Dinh Cuong: “A Piece of Poetry to the Lady on Thien An Hill in the Cold Drizzle”


Dinh Cuong (Vietnamese, 1939-2016), 2011, oil on canvas, 56 x 36 cm. (22 x 14 in.)

A piece of poetry to a lady on Thien An Hill on a rainy day.


Left to right: Dinh Cuong (Vietnamese, 1939-2016), Boi Tran (Vietnamese, B. 1957), Truong Be (Vietnamese, 1942-2020) and Vinh Phoi (Vietnamese, 1937-2017) on the occasion of the exhibition: Hoang Dang Nhuan and Dinh Cuong in Hue, 2010
Dinh Cuong (Vietnam, 1939-2016)
Portrait of Boi Tran
signed and dated ‘dinh cuong 22.6.06’ (upper middle); with his inscription ‘ghé thăm gallery Bội Trân’
ink on paper
29.7 x 21 cm.
painted in 2006

A piece of poetry to a lady on Thien An Hill on a rainy day

BÀI TẶNG NGƯỜI Ở TRÊN ĐỒI THIÊN AN

A lady on Thien An Hill
heavy rains without leaving home
heavy rains over the centuries-old pine trees
heavy rains through October in Hue

incense smoke in the middle of the house
has the roll of the sea subsided
has the Queen of the Night blossomed
whitening over the hall in the rain?

nostalgic about the wine night
under the neon lights
heavy rains these days
has the light been off halfway?

Is a lady on Thien An Hill
with the door latched feeling blue?

Dinh Cuong, Virginia, 10 October 2011

Người ở trên đồi Thiên An
mưa lớn không ra khỏi nhà
mưa lớn qua đồi thông xanh
mưa lớn qua Huế tháng mười

khói nhang nơi gian nhà giữa
biển xô sóng cuộn nguôi chưa
vườn khuya hoa quỳnh có nở
trắng dãy hành lang trong mưa?

nhớ sao đêm hè uống rượu
dưới ánh đèn nê-ông xanh
mấy ngày nay mưa gió lớn
đèn chao có tắt nửa chừng?

Người ở trên đồi Thiên An
cửa đóng then cài buồn không?

Đinh Cường, Virginia, 10.10.2011

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