1-MY WAY (English Version)
People profess that time erases pains, fulfills pleas,
Polishes past events to exquisite future keepsakes,
A little time, a little patience are all it takes,
But waiting for an unpredictable future is not my cup of tea.
Would I waste precious time wishing for the morning sun to topple the evening mist,
Would I let my heart drown in bitterness and sorrow,
Being pragmatic, I would toss in the blowing wind, the rushing flow,
And my worries, and my regrets, their contents to dissipate, their negativity to desist.
I am neither philosophe, nor sage,
Silent soothing to practice, character strengthening to gauge.
Swallowing tears of challenges and disappointment,
I would laugh on all my misfortunes, rather than be crestfallen.
My errors, my accomplishments, they are all mine, hurdles, rewards of the day,
Never fruits of somebody else endeavors or sequelae of unfavorable situations,
I take them as the building blocks of a trying apprenticeship to thrive on,
Through the diverse bends of the everyday life’s waterways.
Am I beaten, have I faltered, who knows?
I have no fear of others’ judgments, good or bad, high or low,
If they think of themselves as having accomplished more, then good for their ego,
On my way, I would not allow their arrogance to interfere or to show.
Each person has one’s own view of the world utopia, the kingdom of wellbeing,
My way, I choose the rules of integrity, the compass of morals,
My life, I fashion it to my own wishes, shaping my own goals,
Simple, without pretension, I devise my own happiness, to my liking,
To live in the laws of Nature and of the Creation,
Observing the human guidance for equity and moral,
Preserving the intrinsic values of goodness and compassion,
Building a world of civility and peace for each and all.
When the evening falls, I delight in the deserved rest,
In the long nights I enjoy the blissful sleep of the blessed souls,
When the sun appears on the summit, my spirit refreshed,
I resume my way, to my liking, following my goals.
2- À MA GUISE (Version Francaise)
On dit que le temps efface peines et douleurs,
Polit souvenirs en choses exquises de bonheur,
Il suffit d’attendre que ses pas s’annoncent tôt ou tard,
Mais son attente ne me tente pas, car elle est pleine de hasards.
Perdrais-je temps à souhaiter soleil sur brume,
Remplirais-je mon coeur de tristesse et d’amertume?
Autant laisser le vent tout emporter,
Et mes soucis, et mes regrets!
Je ne suis ni philosophe, ni sage,
À suivre voies de silence sans tapages,
Avalant larmes de désappointements ou défis,
Mieux vaudrait rire sur tous déconfits.
Ils sont bien miens, mes erreurs et succès, tour à tour,
Jamais sont faute d’autrui ou de circonstances non favorables,
Je les accepte comme blocs d’apprentissage non amiables,
Sur les voies diverses de la vie de tous les jours.
Suis je battue, ai je failli, qui sait?
D'autrui à me juger, je n’ai aucune peur,
Bien pour eux, si les gens pensent qu’ils sont meilleurs,
Sur ma voie, je ne les laìsse pas m’approcher.
Chaque personne voit la vie selon ses aspirations d’utopie,
Ma voie je la concois sur règles de droiture sur défis,
Ma vie, je la faconne à mes devises,
Humble et sans prétentions, je poursuis mon propre bonheur, à ma guise.
Huynh Anh Tran-Schroeder