17-11-2023
Tiếp theo Kỳ 1
Đang nói chuyện tên đường, đặt tên đường, lại nhẩn nha vòng ra mạn bưu điện bưu chính, kể cũng lẩn thẩn, nhưng khổ nỗi những thứ liên quan tới thư từ, phong bì, tem, gửi thư, chuyển thư, “đánh” điện… ở xứ này một thời cũng lắm cái hay. Thôi, để kể sau, giờ nhà cháu quay về chuyện đường sá.
Nhân tiện đây, nhà cháu nói luôn có sự khác trong ngôn ngữ. Tiếng Việt phân biệt khá rõ, đường sá, phố xá. Khi đi với đường thì dùng “sá”, với phố thì “xá”. Đường sá mở mang, phố xá đông vui. Từ “sá” trong tiếng Việt để chỉ một mạch đất thẳng được bới lên, chẳng hạn “sá cày”. Còn từ “xá” có lẽ được đọc từ chữ “xa” là xe, trên phố nhiều xe cộ đi lại nên ghép thành phố xá. Ấy, nhà cháu cứ tạm hiểu vậy, bác nào kiến văn cao rộng xin chỉ giáo rộng mở giùm.
Đường và phố ở đô thị cũng có chút khác biệt. Ngoài bắc thường dùng từ “phố”, trong nam lại hay dùng “đường” mặc dù chúng đều là lối đi nơi đô thị. Ở Hà Nội, phố Hàng Ngang, Hàng Đào, Triệu Việt Vương, Trần Nhân Tông, Huế, Hàm Long… hầu hết là phố; thỉnh thoảng cũng có đường như Nguyễn Trãi, Phạm Văn Đồng, Trường Chinh… Hình như ở thủ đô những đường nào vừa để đi lại, vừa nhà cửa san sát làm nơi sinh sống, buôn bán tấp nập, và tương đối ngắn, có từ xưa cũ thì gọi phố; còn đường mới, dài, ít nhà dân, ít buôn bán thì gọi đường. Sài Gòn lại khác, hồi năm 1977 tôi mới nhập cư đã nhận ra điều khác biệt, hầu hết là đường, dù ngắn, đông người, nhà cửa ken đặc, buôn bán tấp nập, hay dài, rộng, thưa thớt dân cư, đều đường tuốt. Đường Hàm Nghi, Trần Hưng Đạo, Lê Văn Duyệt, Hai Bà Trưng, Hậu Giang, Phan Đình Phùng…, chả ai gọi phố Hàm Nghi, phố Lê Văn Duyệt bao giờ.
Việc đổi tên đường do “bên thắng cuộc” thực hiện sau 1975 rất buồn cười, sặc mùi chính trị, bất chấp những quy định cần phải tôn trọng. Họ bất cần văn hóa, lịch sử, tao thích thế thì tao cứ làm cứ đổi, làm gì nhau. Tệ tới mức, có những cái tên rất hay, đầy ý nghĩa, đã đi vào đời sống tinh thần bao thế hệ, như Công Lý, Tự Do, Cộng Hòa, Chi Lăng… cũng bị thù ghét, xóa bỏ, thay thế, “ghét đào đất đổ đi”, “thương nhau thương cả đường đi/ghét nhau ghét cả tông chi họ hàng”, để rồi có câu vè lịch sử “Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa thay Công Lý/Đồng Khởi lên rồi mất Tự Do”, cực kỳ chua chát.
Rất đáng nói, dù chính quyền Sài Gòn theo thể chế cộng hòa, hoàn toàn phế bỏ phong kiến nhưng khi đặt tên đường vẫn rất tôn trọng lịch sử dân tộc, nhất là với những đấng bậc đã có công với nước, những nhân vật nổi tiếng được dân quý trọng biết ơn. Sài Gòn trước năm 1975 có những con đường mang tên Nguyễn Hoàng, Gia Long, Minh Mạng, Tự Đức, Thành Thái, Đồng Khánh, Phan Thanh Giản, Trương Vĩnh Ký, Lê Văn Duyệt, Nguyễn Văn Thoại… bên cạnh những Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, Nguyễn Huệ, Phan Đình Phùng, Trương Định…, nhân vật lịch sử tồn tại cùng nhau, không để thứ chính trị nhỏ nhen áp đặt chen vào hoạt động cần sự công bằng, khách quan này.
