The
boatman
by Nguyễn Bính
Those previous
years, by this very boat, in the afternoon
I rowed you girl
to collect the jute stalks from the sand dunes
Watching you
work, I dwelt in my deep daydreaming:
“The jute stalks
are to weave into roofed hammocks for our going
I would participate
in the exam held by the emperor jubilantly
And I would rank
first in the doctorate exam, coming home exuberantly
My roofed hammock
would proceed before yours on the same road
And both roofed
hammocks would cross the river in the same boat.”
It is rumoured
that her wedding would be very great;
That the groom’s
side would hire nine boats for the bride and bridesmaids;
That the bride’s
side would ask for nine thousand areca nuts;
And that the
marriage levy and cost be about nine thousand; that much…
Then I go wandering
about, intending to offer the boat for sale
Despite the offer
of nine old francs, the sale is to no avail!
Letting go of
the pushing pole and let the boat go with the stream
Seeing a glimpse
of the jute banks, I sit and let myself daydream
Oh, there is a
girl who is in her prime time of her day
Wanting to go
to the jute banks, showing by her wave
Girl, why did
you not call me prior to this time;
Before my boat
is already full of dreams at prime
Fact is, the river
has two banks each on either side
I have not passed
the doctorate exam, so please walk to the house of mine.
Translated from Vietnamese
into English by Hương Cau Cao Tân
on 11 May 2019 in
British Columbia, Canada.
|