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THE JOURNEY: វិថីមួយ

6/1/2015

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I woke up today
In this country to me unknown
In a home away from home

The air is thicker here
Even sometimes hard to breath
Looking at my surroundings
Wondering what this life would be

ថ្ងៃនេះខ្ញុំភ្ញាក់ក្នុងប្រទេសមួយ  
ដែលខ្ញុំរែងព្រួយព្រោះពុំស្គាល់  
សែនឆ្ងាយពីផ្ទះរែងកង្វល់
ចិត្តសែនអំពល់រែងរិះគិត។

វាយោសែនហប់តប់ប្រមល់             
ស្រមៃគិតដល់ផ្លូជីវិត                                 
ថាតើដំណើរឆ្ងាយឬជិត                             
តើពិតនឹងក្លាយទៅជាអ្វី។
The journey began
When white flags were raised
Teenagers in black pajamas 
Flooded the streets in rage

White flags of peace 
Soon stained with blood by noon
No one could have imagined
Unspeakable devastation and doom

The cacophony of evacuation
Then silence of fear
Relatives turned on you
Enemies were never clear 

A pungent stench of death 
Soon filled the humid air
Swollen bodies filled the land
Abandoned by God there


Unbearable suffering
So much agony and grief
So much loss of loved ones 
Death seemed a relief 

Even pain and suffering
Have a beginning and an end
Once it was finally over
God, we might believe in again

A new beginning started
Journeying to the unknown 
A new life waited
A home away from home



Rough was the start 
Of life in a foreign land
Dreams sacrificed, diplomas drowned
Again working with bare hands

Language barriers, cultural barriers
Children planted new roots
Caught between opposite worlds
Seeds falling farther from the fruit

Yet something felt amiss
A void never quit complete
You sowed in me slowly 
Latent seeds I would later reap

Time would heal traumas
Wounds of our violent past
Maturity gave wisdom
Reconnection at long last


Another journey started
The final one with you 
I packed my bags and wandered
To the country I never knew


You showed me the beauty 
And darkness residing there
Strength and resilience testified 
By those living a life unfair

I saw myself in their eyes
Yet in me, what did they see
As one of them, as a friend
Or just an uprooted tree

The visit remained in my heart
And the memories in my mind
The day would come around
To make up for lost time

Now I’ve come full circle 
A journey I must take alone
Rediscovering this place
A country I now call home

ដំណើរជីវិតចាប់ផ្តើមហើយ                              
ទង់ជ័យសអើយបក់រវៃ                                    
យុវជនស្លៀកពាក់អាវរាត្រី                           
កំហឹងពេកក្រៃរត់ពេញផ្លូវ។ 


ទង់ជ័យសន្តិភាពក្លាយជាឈាម                        
ដល់ថ្ងៃត្រង់ភ្លាមឈាមដាបខ្មៅ               
និយាយលែងចេញថាមិនត្រូវ                     
មិនដែលគិតដល់ថាកើតឡើងពិត។ 

សំលេងជំលៀសជៀសចេញបាត់                        
បន្យល់ភាពស្ងាត់រន្ធត់ពិត                                    
ញាតិក្លាយសត្រូវបែរមកជិត                           
សត្រូវឆ្ងាយជិតពុំច្បាស់ឡើយ។       

មានក្លិនអសោចពាសពេញផ្ទៃ                  
សាកសពពេញដីព្រះព្រងើយ                        
ការឈឺចាប់មួយគ្មានពេលល្ហើយ                     
ក្តីមរណះអើយអ្នកមកផ្តាច់។    

ហេតុអ្វីក៏ព្រះយកសង្ខារ                              
មនុស្សខ្ញុំស្នេហាអោយបែកបាក់               
ព្រះនៅទីណាម្តេចចិត្តដាច់                                    
មកកាត់មកផ្តាច់គ្មានប្រណី។                     

