Translated by Hương Cau Cao Tân from the Vietnamese version
on 18 December 2021, in British Columbia, Canada

Konnichiwa Narita. Hello how are you Princess of the Sea
It is full of dew when the airport welcomes me
Drops of dew are drizzling like those of Liên Khương Airport previously
While all the roads and streets, as I can see
Are very narrow and full of traffic moving all around
And it takes more than one and a half hours or about
For the Airport Limousine to reach the downtown area
Where it is full of luxuriously exquisite lights shining far

Hello Tokyo in the morning
When it is blurrily drizzling
Where the clouds are floating low covering the stories of hi-rise buildings
Even though the Washington Hotel is 25 stories in height
But it is surrounded and enclosed so tight
By other lofty skyscrapers
Those are standing tall proudly and indifferently in their manners.

The rain is still drizzling steadily
Although it is happening oh so lightly
But heavy enough to make muddy all the crisscrossed roads of the city
Where people are overwhelming and cars are jostling noisily
Tokyo is a heavily windy city
Where the rains are weaving in the streets closely
Onto a sea of people in the streets scattering
With umbrellas in their hands in their hurrying.

I have a chance to talk to a petite young girl in my inquiry
Of the roads leading to Waseda University
The little girl smiles, showing her protruding tooth so charming
And bends her head in her shyness showing
But due to the limit of English language in conversation
Each time when she finishes a sentence
She bows her head and utters “hai, hai”
And I will also bow and happily smile
Arigato, thank you very much, to the little girl of mine

The rain never stops falling incessantly
People are surging over the pavements overwhelmingly
When it is red at the traffic lights which is so often
They talk and laugh as if nothing has happened
Everywhere is crowded, I say
People are holding an umbrella in one hand, the other, carrying a suitcase
Busily and busily during the day

Karioka Tokyo, some form of favourite enjoyment
This morning the rain is still falling
When I am saying goodbye to this city
As people are going back and forth with full hands so busily

(Holding an umbrella in one hand, the other, carrying a suitcase)
Life is continuing here and there everywhere and all the way
Like the sun that is still rising and the earth that is still evolving around
I suddenly remember a person with rosy cheeks now
With a glance so fleetingly
When I incidentally ask her how old she is
Her reaction is bestirred agitatedly
And she maintains her mood silently

That startles me and puts me in an embarrassing mood the more
I wish that the length of the walking road could be a little more
So I can prolong my talking and laughing with her happily
But the wicked time pushes me into the train carriage so mercilessly

I have barely time to wave goodbye and then am on my way
The bus is heading towards the airport without delay
She turns and walks away in a hurry
And it seems that there is something lingering so regretfully
We are bidding farewell without knowing if there is a next time
My beloved Tokyo, goodbye.

Bài thơ này được đăng vào ngày Sunday, December 19th, 2021 trong mục Poetry - English versions.

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