WE PROMISE ONE ANOTHER / THU BỒN / Don Luce introduced...

We promise one another -
 poems from  an Asian war


                                                         S  a  l  t
                                                  by  T  h  u    B  ồ  n                                                                      
                                                                                           
           

      This morning salt has come to the mountains .
      A hand with a grain of salt is better than a hand full of gold .
      Clear water like somersaulting airplanes
      Mixed with a fistful or hot peppers in the jungle ,
      A pot of boiling soup calls a cheerful greeting .
      The roll of dry rations seems happy , too , to be abandoned .
      The blood of the people flows strongly ,
      Don ' t hesistated !  Stand up and fly the large flag !
      The road of freedom resounds with cheering voices .
      How great is the violence of the enemy but our forces can resist .
      Stand in a multitude of lines and go forward
      Trampling and smashing the herd of white-faced enemies .

              Even though the bullets kill by mistake  ,
              The Mother still calmly rocks the baby
              And the baby  grows up  unafraid of the bombing .
              Cut  into pieces the bodies of those who sell our country !
              Don' t  withdraw no matter how strong the enemy !
              Remember to prepare the meal for those who sit up late to watch the enemy .
              In the distance we joyfully see thousands of stars ,
              And imagine that these are our flags fluttering in the sky . *

      To day
      Our whole nation begins to rise up ,
      Prepare yourself ! Young men and women now suffering many difficulties .
      Let us join together to enter a glorious period ,
      Raise the flag of victory !

              Over one century of struggle
              But now ,  today
              Thousands of eyes shine with hope .
                    []

               THU BỒN . **


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 *    Perhaps a reference to the fact that the North Vietnamese and the NLF flag have a star in them .
**   Real name  HÀ ĐỨC TRỌNG   ( b . 1935 - d.  2003 ) 
       Place of birth : Quảng Nam Province ( Central of Vietnam ) . 
      Thu Bồn is well -known  poet  assiocated  with the National  Liberation  of Vietnam ( Giải phóng miền Nam ).

( from  WE PROMISE ONE ANOTHER - poems from an Asian war.
       Don Luce, John C. Shafer & Jacquelyn Chagnon  selected, translated, introduced ..
      Published by The  Indochina Mobile Education Project, Washington, D.C, 1971 ).