Poetry 1: Express my heart - Dang Dung




This is the famous poem of Dang Dung, a general in the 14th century. 


Express my heart

Affairs of this world are endless, but I’m old already; what must I do?
The infinite universe comes into some drunken songs.
When good fortune comes, a butcher or fisher can become weirdly successful.
When chance is gone, heroes will only drink much resentment. 
I wanted to help the king and held the ambition of lifting this earth's axis to turn it around.
I wanted to wash all armor, but there was no way to pull the river on galaxy down.
The nation is not avenged yet; hair turned white first. 
How many nights have I sharpened my sword in the moonlight?


(Thuật hoài

Thế sự du du nại lão hà,
Vô cùng thiên địa nhập hàm ca.
Thời lai đồ điếu thành công dị,
Vận khứ anh hùng ẩm hận đa.
Trí chúa hữu hoài phù địa trục,
Tẩy binh vô lộ vãn thiên hà.
Quốc thù vị báo đầu tiên bạch,
Kỷ độ Long Tuyền đới nguyệt ma.


Sự đời dằng dặc mà ta già rồi, biết làm sao đây!
Trời đất mênh mông thu vào trong cuộc rượu hát nghêu ngao.
Khi gặp thời thì anh hàng thịt, người câu cá cũng dễ lập công,
Nếu thời vận đã qua thì anh hùng cũng chỉ uống hận.
Muốn giúp chúa, ôm hoài bão nâng trục trái đất mà xoay chuyển lại,
Mong rửa sạch giáp binh nhưng không có lối để kéo Ngân Hà xuống.
Thù nước chưa báo được, mà đầu thì đã bạc rồi,
Bao lần mang kiếm Long Tuyền ra mài dưới bóng trăng.)








Location: Manhattan, New York, NY, USA

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