Saying goodbye to Paradise

Tống biệt
Lá đào rơi rắc lối thiên thai,
Suối tiễn oanh đưa luống ngậm ngùi!
Nửa năm tiên cảnh,
Một bước trần ai,
Ước cũ duyên thừa có thế thôi!
Đá mòn, rêu nhạt,
Nước chảy, huê trôi,
Cái hạc bay lên vút tận trời!
Trời đất từ đây xa cách mãi.
Cửa động,
Đầu non,
Đường lối cũ,
Ngàn năm thơ thẩn bóng trăng chơi.
          (1922)
Bản Dịch:
(Tiến sĩ Vũ Đình Đỉnh, USA)

Leaving Paradise

Peach petals were sprinkled along the Paradise path
As clear creeks and golden orioles all came to bid farewell!
Half a year of blissful life in Paradise,
One step of miserable existence on Earth,
Olden vow and little love were just that and no more!

Stones are cut, mosses turn brown,
Water runs deep, flowers float around,
And cranes fly high,
Disappearing into the blueish sky!

Now Heaven and Earth are again forever separated,
The grotto gate,
The mountain top,
The beaten path,
Reminiscences of a thousand years of
A moon-washed celestial stroll.


The above translation was done by a guy with a Ph. D., presumably from the U.S.
The below is my translation.

Saying goodbye to Paradise

A path in Paradise was peppered with peach flowers petals
As bubbling brooks and golden orioles gathered to bid lingering farewell!
Half a year in blissful Paradise,
One more step and I would be back to ordinary strife.
Former wishes and bygone loves were just that and nothing more.
Rounded stones and faded mosses,
Flowing water and floating flowers
And the crane took off to the sky!

Heaven and Earth from now on forever apart.
Grotto gate,
Mountain top,
And the familiar path I walked 
In a stroll that lasted a thousand of moonlit nights.

Translated by Wissai ( Ph.D. dropout) of Tong Biet by Tan Da.
Dec. 12, 2010


I always like Tan Da's poetry ever since I came across his words in high school. I had to translate this poem because I really liked it although it was very difficult to translate Tan Da's poetry because of the conciseness and suggestiveness of his expressions. Also, I decided to translate this poem because I didn't like the
translation of the other gentleman. I put the extra notation Ph.D. dropout in order to make fun of the gentleman's own unnecessary reference of his Ph.D.  Anyway, one should not boast of holding an advanced degree when doing a translation, especially if the translation is not very good. To be fair to him, I borrowed quite a bit of his words when they were correct. I must say, however, my translation is far superior to his because I am a poet and he is not (presumably). Besides, his English is not good despite bragging of having a Ph. D.