Page 129 - Dragon&Fairy in Poetry

Thanh Thanh

ONE YEAR HAS PASSED

Original “Nhìn Lại Một Năm Qua” by
THÍCH TÁNH TUỆ

One year has passed, but it is like yesterday:
Still busy with love and hatred, the foul play!
Time always renews why our soul rests old yet
While our age already wanes like the sunset.

Last year we still came for the Buddha’s grace
But still looked at others with a haughty face.
Even though knowing Dharma is the Truth,
Our steps did not yet comprise a pace to ruth.

All last year we frequently bathed as inclined:
Water cleaned body, not worldly dust in mind.
Being aware of life as the fast wind as short,
We still hesitated, not chose the bright resort.

Last year, how many days wide-awake were we
Times to truly live, understand and love in glee?
We sat silently but felt in our innermost clime
If we did live or exist… transient to kill time.

We still always tidied up things in the last year
But grass grew in our heart as a fallow sphere.
Ten breath spans, how many with mind right?
Let us light the candles to enlighten the blight.

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