(Còn tiếp)
What would I be without You, my Hometown Hanoi ???, my Second Hometown Danang ??? and my beloved Saigon – Capital of Freedom & Liberty ???
******************************
Dedicated to all my Old Lovers with the best Wishes to You All…
— TLDV = MOTVHP
What would I be without You, my Hometown Hanoi ???
Who found me in my longest Exile
Lasting nearly Half of a Century !
What would I be without You, my beloved Capital
But for me a long time as only the dearest sleeping heart in my Soul ?
What else but only The Time is stopping on the Sword Lake’s Face !
What would I be without You, my heartbroken Hometown Hanoi ???
But only a psychological torture for a political exile as myself !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg7JPGsC3EQ
Hướng về Hà Nội (Hoàng Dương – Lệ Thu)
I have learned everything from You, my beloved Hanoi
About the Vietnamese Contemporary History
And I have come to see this Uncertain World in Your Hanoi’s Way
I have been learning everything from You, my dearest Hometown
As if drinking from a water fountain in the Old Quarter Cầu Gỗ
Like an apprentice astrophysicist learns
From the distant galaxy in the Hanoi’s Sky
Like a new soldier joins in a military division
For the next battle against the eternal from the North
I have been learning everything from You, my beloved Hanoi Capital
Down to the meaning of the greatest Nostalgia in exile in Paris
What would I be without You, my beloved Capital
But for me a long time as only the dearest sleeping heart in my Soul ?
What else but only The Time is stopping on the Sword Lake’s Face !
What would I be without You, my heartbroken Hometown Hanoi ???
But only a psychological torture for a political exile as myself !
I have been learning everything from You
As far as I can remember from my beloved Mother’s lullaby
That the Hanoi’s Moonlight is blue in the Old Quarter
That Freedom and Independence is not just a tavern’s tale
And Hanoi, You took my hand in that modern hell
Belonging to the Second Civil War between the South and the North of Vietnam
In the context of the First Cold War of the 20th Century
Where the young man as I was didn’t know anymore
What it means to be between the Two Sides
And Hanoi, You took my hand in that Modern Hell of Vietnam’s Tragedy
You took my hand like as an unhappy lover…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUb0d-147E4
Hà Nội Phố – Z (Phạm Ngọc – Phạm Anh Dũng – Hương Giang)
What would I be without You, my beloved Capital
But for me a long time as only the dearest sleeping heart in my Soul ?
What else but only The Time is stopping on the Sword Lake’s Face !
What would I be without You, my heartbroken Hometown Hanoi ???
But only a psychological torture for a political exile as myself !
Who speaks of his own Motherland’s War and Peace often has sad eyes
Is this not a sob of Hopelessness ???
Only a string breaking under the monochord gourd zither’s fingers
And yet how I can tell You, Hanoi that a political refugee’s Happiness does never exist !!!
Hanoi, my beloved Hometown everywhere than in mere Night Dreams…
Elsewhere than on the East Sea with my Journey for Freedom as a Boatpeople
Motherland ! Fatherland ! Homeland !
Here are perhaps or even certainly these the most known Harbors…
What would I be without You, my beloved Capital
But for me a long time as only the dearest sleeping heart in my Soul ?
What else but only The Time is stopping on the Sword Lake’s Face !
What would I be without You, my heartbroken Hometown Hanoi ???
But only a psychological torture for a political exile as myself !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_CSMyAGKmg
Đà Nẵng một thời dấu yêu, thơ Luân Hoán, nhạc và trình bày Nhật Ngân
What would I be without You, my Second Hometown Danang ???