ស៊ូស្លាប់ល្អជាងរស់វេទនា                           
រងទុក្ខគ្រាំគ្រារស់គ្មានន័យ                           
មានដើមបញ្ចប់ជីវិតលោកីយ                  
ហេតុអ្វីមកផ្តាច់សូន្យសង្ខារ។    

វិថីថ្មីមួយចាប់ផ្តើមហើយ                           
តែមិនដឹងឡើយថាទៅណា                                 
ជីវិតថ្មីមួយរង់ចាំថា                                               
ពុំដឹងទៅណាប្រាកដឡើយ។    

ដល់ដែនដីថ្មីក្តីសុបិន្ត                                       
លះបង់សង្ឈឹមចិត្តមិនល្ហើយ                                    
ការងារកំលាំងមិនល្ហែល្ហើយ                                    
ឱឌីផ្លូមអើយបានលិចបាត់។       

ភាសាវប្បធម៌ថ្មីស្រឡះ                        
កូនៗប្រឹងណាស់សែនពិបាក                     
កន្លែងផ្សេងគ្នាផ្ទុយប្រាសចាក                        
កាលះទេសះតំរូវកាល។                                 

កូនៗដាំដុះរឹះថ្មីនោះ                                                
គ្រាប់ពូជធ្លាក់ចុះឆ្ងាយពីផ្លែ                                 
តែលោកមានគុណអ្នកផ្តល់ថែ                  
ថាពូជនឹងប្រែជាផ្លែផ្កា។               

សង្ឈឹមវេលាជួយព្យាបាល                                    
អតីតកាលដែលហឹង្សា                                    
ផ្តល់បញ្ញាញាណចិត្តជ្រះថ្លា                              
គ្រួសាររស់នៅបានជួបជុំ។  

វិថីមួយទៀតចាប់ផ្តើមហើយ                              
ចុងក្រោយជាមួយអ្នកមានគុណ               
ចិត្តលែងកង្វល់មានសង្ឈឹម                           
រកអ្វីមកផ្ទឹមពុំបានឡើយ។ 

ទោះអយុត្តិធម៌ក្នុងជីវិត                           
ចង្កៀងងងឹតបំភ្លឺហើយ                           
កំលាំងជំរុញបានដល់ត្រើយ                             
លាហើយលាចាកភាពបាក់បែក។ 

ខ្ញុំឆ្ងល់ចង់ដឹងតើហេតុអ្វី                              
ទើបមនុស្សប្រុស-ស្រីមើលខ្ញុំប្លែក              
គាត់ទុកជាមិត្តឬជនចំលែក                              
បានជាកែវភ្នែកមើលរំពៃ។

អនុស្សាវរីយក្នុងចិត្តខ្ញុំ                              
ដែលខ្ញុំមិនភ្លេចនឹករាល់ថ្ងៃ                           
ឋិតក្នុងបេះដូងនឹកពេកក្រៃ                                    
ស្រមៃនឹកដល់គោលបំណង។               

គង់ថ្ងៃណាមួយខ្ញុំនឹងបាន                           
មកកាន់ភូមិឋានដូចចិត្តប៉ង                                    
តបស្នងវេលាដែលបាត់បង់                                    
រង់ចាំដល់ថ្ងៃនោះមកដល់។
            
វិថីថ្មីនេះគ្រប់គ្រានហើយ                                 
ដែលខ្ញុំត្រូវដើរតែម្នាក់ឯង                              
ស្វែងរកឡើងវិញទីកន្លែង                                 
ដែលខ្ញុំនឹងតែងហៅថាផ្ទះ។  

Dedicated to my parents for their struggles and sacrifices. 
With gratitude to Socheata Vong for help with the translation of the poem to Khmer.
Video courtesy of DC-CAM.  
The beautiful song "Oh, Phnom Penh" was written by Keo Chenda, former Culture and Information Minister & Phnom Penh Governor in 1979. It was composed by Morm Bunnaray, who worked at the national radio station in Phnom Penh and was originally sung by Morm Sokha, sister of Morm Bunnaray, shortly after the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime (Duong Dara).
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