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