Who found me in my longest Exile
Lasting nearly Half of a Century !
What would I be without You, my beloved SeaCity
But for me a long time as only the dearest sleeping LoveStories
Under the roofs of HongDuc and PhanChauTrinh Highschools
What else but only The Time is stopping on the Cold River’s Face !
And the images with your white long dress of a school-girl
After school back home, on the fragile boat towards other AnHai Riverside
What would I be without You, my heartbroken Second Hometown Danang ???
But only a psychological torture for a political exile as myself !
I have learned everything from You about the human things, my beloved Danang !
About War and Peace
And I’ve seen this Uncertain World in Your Danang’s Way from then on.
For example : “có chi mô = no star where!” !!!
I’ve learned everything from You, my dearest Danang :
How Your people discuss and dispute eagerly in Politics from their own Tradition
How one reads and counts in the Danang’s Sky, the distant lost stars
How from Danang’s would-be-poet-by who cites,
You even take up generously his bad poems in Your anthology !!
I’ve learned everything from You up to the meaning of Sincerity
I have been learning everything from You, my dearest Second Hometown
As if drinking from a water fountain in the “Thuận Thành – Tam Tòa” District
Like an apprentice biochemist learns
From the Cold River the mysterious DNA’s Patriotism
Belonging to this Sacred Land with extraordinary people
Like a new soldier joins in a military division
For the next battle against the eternal from the North
I have been learning everything from You, my beloved Danang SeaCity
Down to the meaning of the greatest Nostalgia in exile in Paris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTQeZCVPoyQ
MƠ BẾN HÀN GIANG – Tung Nguyen
What would I be without You, Danang
Who wellcomed all my family escaping away from Hanoi for Freedom and Liberty
What would I be without You, my beloved SeaCity
But for me a long time as only the dearest sleeping LoveStories
Under the roofs of HongDuc and PhanChauTrinh Highschools
But this Marvellous Hour what else but only The Time is stopping on the Cold River’s Face !
And the images with your white long dress of a school-girl
After school back home, on the fragile boat towards other AnHai Riverside
What would I be without You, my heartbroken Second Hometown Danang ???
But only a psychological torture for a political exile as myself !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfjcJWv_gNA
BỎ TRƯỜNG MÀ ĐI ( Trần Đình Quân – Duy Khánh )
I have learned everything from You as far as I had been concerned for 17 years
That Danang was clear at noon, that Your sky could be blue
That Happiness and Hardship were just a Tavern’s American’s oil lamp
And Danang, You took me by the hand into that modern hell
Belonging to the Second Civil War between the South and the North of Vietnam
In the context of the First Cold War of the 20th Century
Where the young man as I was didn’t know anymore
What it means to be between the Two Sides
And Hanoi, You took my hand in that Modern Hell of Vietnam’s Tragedy
You took my hand like as an unhappy lover…
Where the Youth didn’t know anymore what it was to be between the Sides
But You took me by the hand like an Innocent and Happy Lover
What would I be without You, Danang
Who wellcomed all my family escaping away from Hanoi for Freedom and Liberty
What would I be without You, my beloved SeaCity
But for me a long time as only the dearest sleeping LoveStories
Under the roofs of HongDuc and PhanChauTrinh Highschools
But this Marvellous Hour what else but only The Time is stopping on the Cold River’s Face !
And the images with your white long dress of a school-girl
After school back home, on the fragile boat towards other AnHai Riverside
What would I be without You, my heartbroken Second Hometown Danang ???
But only a psychological torture for a political exile as myself !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFg6ZtgS03I
Những Ngày Xưa Thân Ái [PHẠM THẾ MỸ] – Huỳnh Phi Tiễn
Who speaks of his own Motherland’s War and Peace often has sad eyes
Is this not a sob of Hopelessness ???
Only a broken string breaking under the monochord gourd zither’s fingers
And yet how I can tell You, Hanoi that a political refugee’s Happiness does never exist !!!
