A HOMELAND FOR THE WANDERING PEOPLE DAVID LAN PHAM, F.A.B.I.

Cac em than men,

Men goi cac em bai tho song ngu ve Theodor Herzl (1860- 1904).

Mung cho em Truong Minh Tue vuot qua con bao binh.

Van Su Lanh

Thay Lan

phamdinhlan (david)

A HOMELAND FOR THE WANDERING PEOPLE

DAVID LAN PHAM, F.A.B.I.

To  Honorable Theodor Herzl (1860- 1904) with respect and admiration.

I saw you on the bank of the Danube.

You looked very old in your thirties.

You were immensely sad when thinking of Mount Zion,

The wandering people’s ancestral land.

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Through many centuries

The descendants of Israel

Lived their wandering life

Everywhere on Earth.

They were stateless.

No difference between a stateless and a homeless.

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Homeless people succumb to the frosty winter

Stateless people suffer physically and morally.

I know you got sad after the Dreyfus’ affair.

You nurtured a dream in your mind:

A Homeland for the wandering people.

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You passed away at the age of 44.

44 years later, what you dreamed of

Turned into a Fairy’s dream.

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A Homeland for the wandering people

Was born in the resounding blast of bombs and cannons.

The flag of David was hoisted

In the blast of the national anthem, the Hatikvah. (1)

The two thousand years’ hope came true.

A Homeland was born

On the old land of Zion and ancient Jerusalem.

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Honorable Theodor Herzl,

You died in Vienna.

Your soul is on Mount Zion.

Your people never forget you,

The patriarch showing them the journey to the glorious Promised Land,

The ancestral land has been built with blood,

Tears, sweat, perseverance and bravery.

The Homeland survives in exchange of blood and bones.

Tones of sweat embellish it for ever.

Hatikva!  Hatikva!

****

Rest in peace,  Honorable Theodor Herzl,

In your eternal sleep

On the quiet Mount Zion.

A great man, you died.

But your SACRED HOPE survives for ever.

(1)   Hatikvah: Hope.

MOT TO QUOC CHO NGUOI LU THU

PHAM DINH LAN, F.A.B.I.

Kinh goi ve Theodor Herzl (1860- 1904) voi tat ca su kinh trong va nguong mo.

Toi thay ong tren bo song Danube

Trong ong gia o tuoi 30.

Man mac buon ong nghi den doi Zion

Dat to phu cua nhung nguoi lu thu.

****

Trai qua bao the ky

Con chau Israel song doi phieu bat

Khap moi noi tren Trai Dat voi day.

Ke khong nha

Khac chi nguoi vo To Quoc.

****

Nguoi khong nha chiu gia ret mua dong

Vo To Quoc tam, than deu kho nhuc.

Toi biet ong buon,

Chuyen bat cong Dreyfus.

Mot giac mo song day trong tam ong:

Mot To Quoc cho nhung nguoi lu thu.

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Ong ra di

Khi tuoi doi 44.

44 nam sau,

Nhung dieu ong mo uoc,

Da tro thanh mot giac mong Than Tien.

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Mot To Quoc cho nhung nguoi lu thu,

Duoc hinh thanh giua dan phao vang ren.

Co David keo len

Tieng vang ren bai hat Hatikva.

Niem hy vong hai ngan nam da den.

Mot To Quoc chao doi

Tren co tho doi Zion

Va Jerusalem co kinh.

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Theodor Herzl kinh men,

Ong chet o thanh Vienne,

Hon ong o doi Zion.

Dong bao ong van luon luon ghi nho

Nguoi chi duong ve Dat Hua quang vinh.

Dat to phu duoc dung xay bang mau,

Nuoc mat, mo hoi, long kien cuong, dung cam.

To Quoc truong ton du phai do mau xuong.

To Quoc dep vi mo hoi da do.

Hy vong va hy vong!

****

Thoi ong nam yen nghi

Trong giac ngu thien thu

Tren doi Zion vang lang.

Ong da chet nhu nguoi vi dai

Nhung VONG THIENG van mai mai truong ton.