I see you
You’re a soldier
A wanderer and a beggar
You beg at bus stations and in the market
By clasping your palms together.
Young people like me ask
Whether you’re real or fake.
Are you real or fake?
I keenly observe
Your gestures, both soft and frail,
Harsh and callous —
Your actual manners I empathize
Your faded, used up, discoloring uniform
Shows me that you are real.
You are a real soldier.
I think deeper
as I watch for movements of your body
where your hands used to be
Pulling triggers at enemies like rivers of souls
To the end of the world
and I ask myself again and again
How have you survived?
How have you really made sacrifices
for this nation?
I turn away from you,
Still unconvinced that you’re a real soldier,
to give you my spare change,
Are you real or fake?
ឃើញបង
ឃើញបងទាហានបងដើរសុំទាន
តាមបេនតាមផ្សារលើកដៃសំពះ
សូម្បីកុមារអូនលួចសួរថា
បងពិតឬក្លែង។
អូនតាមលួចគន់សព្វឬករឹងទន់
ឥរិយាបងស្តែងតែអូនអាសូរ
សម្លៀកបងឯងលេចចេញជាក់ស្តែង
ទាហ៊ានសន្តាន។
អូនរឹតគិតជ្រៅឃើញដៃបងត្រូវ
កំបុតពីប្រាណអូនសួរខ្លួនទៀត
ថាតើកល្យានពិតជាធ្លាប់បាន
បូជាជូនជារិ។
អូនគេចពីបងដ្បិតចិត្តនួនល្អង
នៅតូចចង្អៀតមិនហ៊ានឱ្យលុយ
ខ្លាចខុសម្តងទៀតបើទោះសារជាតិ
បងពិតយ៉ាងណា៕
Khmer Dogs
I sleep thinking of the dogs, pitying them,
Barking in the dark,
Night & day into noon, barking
Gnawing at anger.
Running, traveling distances for a bite of the flesh
Wild with anger and hunger.
Starvation flames in their eyes
Ready sharpened fangs to spill blood.
Those pursuing peace
Are served fresh cooked rice to pit them against each other.
Anger inside isolates them
Without a friend in their eyes,
They are forced to accept & to beg.
Now, angry, incessantly barking dogs,
Friends against friends,
The enemy inside
Never have been at peace or in harmony.
ឆ្កែខ្មែរ
គេងគិតអាណិតឆ្កែក្នុងស្រុក
កម្រឃើញសុខស្ងប់ម្តងណា
ព្រឹកថ្ងៃល្ងាចយប់ឆ្កែឆ្លេឆ្លា
ដេញខាំមនុស្សសាសត្វផងគ្នា។
ចម្ងាយដប់មែត្រក៏តាមព្រុស
ជិតកៀកហក់ស្ទុះហែកអង្គា
ភ្នែកពេញកំហឹងពោរហូហៀរ
ប្រុងតែខាំគ្នាឥតស្រាកស្រាន្ត។
លោតែឆ្កែណាសន្សំសុខ
បាយក្តៅបញ្ចុកញុកត្រាបាន
ឆ្កែដែលស៊ីហើយក្តៅក្នុងប្រាណ
ឃើញគេហក់ថ្កានឥតរុញរា។
គិតយូរៗទៅជ្រៅអាណិត
យប់យន់ក៏ឥតព្រមលែងលា
ព្រុសតពេញភូមិបង្អើលគ្នា
ពុំមានវេលាណាឆ្កែស្ងប់៕