I Leave

Translated by Vuong Thanh from the song lyrics “Tôi Đi” by Hùng Cường

Like the stars in the sky,

Which round of bullets lit up the night?

Whose hand’s trying to pick the morning star? 

Like the torch lighting up gloriously within my heart … 

Showing me the way to leave 

I leave … like a leaf leaving its branch 

Like a tree separated from its roots … but I still have to leave

I leave like the water forsaking its source

To meet compassionate people,

To keep my life passions. 

I leave … like millions of people will leave

To find the Truth

Alas! This đark and gloomy life

On our homeland

Without any future.

I feel the sorrow for our hungering and suffering people.  

Please forget me!

O Mother Vietnam,

O Mother Vietnam!

Mother had cried for many generations. 

But why are you still crying, 

Mother, oh Mother. 

Because of those faithless children 

Because of those treacherous sons deceiving their own people

Because of those children whose souls had died.

They no longer have Compassion and Love

They torture the homeland.

O Vietnam, O Vietnam

My homeland,  they say, is a nation with liberty

With hardly any prisons

But there are concentration camps 

That keep people in them for a lifetime

My homeland, they say, is prosperous

But why there are people

Who still attend and wait for a few spoons of salt, 

Or for a kilogram of potatoes

My homeland, although beautiful,

But why are there still a lot of homeless people

From the newly formed, distant economic zones 

Running to the stinky city of uncle Hồ (chí minh)

With their wives and children.

So pitiful. 

O Vietnam, O Vietnam

I’m leaving … like millions of people will leave

to find a land of liberty and truth

Alas! A dark and gloomy life

I leave like millions of people will leave.

I leave like millions of people will leave.

I leave like millions of people WILL LEAVE! 

Hùng Cường