SUNSHINE
IN THE
HONGKONG
FORBIDDEN CAMP
The
sunshine is
cavorting around, in its play
With
wind and clouds: what freedom composition!
I
feast my eyes
upon each
innocent beam, ray,
Like
a round eye wide open on the leafy partition.
Oh,
how much I cherish that
summer sunshine?
As
I am quite a lot fond of the leaves on the trees;
I
also love the sweet wind and
to see it run fine
Like
the white clouds softly floating in
the breeze.
But
the Hongkong sunshine, to me, is not
nice
Especially
to all of boat people here
these crowds.
Poor
sunshine! It cannot get of the cake any slice:
Locked
in, with us, it enjoys no wind and
clouds.
I
catch to fondle in each caring though little hand
Each
jot of sunshine, like me,
the fences cramp.
To
await a tomorrow, I will together with it stand,
To take dear sunshine out of this forbidden camp.
Vietnamese poem by PHẠM TRUNG THÀNH
English translation by THANH-THANH