Thơ Nguyễn Đắc Kiên: Vì Người Ta Cần Ánh Mặt Trời — Because we need sunshine [Wissai] — Because They Need The Sun [Nguyen Ngoc Bich]

Vì Người Ta Cần Ánh Mặt Trời

tôi chưa thấy một đêm nào dài thế,
bốn ngàn năm, giờ lại ngót trăm năm.
hết phong kiến độc tài, đến lũ bạch tuộc thực dân,
hết quân, hết vương, đến lũ tượng thần chủ nghĩa.

bao thế hệ siết rên trong gọng kềm nô lệ.
chuyên chế dã man đục rỗng chí con người.
cha tôi, ông tôi, bao thế hệ ngủ vùi.
tôi chưa thấy một đêm nào dài thế.

không ánh mặt trời, bóng tối chí tôn,
lũ quỷ ám thừa cơ toàn trị,
khủng bố dã man, reo rắc những kinh hoàng,
biến lẽ sống thành châm ngôn “mày phải sợ”.

mày phải sợ mày ơi mày phải sợ,
sợ nữa đi có sợ mãi được không,
cốt tủy mục rỗng rồi trí óc cũng tối đen,
mày lại đẻ ra lũ cháu con “biết sợ”.

bao thế hệ đã ngậm ngùi mắc nợ,
lũ chúng ta lẽ nào lại mắc nợ mai sau,
còn chần chừ gì mà không tỉnh dậy mau,
sống cho xứng danh xưng con người trên mặt đất.

tôi chưa thấy một đêm nào dài thế,
cũng chưa thấy có ngày mai nào không thể.
vì người ta cần ánh mặt trời,
tỉnh dậy đi lũ chúng ta ơi!

Nguyễn Đắc Kiên
Hà nội, 25.2.2012

Because we need sunshine

I have not seen such a long night
That went through forty centuries
Then another one hundred years.
It covered dictatorial feudalism
And white octopus colonialism.
As soon as we were through with royalty
Rushed into its place commie ideology.

Too many generations groaned under the shackles of slavery
Savage totalitarianism drilled and sucked the people’s will dry.
Generations of my grandfather, my father, and then of myself,
We all went through a slumber.

I have not seen such a long night
Not a single ray of sunshine while darkness is reigning supreme
The demons take advantage of lack of the light
Carrying out a campaign of terror, instilling fright,
Converting life’s aspirations to a command: “thou must fear!”

“Yes, thou must fear, thou must fear.
Keep on fearing, can thou keep it up?
Thy bones lack the marrows, thy brains are dark,
And thou will beget children who’ll be fearful as pups.”

Many generations have lived as if we were heavy in debt
Do we have to carry on like that
So the next generation would be in debt as well?
Hurry, wake up, don’t hesitate!
Live as true humans on this planet!

I have not seen such a long night
Neither have I seen an impossible tomorrow
Because we all need sunshine
Wake up, we must all wake up, so we no longer have sorrow.

Translated by Wissai
February 27, 2013

 www.vietthuc.org

Because They Need The Sun

I have never seen such a long night
four thousand years long, then nearly a century this time,
from feudal-autocratic times to octopus-like colonial days,
After kings and lords, now come the idolaters. 

generation after generation lamenting the fetters
under a savage rule that destroys people’s will:
my father’s, grandfather’s generations spent slumbering,
o I have yet to see such a long long night!

with no sun and darkness reigning supreme
these devils took advantage to set up their totalitarian state
a savage regime that spread terror all around,
teaching but one rule: be fearful!

you must fear, dummy, fear you must!
so go ahead and fear, can you do that forever?
when your marrow is all gone, your mind gets obtuse,
and you keep on engendering more fearful kids.

several of our generations have grieved owing debts,
should we go on passing ours to future generations?
why do you still hesitate, wake up quick!
wake up to deserve the name of human beings on earth.

I have never seen such a long night
I also know that a better tomorrow is not impossible
for people need the sun:
let’s wake up then, all of us!

Translated by Nguyen Ngoc Bich
Springfield,VA
February 27, 2013

www.vietthuc.org