GIẬM CHÂN TỨC TỐI - Lê Cát Trọng Lý
- nganvu507
- Jul 24
- 3 min read
Giậm chân tức tối
Nhìn cơn lũ chia ngăn ngàn mộng mơ chới với, tựa nước cuốn trôi đi
Giậm chân đứng ngóng, chờ cơn lũ đi qua
Nhìn đàn kiến lấp kín xác con ve ngủ yên trong chiều
Chạy nhanh qua mùa mưa khi rừng thay lá, nắng lên chiếu sáng
Mộng mơ ta gặp nhau như ngàn sao cháy, cách chia nhung nhớ
.Khôn nguôi...
Giậm chân tức tối
Nhìn cơn lũ chia ngăn ngàn mộng mơ chới với, tựa nước cuốn trôi đi
Giậm chân đứng ngóng, chờ cơn lũ đi qua
Nhìn đàn kiến lấp kín xác con ve ngủ yên trong chiều
Writer(s): Lê Cát Trọng Lý
Giậm chân tức tối (Helplessly, I stomp)
I still remember that morning, in a cold hotel room on a winter day, when I woke up and my boyfriend wasn’t there anymore, he already left long ago for his early flight. I played a random song on Spotify to ease the quietness before getting ready to check out. After a few songs, Giậm chân tức tối came on. A tear rolled down my cheek.
There was this sudden wave of sadness—of pain and unfairness—that rose in me like an overflowing bottle. Every word hit hard. I found myself relating to the image of this person, standing helplessly next to a river, watching it wash away their safe place, my safe place in this big city.
Today, I saw a girl crying badly on the tube. I couldn’t just walk past. I gave her a warm hug... and eventually walked with her for an hour and listened to her story. She was also in a long-distance relationship, just like me. The first song I listened to tonight? Again, Giậm chân tức tối. It feels like it’s my mission to share this bittersweet lullaby with people out there.
Translation attempt of the lyrics
Giậm chân tức tối
Helplessly, I stomp in anger
Nhìn cơn lũ chia ngăn ngàn mộng mơ chới với, tựa nước cuốn trôi đi
I watch the flood divide my drifting dreams—like water sweeping them away
I felt so much anger back then. Why did it have to be like this?Why do people who love each other have to be apart?Why can’t we just stay together?Why does love sometimes feel so helpless?
For the girl on the tube—why does her boyfriend need to leave for another country for a better job? Why do they even have to consider breaking up when they clearly still love each other?
Giậm chân đứng ngóng, chờ cơn lũ đi qua
I stomp, waiting helplessly for the flood to pass
Nhìn đàn kiến lấp kín xác con ve ngủ yên trong chiều
I watch ants cover the cicada’s body, peacefully resting in the afternoon
Chạy nhanh qua mùa mưa khi rừng thay lá, nắng lên chiếu sáng
Running through rainy season, as the forest changes leaves and sunlight returns
Mộng mơ ta gặp nhau như ngàn sao cháy, cách chia nhung nhớ
Dreamily we meet again—like a thousand burning stars—bridging the ache of separation
But then... life isn’t always easy. It won’t stay difficult forever either. Sometimes it’s the distance, the separation, that gives your love a passion—like a thousand burning stars. It stitches all the longing and pain into a beautiful thread of connection.
When I see my boyfriend again after a long time, I run to him. That feeling of joy, of fulfillment, it's hard to describe. You no longer stomp angrily... You just wait—helpless, yes—but also trusting that the sun will shine again. You can choose how to feel. You can wait in silence. Or in anger. But things will get better.
.Khôn nguôi...
Giậm chân tức tối
Lingering...
Still, I stomp in anger
It’s okay to be angry at what life throws at you. But know this: the anger will pass. Things will brighten. And by the end of it all, your love will burn brighter, because you’ve learned to appreciate the moments you share.
So choose the healthy attitude, waiting patiently. Navigate this challenge together, as partners. :")
Good luck to all the long-distance couples out there. You’re not alone.
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