Hanoi, my beloved Hometown everywhere than in mere Night Dreams…
Elsewhere than on the East Sea with my Journey for Freedom as a Boatpeople
Somewhere else than in those Dreams, Themselves
Elsewhere than in the other Skies but I have never found !!!
Motherland ! Fatherland ! Homeland !
Here are perhaps or even certainly these the most known Harbors…
What would I be without You, my beloved SeaCity
But for me a long time as only the dearest sleeping LoveStories
Under the roofs of HongDuc and PhanChauTrinh Highschools
But now these LoveStories sleeping in the TienSa Bay
What else but only The Time is stopping on the Cold River’s Face !
And the images with your white long dress of a school-girl
After school back home, on the fragile boat towards other AnHai Riverside
What would I be without You, my Old Lover but this faltering
What would I be without You, my heartbroken Second Hometown Danang ???
But only a psychological torture for a political exile as myself !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbdGbelEBjY
Sài Gòn Ơi! Vĩnh Biệt – NGỌC LAN
What would I be without You, my beloved Capital of Freedom & Liberty, Saigon ???
Who found me in my longest Exile
Lasting nearly Half of a Century !
What would I be without You, my beloved Capital of Freedom & Liberty, Saigon !
But for me a long time as only the dearest sleeping Brain in my Soul ?
What else but only The Time is stopping on the ChuongDuong Quay !
What would I be without You, my beloved Capital of Freedom & Liberty, Saigon ???
But only a psychological torture for a political exile as myself !
I have learned everything from You, my beloved Saigon
About the Vietnamese Contemporary History
And I have come to see this Uncertain World in Your Saigon’s Way
I have been learning everything from You, my dearest Capital of Freedom & Liberty, Saigon !
Like an apprentice astrophysicist learns
From the distant galaxy in the Saigon’s Sky
Like a new soldier joins in a military division
For the next battle against the eternal from the North
I have been learning everything from You, my beloved Saigon – Capital of Freedom & Liberty !
Down to the meaning of the greatest Nostalgia in exile in Paris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HubTAKEXxS0
Hà Nội ơi, Saigon ơi… Biết bao giờ trở lại – Z
Dear Saigon, what would I be without You who came to meet me in 1971 ?
What would I be without You, my beloved Capital of Freedom & Liberty, Saigon !
But for me a long time as only the dearest sleeping Brain in my Soul ?
What else but only The Time is stopping on the ChuongDuong Quay !
What would I be without You, my beloved Capital of Freedom & Liberty, Saigon ???
But only a psychological torture for a political exile as myself !
I have learned everything from You as far as I had been concerned for 10 years
That Saigon was clear and sunny at noon, that Your sky could be blue
That Liberty and Freedom are just the only Oxygen for all the Vietnamese people
And Saigon, You took me by the hand into that modern hell
Belonging to the Second Civil War between the South and the North of Vietnam
In the context of the First Cold War of the 20th Century
Where the young man as I was didn’t know anymore
What it means to be between the Two Sides
And Saigon, You took my hand in that Modern Hell of Vietnam’s Tragedy
You took my hand like as an unhappy lover…
Where the Youth didn’t know anymore what it was to be between the Sides
But You took me by the hand like an Innocent and Happy Lover
Dear Saigon, what would I be without You who came to meet me in 1971 ?
What would I be without You, my beloved Capital of Freedom & Liberty, Saigon !
But for me a long time as only the dearest sleeping Brain in my Soul ?
What else but only The Time is stopping on the ChuongDuong Quay !
What would I be without You, my beloved Capital of Freedom & Liberty, Saigon ???
But only a psychological torture for a political exile as myself !
Who speaks of his own Motherland’s War and Peace often has sad eyes
Is this not a sob of Hopelessness ???
Only a broken string breaking under the monochord gourd zither’s fingers
And yet how I can tell You, Saigon that a political refugee’s Happiness does never exist !!!
