Tears of Joy —
Raindrops fall from the sky —
My tears of joy have blossomed!
Flowers have transformed this landscape
From a desert to a place of beauty.
Ten years and more have passed now
Since I walked in this dry and dusty land —
Like a beggar looking for a glass of cool water,
Like a ship that has lost sight of land.
One wave of belief in my natural beauty
Has set a magic in motion —
A million seeds that have laid dormant —
Carpets a rainbow to the horizon!
I wish that happiness is our destiny
And the ‘here and now’ is our meeting place.
Deserts are rich with flowers my friends,
And flowers — they are dormant within deserts.
— Luan Viet Dinh