bunch of star fruit
The higher one goes up the more he harvests”
You sang in the old days
“Homeland is sweet like a bunch of star fruit”
Why when you bite at any star fruit
You also say… sour with your face hidden?
Perhaps in the old time the star fruit is sour
But to please the one you love (1)
You said without thinking it is sweet?
Or is it for having lived with the indifferent
After some time it turns from sweet to sour?
In the old days you sang:
“The path to school was full of flying yellow butterflies”
But now why the yellow butterflies fly scarcely
Instead of too many red flags high in the skies?
Was it possible that you blow out the numbers?
Or it is because the yellow butterflies…
Fly away because of the fear of the red flag?
You also sang
About the blue kites
The small boat
The bamboo bridge
Even the row of areca trees at the beginning of summer
With white flowers
As to plead:
“Oh! Vietnamese people! How could you leave your Homeland?”
But these things can’t change into foods or materials
And some bit of freedom
To live the life of a human being?
There are simple settings
Which become familiar after a while
Some call it Homeland
Some call it souvenirs
I am a reckless merchant
Once
Taking all the souvenirs of my life
To exchange for freedom
And day after day
Drifting on the going faraway boat
The souvenirs come back
I feel ached with souvenirs
However I can easily
Sing some songs
Recite some verses
Which in our homeland
Are considered forbidden things
And the ones who stay back
Living among the souvenirs
With no worries when it is sunny
Nor sufferings when it rains
But when biting the sour star fruit
Sometimes have to force a smile
And say that it is sweet.
Written at Do Son after the Lunar New Year Canh Dan 2010
(1) But she did not love you.
