Phan Thanh gian

Let's talk about the cannibals:
Not the naked ones with colourful wigs,
Who eat and drink the human flesh and blood
...

Je devine que ce serait si doux
Si je la regarde avec tendresse
Embrasser ses lèvres brulantes
Au milieu de cette foule menacente
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My friends, have faith and courage!
Their walls may be nine metres thick and twice as tall,
But your pure heart will overcome them effortlessly.
...

Weakened branch clung on to last season's dead leaves
Gusts of darkened wind still threaten the Northern sky
Shy glimmers of pale green - hints of hope lurk nearby
...

'Five for two dollars, two for one! '
Yelled the ones in straw hat
Men, women: aged, riped as the vegetables they sell
Wilted, weathered, leathery, tanned melon skin.
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My dearest son,
I bid you farewell!
When you grow up,
Please take care of your mother.
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Que j'adore la lune!
Mais si, je l'aime autant!
La pleine, la demi et la croissant
Moi, je l'aime dans toutes ces formes
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...

The clock whispers in the blue night,
I hear hymns sung by angels,
My dream awaits at the bedroom door...
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At the moment you're born
The bonding starts early on:
Bound with your dear parents,
Who cater to your every need
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As the antidote to Midas
Your touch brings Life to the lifeless,
It melts away my fear...
It dispels my loneliness...
...

I used to linger near the palaces of opulence
Now I left them for less than a pittance

I no longer hold on to any faith
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O blind master, my only duty is to serve you
Wherever you go, I'll be by your side
I'm your eyes, your faithful guide
This harness binds our love
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Night fell suddenly
The savages rule
Birds take flight!
...

This my last twenty dollars bill.
Would I spend it on lottery tickets?
Or a second-hand jacket from Goodwill?
Maybe, better yet: my last decent meal.
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When will the future come?
The one you promised us yesterday.
When will the end of darkness come?
Will the magical beginning ever arrive?
...

Over its shores, western side: the bright city lights
Eastern ends with the joyous agora's sight
At the foot of its span, darted by stream of red, yellow fireflies
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Eternal blinding mirage in my eyes
Restless night, I count the minutes go by
In the early hours of radiant shine
Cheeks of pearls of tears greet the glorious dawn
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Wings of dragonfly adorn your helmet
Shoulders encrusted with claws of Imperial trust
Humble beginning ends with such mighty office
Second to none other than the Son of Heaven
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Empty hearted, mind full of grievous sorrows
Soul wrecked by howling cold, its merciless tolls
My dry tongue is foreign to its muffled ears
Eyes gawking homeward now blurred with years of tears
...