Viewing Cac-Co Cavern
Heaven and earth brought forth this rocky mass
its face cut by a deep crevasse
crack's dark mouth shagged with moss
pines rocking in wind rush.
Here sweet water spatters down
and the path into the cleft is dark.
Praise whoever sculpted stone
then left it bare for all to see.
Here is another translation of the same poem:
Yin and Yang created this chunk of rock;
A deep and dark crack split it into two blocks.
Moss covered openings expose themselves with impudence
Wind enhanced firs produce sound of rhythmic cadence.
Drops of romantic water fall with splash
Roads to nowhere lead in dark labyrinth.
Praise to the scuptor inventing this distortion
Indecent exposure invites lots of observation.
translated from the Vietnamese by John Balaban
