Poem
Vaan Nguyen
Culture Stain
Examine before you extractseeds of nothing by the riverbank
in the village air
and the roads
and so on.
In the horizon, a city begins, a portable
wax poet without a patron
or fanzine.
A rosy sun sets
on a musical Monetbach lake in your eyes—
When we hold each other
you’ll ask where I came from. I’ll say
I came from this rot.
Where did I come from, you’re asking,
I mean, parents?
© Translation: 2016, Adriana X. Jacobs
כתם תרבות
כתם תרבות
תַּחְקֹר לִפְנֵי שֶׁתִּקְטֹף
זְרָעִים שֶׁל הֶבֶל אֵצֶל הַגָּדָה
בְּרוּחַ הכְּפָר
וְהַדְרָּכִים
והְלָאְָה.
בָּאֹפֶק הַכְּנִיסָה לָעִיר, נַיָּד נִשָּׂא
מְשׁוֹרֵר שַׁעֲוָה בְּלִי פַּטְרוֹן
בְּלִי פֶנְזִין.
שֶׁמֶשׁ וְרֻדָּה שׁוֹקַעַת
בְּעֵינֶיךָ אֲגַם מוּזִיקָלִי שֶׁל מוֹנֶהבַּאךְ
כְּשֶׁנִּתְחַבֵּק
תִּשְׁאַל מֵאֵיפֹה בָּאתִי. אָשִׁיב,
בָּאתִי מֵהָרִקָּבוֹן.
מֵאֵיפֹה בָּאתִי, אַתָּה שׁוֹאֵל
כְּלוֹמַר, הַהוֹרִים?
זְרָעִים שֶׁל הֶבֶל אֵצֶל הַגָּדָה
בְּרוּחַ הכְּפָר
וְהַדְרָּכִים
והְלָאְָה.
בָּאֹפֶק הַכְּנִיסָה לָעִיר, נַיָּד נִשָּׂא
מְשׁוֹרֵר שַׁעֲוָה בְּלִי פַּטְרוֹן
בְּלִי פֶנְזִין.
שֶׁמֶשׁ וְרֻדָּה שׁוֹקַעַת
בְּעֵינֶיךָ אֲגַם מוּזִיקָלִי שֶׁל מוֹנֶהבַּאךְ
כְּשֶׁנִּתְחַבֵּק
תִּשְׁאַל מֵאֵיפֹה בָּאתִי. אָשִׁיב,
בָּאתִי מֵהָרִקָּבוֹן.
מֵאֵיפֹה בָּאתִי, אַתָּה שׁוֹאֵל
כְּלוֹמַר, הַהוֹרִים?
© 2008, Vaan Nguyen
From: Eyn ha-kemihin (The Truffle Eye)
Publisher: Ma\'ayan, Tel Aviv
From: Eyn ha-kemihin (The Truffle Eye)
Publisher: Ma\'ayan, Tel Aviv
Poems
Poems of Vaan Nguyen
Close
Culture Stain
Examine before you extractseeds of nothing by the riverbank
in the village air
and the roads
and so on.
In the horizon, a city begins, a portable
wax poet without a patron
or fanzine.
A rosy sun sets
on a musical Monetbach lake in your eyes—
When we hold each other
you’ll ask where I came from. I’ll say
I came from this rot.
Where did I come from, you’re asking,
I mean, parents?
© 2016, Adriana X. Jacobs
From: Eyn ha-kemihin (The Truffle Eye)
From: Eyn ha-kemihin (The Truffle Eye)
Culture Stain
Examine before you extractseeds of nothing by the riverbank
in the village air
and the roads
and so on.
In the horizon, a city begins, a portable
wax poet without a patron
or fanzine.
A rosy sun sets
on a musical Monetbach lake in your eyes—
When we hold each other
you’ll ask where I came from. I’ll say
I came from this rot.
Where did I come from, you’re asking,
I mean, parents?
© 2016, Adriana X. Jacobs
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