Võ Thị Như Mai

Passing the Vu Lan Season*

Picture: Felix Günther

the afternoon tilts
from fading and unsteady sunlight
eyes slowly close at the corners
like slipping into deep thought
resting in a rough heavy night

precarious
stepping on fragments of emptiness
sharp and piercing
bitterness seeping out
like a primordial, sacred nectar

feet stop moving
hands do not reach out
what is there to receive?
even stones seem to awaken
within countless forms of the self

rough and uneven rhythms
echoing footsteps
flowers of suffering’s season
a hidden grace from time and distance

my dear in autumn
are you fading?
pure rain
now stained with illusion and reality

Original: Qua Mùa Vu Lan - Nguyễn Hoàn Nguyên
Translated by Võ Thị Như Mai

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(*):Vu Lan: a Buddhist season of remembrance, gratitude, and reflection.

The day slowly turns into evening,bringing an uneasy feeling. Life seems unsteady with both pain and a strange kind of sweetness mixed together. There is a moment to stop and wonder what we truly gain as understanding begins from within ourselves. Life’s ups and downs remind us of past pain but also of hidden blessings. Then there is a gentle question about change and loss, and how pure things in life slowly become mixed with illusion (VTNM)

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Cái Đình - 2026