Hanoi, my beloved Hometown everywhere than in mere Night Dreams…
Nevertheless, sometimes I can tell You simple Happiness does exist
Not just in Dreams, not just in the Clouds.
But the Good News from Vietnam on Paris’ newspapers and television
Elsewhere than on the East Sea with my Journey for Freedom as a Boatpeople
Somewhere else than in those Dreams, Themselves
Elsewhere than in the other Skies but I have never found !!!
Motherland ! Fatherland ! Homeland !
Here are perhaps or even certainly these the most known Safe Harbors…
Dear Saigon, what would I be without You who came to meet me in 1971 ?
What would I be without You, my beloved Capital of Freedom & Liberty, Saigon !
But for me a long time as only the dearest sleeping Brain in my Soul ?
What else but only The Time is stopping on the ChuongDuong Quay !
What would I be without You, my beloved Capital of Freedom & Liberty, Saigon ???
But only a psychological torture for a political exile as myself !
https://universite-digitale1.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/MeVietNam.jpg
MILLIONS OF THE VIETNAMESE HONEST PEOPLE = TRIỆU LƯƠNG DÂN VIỆT
https://www.hanoiparis.com/construct.php?page=poesie2&idfam=28
Bàn thêm một chút với bác về chữ “xá” ( còn là nơi chốn, nơi ở ) . Ký túc xá Ngô Gia Tự bây giờ, trước 1975, gọi là Đại học xá Minh Mạng bác ạ . Một nơi ở rất tốt cho sinh viên nghèo ở tỉnh xa lên SG trọ học . Chính phủ bao cấp hết, tiền điện, tiền nước, phòng trọ. . .SV chẳng trả một xu nào , cứ xài xả láng . Đó còn là cái lò sản sinh ra những cuộc biểu tình, trêu ngươi với cảnh sát dã chiến quận 5 . Các lãnh tụ SV như Huỳnh Tấn Mẫm, Lê Văn Nuôi . . .đều trải qua nơi đó. Đến cái ông, sau này là nhạc sĩ Vũ Đức Sao Biển cũng từng ở nơi đó ( nhớ mãi ông này, vì trước khi chết, ông bảo rằng “Chế độ ta là chế độ tự do, dân chủ nhất thế giới !” .
“Còn từ “xá” có lẽ được đọc từ chữ “xa” là xe, trên phố nhiều xe cộ đi lại nên ghép thành phố xá” ( Trích NT )
– Bác giải thích bằng từ “có lẽ” thì cũng không cũng không nên cãi . Nhưng, mình nghĩ từ “xá” còn có nghĩa là nơi chốn, một vị trí nào đó . Ví dụ, quán xá, trạm xá, bệnh xá thì chẳng liên quan gì tới xe cả . Ngày xưa, ở Sài Gòn, có một nới gọi là “Thương xá Tass” ở đường Hàm Nghi, hoặc Nguyễn Huệ hoặc Tự do gì đấy ( lâu quá nên quên mất !) . Nơi ấy, người ta buôn bán ê hề những mặt hàng cao cấp ( giống như kiểu siêu thị bây giờ ) . Vào đó, người ta dạo chơi, đi xem thì nhiều mà mua hàng thì ít vì giá cao quá .
Lạm bàn với bác một chút cho vui, có sai, bác bỏ quá cho .
Xin bổ túc một chút: Thương xá TAX, ở góc phía Nam của ngã tư Lê Lợi & NGuyễn Huệ, Sài Gòn
(đường Lê Lợi nằm theo hướng Đông-Bắc/Tây-Nam, đường NGuyễn Huệ nằm theo hướng Tây-Bắc/Đông-Nam)
Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa tiêu Công Lý?
Đúng vậy,
Nam Kỳ khởi nghĩa tiêu Công Lý
Đồng Khởi vùng lên mất Tự Do
Đỗ Mười lên làm thủ tướng thì dân Miền Nam nhai bobo mòn răng.