PLAIN FELICITY
You
are growing up, that means I am growing old;
But
I continue to live because me in your flesh you hold.
Each
word that you say sounds so sweet and soft,
I
hear it like the voice of angels or seraphs aloft.
Oh
your arms so amiable, oh your feet so fine:
Branches
and leaves for foliage in the ancient tree design.
I
will become stunted while you young sprouts shoot, thus
My
life will be multiplied by yours many times plus.
Some
day in the morning sunlight or evening moonlight
Perhaps
to offer poetry to the universe you will also write.
I
am the fruit, you are each a seed;
In you I am always young, I will never get aged indeed.l
Oh
my children... the new fair weather is again bright,
Limited
life eventually becomes limitless to our delight.
Thus
I have never held it against me when coming to bat
And
only see compassion everywhere I look at
Since
the taste of bitterness I have gone through as honey.
I
think of the time when you all start out, sunny,
To
step on spikes and thorns, defying any road-block,
Crazily
loving Liberty like me before, as drunk with bock,
Erasing
vindictive hatred in the future dictionary.
You
will write about the exotic lands, each a visionary,
Standing
at the foot of old Roman rampart now hushed
To
witness the bricks with time mercilessly crushed:
Those
palaces and castles have soon fallen into ruin.
They
have perished, the suzerains once with so much din;
Only
peaceful and beautiful Le Louvre Museum exists
With
imposing and impressive Eiffel Tower in Paris;
Only
remain here the works that old architects achieved
As
original contributions by everybody perceived.
My
dear children! We will
never be lost:
Disappearance
or existence all depends on our cost.
What
would be more wonderful than an infinite aspiration,
The
unshakable beliefs based on a firm foundation?
We
have got our lives, then we are living! Oh, what bliss!
To
live is to love... yes, live only to love, not to miss:
God
looks at his image among humans as his mirror!
Translation by THANH-THANH