Beautiful Like A Dream

Beautiful Like A Dream

I remain myself in this bazaar-like world

Still an everflowing stream of poetry and wine across the four seas

Still dream of being back a thousand years ago

With Li Bai, have an all-out night of drinks together.

Welcome…

Welcome Friend from the faraway realm

Ten jugs of wine not enough to quench Life’s source of sorrow

Gazing at the infinite voidness of the night

To which horizon, had the wind taken the Moon Lady?

Leaving the night sky gloomily cold with just the Milky Way stars

On a cloud road, a shadow of a distant bird flying

Flying to where? O Where is its homeland?...

Homeland. O! Homeland!

Where’s my homeland?

Is it in this ephemeral, bitter and harsh world

Or is it a fairyland, a realm of angels?

Where I can daily drink and compose intoxicating verses.

Together with Lý and Hoàng as friends

We’ll enjoy the song of the phoenix from the mountain

and relax to fairyland music, gentle and loving…

In the evening, we’ll watch the exotic dancing

Hearing the singing voices of the angels from a cloud swirl of silk dresses

Her dress flows gracefully as she dances and whirls around

Thousands of birds and beasts gaze in astoundment

And me: I feel so lightheaded

Sober one moment, and drunken the next, 

As my eyes follow the swirls of her lustrous dream hair

So beautiful like in a dream…

Translated by Vuong Thanh