By Lê Vĩnh Tài, translated by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

 

 

you’ve lost yourself

like someone’s who was definitely tested positive

lying in the emergency room

softly caressing what felt like

fractured glass

and rotten memories

 

at the park

you could crawl 

forward on all four

then be stepped upon

like a cricket

the depression thus so in history

 

we don’t have heroes

we are just survivors

 

the nation,

has no suspense left

has no tears left

can no longer feel shame

can no longer feel pain

 

the nation has disappeared

in an adventure

each day a new opportunity

with this sickness

we will be rich like those naked

in a fur coat

—

 

bạn đánh mất bản thân mình

như một kẻ dương tính nặng

nằm trong phòng điều trị

nhẹ nhàng vuốt ve những cảm giác

như thủy tinh bị rạn

và…