Who can tell me ...

Translation by Kitty 

Can you tell me,
How many stalks ... in a rice field,
How many bends ... in a river,
How many layers in a cloud ...
How many layers  ... in a cloud ...
 
Can you tell me
Who can sweep off all the leaves in the forest ...
Then I'll go and tell the wind ...
Go tell the wind ...
Not to shake the trees ...
Not to shake the trees ...
 
Who can tell me where's the wind's home,
He's usually so often away ... away from home...
And when he will be home ...
When will he then be home ...
 
Who can tell me how old the moon is ...
Old she is ...
Then you will tell me ... how passionately
How passionately you love me...
 
Tell me who can sleep without dreaming?
I know you often dream while sleeping.
At midnight, the moon comes, under the eaves, waiting
And I'll come to you on the love shore, loving.
 
Can you tell me how to find a loving heart,
I know that yours I've captured, at last
So that your songs embellish my life,
So that I ... lovingly give you mine,
To the one of my dreams, I give mine.
 
 With Ai Vân  & Thai Châu 's voices

***

Đố ai

Reviens à Huế !

Traduit par Kitty

Reviens à Huế !
Reviens à la montagne Ngự !
Reviens à la rivière des Parfums !
La rivière des Parfums est encore débordante d'amour.
Les oiseaux de Ngự reviennent vers leurs amis,
Oh mon bien aimé, que je me languis de toi !
 
Reviens à Huế !
Reviens à Vỹ-Dạ !
Reviens à Nam-Giao !
La côte Nam-Giao est haute à force de guetter ton retour.
La lune à Vỹ-Dạ évoque encore notre serment d'amour.
Oh mon bien aimé, reviens,
Si tu penses encore à moi !

Ah ... Euh ... Euh.

Ah ... Euh ... Euh

Si non, quand le soleil se couche de l'autre côté du pont,*
Je ne serais plus là

A qui donc pourrais-tu confier tes peines ? 

Reviens à Huế !
Reviens à Bến Ngự !
Reviens à Văn-Lâu !
Le débarcadère Văn-Lâu se languit de tes souvenirs.
La barque à Bên-Ngu attend encore le retour de son passager.
Oh mon bien aimé, reviens
Si tu penses encore à moi !

Avec la voix de Huong Lan

Avec la voix de Huong Thanh

Ai Ra Xứ Huế !
 
Ai ra xứ Huế thì ra ...
Ai về là về núi Ngự ...
Ai về là về sông Hương ...
Nước sông Hương còn thương chưa cạn,
Chim núi Ngự tìm bạn quay về.
Nười tình quê ơi ... người tình quê ...
Thương nhớ lắm chi !
 
Ai ra xứ Huế thì ra ...
Ai về là về Vỹ Dạ ...
Ai về là về Nam Giao ...

Dốc Nam Giao còn cao mong đợi

Trăng Vỹ Dạ còn gợi câu thề,

Người tình quê ơi ... người tình quê ...

Có nhớ xin trở về ...

À ... ơ ... ơ ...
Cầu Trường Tiền sáu vài ... mười hai nhịp ...
Thương nhau rồi thì xin kíp về mau ...
À ... ơ ... ơ...
Chứ kẻo rồi mai tê bóng xế qua cầu ...
Bạn còn thương bạn chứ biết gởi sầu về nơi mô ...
À ... ơ ... ơ ...
 
Ai ra xứ Huế thì ra ...
Ai về là về Bến Ngự ...
Ai về là về Văn Lâu ...
Bến Văn Lâu còn sâu thương nhớ ,
Thuyền Bến Ngự còn đợi khách về ...
Người tình quê ơi ... người tình quê
Có nhớ xin trở về ...

Có nhớ xin trở về ... voi em

.

A childhood memory

By Kitty 
 

I was very spoiled as a child, and specially spoiled by my mother. I suppose that was because I was the youngest of the family.

 
I was particularly close to one of my brothers, who was just three years older than me. He was the youngest of the boys, as I was the youngest of the girls in the family and we both were very spoiled by our parents and everybody around us. At home we both had the same teacher and we played together most of the time, while our other brothers and sisters were much older than us and paid us no attention.
 

My brother liked to tease me, and I often rushed to tell my mother to get him ‘scolded'. And each time my mother told me: “He just wanted to tease you, but he loves you”, nevertheless she scolded him gently to please me, and I was very happy with that.

After the Japanese coup d'état, (I was about seven years old) my father and the other ministers resigned from their posts so that the Emperor had a free hand  to form a new government. We went to live in our country house. My brother and I went to the same small school. It was on the hillside just five minutes walk from our house. Each time we returned home, my mother asked me whether my brother had been kind to me, and each time I replied "No", and he was "gently" scolded, and I was very happy ... !

 
During that period there were often air raids by the American bombers against the Japanese invaders. The schoolboys and girls, the "elder" ones, and the teachers had to dig individual or collective trenches on the hill slope behind the school. Our gardener and driver (they were kind of handymen in the house) went to the school one afternoon to dig two individual trenches, near to each other, at the foot of some bushes on the hill slope, for my brother and me. My father also offered to the school to have four big collective trenches dug by the villagers (otherwise it would be part of my brother's job, because he was amongst the "elder" schoolboys ! And so the trenches would then be ready in just one or two days' time !).
 

