What I choose in this mad World by The Phong / translated by Dam Xuan Can / TENGGARA 6 - 1973

TENGGARA 6. 1973
Dept. of English/ Univ. of Malaya
Kuala Lumpur/ Malaysia

                                           
                                                                                                               Translated by
                                                                                                                  Dam Xuan Can

        The Phong

                                           

                              What I choose in this mad World.


       I choose autumn, pine forest and sad sunshine
       I give up writing poetry
                   and will not torture myself anymore
      Do me a favour, my solemn-faced and wise wife,
      Say to me,
                   "Burn a fire!  Hang the mosquito-net!"
      I am the voluntary slave who is fully contented.
      Let us have a long sleep, 
                   O wife, sons and daughters!
      Tomorrow morning
                   we'll wake up early
                    set out to grow vegetables.

     Outside the hedge
                  near the farm gate
      We'll put a board " Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted"
      In all the languages of the world.

      1964

                                                                   TENGGARA 6                              p.95

 a drawing of Sulaiman Esa