Trinh Cong SonTranslated by Don Luce, John Schafer, and Jacqui Chagnon

First Encounter

I had a lover who died at the battle of Pleime,
I had a lover who died at Battle Zone "D,"
Who died at Dong Xoai,
Who died at Hanoi,
He died far away on the distant frontier.

I had a lover who died in the battle of Chu Prong,
I had a lover whose body drifted along a river,
Who died in the dark forest,
Whose charred body lies cold and abandoned.

I want to love you, love Viet Nam,
The day when the wind is strong
I whisper your name and the name of Viet Nam,
We are so close, the same voice and yellow race.
I want to love you, love Viet Nam,
But as soon as I grow up my ears are accustomed
To the sound of bullets and mines;
My hands are now free but I forget from now on the human
language.

I had a lover who died at Ashau,
I had a lover whose twisted body lies in a valley
Who died under a bridge, naked and voiceless.
I had a lover who died at the battle of Ba Gia,
I had a lover who died just last night,
He passed away in a dream with no feelings of hate.