Each time the air raid siren was heard, the schoolboys and girls had to rush to the trenches, each one to his place. My brother always came to my class to fetch me so that we could run to the hill together. One day, when I was already in my trench, I saw the American bombers coming directly towards us, but my brother was not yet in his trench, I heard him still running, busy looking for something around the bushes. I shouted to him with all my strength: “Get into your trench ! Get into your trench !” But then he came upon my trench and dropped a leafy branch he had just ripped from some bushes, and hastily ordered me: “Cover yourself with it, your robe is too bright !” (because I was wearing my beautiful scarlet red silk tunic, the one my mother had had made for me some months previously as I was designated to offer flowers to the queen on her visit to the girls' school I frequented, just before the Japanese coup d'état). Then my brother tumbled down. I had not heard him jump into his trench yet, when the American planes were right over our heads, skimming dreadfully over the hillside and series of deafening bombs were heard right next to my trench (but in reality the bombs were dropped far away). Panic stricken, I called to him, sobbing, but had no answer. Miserably I thought: “He is dead because of me ! He loves me !”

 
When we returned home my mother asked me the usual question “Has your brother been kind to you today ?” I said : “Yes”. Both my mother and my brother were startled. And from that day on, my answer was always “yes”, and I have never caused him to be “scolded” since then. But my mother and my brother didn't know and have never known why there was such a sudden change on my part. 
 
I'm sure that he has long since forgotten this anecdote.  Why should I remind him ! But for me it's a precious memory.

***

Kitty's dream 3 
  
 
     

     I had the impression that I was leaving my body, that I was ripped from my body. I was dying. "Yes, I am dead", I thought.
 
     I was conscious that I was going down, down a long dark tunnel. Then I came to a large hall, dimly lit by red lanterns. I was in front of a large door. By the door, stood a red faced genie looking very frightening, yet I felt no fear. I asked:
     –  "May I go and see what it is inside ?"

     –  "Go away ! This is not a place for playing !", he replied in a very rude voice.

     "No need to be so harsh !", I thought. Then an idea came to my mind. "I am really very carefree. Since I am dead, I should go and find my parents (who died years ago). What a bad girl I am !", I reproached myself. However I forgot at once that idea of looking for my parents. I retraced my steps, and went up the long tunnel.
 

     I was flying, flying over a road on a high mountain, under bright moon light. I felt fresh winds gliding over my cheeks. I saw fog banks and vague shapes of some house roofs, scattered here and there, below me, in the deep valley. I did not know how long I had been flying for, but during all that time, I was conscious that there was someone flying alongside and very close to me. I did not turn round to see who it was.  Then in front of me, still far away, I saw a beautiful garden full of flowers. I thought I would go and visit the garden. A stone's throw from the entrance to the garden stood an old sage with a long, white beard and wearing white clothes. He had a beautiful carved bamboo cane in his hand. His face was illuminated by an inner light exuding wisdom and compassion. I thought that perhaps I should ask him for permission, if I wished to visit the garden.

–  "May I visit the garden, Grand father ?"
–  "Go back at once to where you have come from, my girl. Otherwise, when I strike my cane down, it will be too late".
–  "But I am already dead, Grand father, how can I go back ?", I replied sadly.
–  "Lean upon the person next to you, my girl."
 
I woke up. My forehead was damp with cold sweat. "Had I been really dead for a moment ?" I wondered.

***

Un Soir De Pluie

Traduit par Kitty 

Tu es venue me voir un soir d'hiver
Tu es venue me voir un soir de pluie
Il pleuvait à verse, la route était glissante, triste
Tu es venue me voir, mon amour,
Ta robe parfumée,
Tes yeux noirs attachants me rechauffaient le cœur.
Tu es venue me voir un soir froid d'hiver.
Tu es venue me voir un soir de vent,
La route était longue et triste.
 
Les yeux dans les yeux, les mains dans les mains.
Mais émus, nous n'osions rien dire
Mon coeur frémissant, mon âme enivré
Le vent berçait nos âmes,
Comme des oiseaux planant dans le ciel,
Heureux, sous la pluie, mouillés.
Nous nous aimions, mais la vie était peu clémente.
Et tu devais me quitter.
Il pleuvait comme il pleuvait dans mon cœur.
Tes pas sonnaient mélancolique sur la route,
Je te regardais éloigner seule, et disparaître à jamais.
 
Je rêve qu'un soir ensoleillé,
Tu reviennes vers moi, oubliant les amertumes,
Et oubliant ... le chemin de retour.
.

***

Em Đến Thăm Anh Một Chiều Mưa

Gió đưa cánh chim trời,

Đó đây cách xa vời,

Chiều vui mưa ướt cánh.

Khá thương kiếp bồng bềnh,

Dẫu khắn khít đôi lòng,

Chiều nào em xa anh.

Có hay lúc em về

Gót chân bước reo âm thầm,

Trên đường một mình ngoài mưa,

Mưa như mưa trong lòng anh.

Lòng bồi hồi nhìn theo chân em, chìm trong ngàn xanh...

Ta ước mơ một chiều thêu nắng,

Em đên chơi quên niềm cay đắng,

Và quên ... đường về...