Literature
in Chinese language
In poetry, it follows the rules of Chinese prosody and ideas and sentiments
it expresses are generally the same than those of Chinese poetry, particularly
the ancient Chinese poetry and that of the T'ang epoch. Maybe in descriptive
poetry or in poetry exulting historical subjects one could find a little
originality, but this particle of originality holds more to the subject's
nature itself than to the poet's effort to get rid of his Chinese culture
to return to sources of a purely Vietnamese inspiration.
All genres and forms of Chinese poetry have been cultivated in Viet Nam.
Most ancient texts that have reached us are works of Ly epoch bonzes. They
are obviously of Buddhist inspiration and their themes are: worldly vanity,
aspiration to nothingness paradise, enjoyment of heart peace within calm
and tranquil landscapes, especially hermitages' sites or pagodas. Beside
the bonzes, as early as the 11th century, lettered people of Confucianism
tendencies compose either in prose or in poetry. Finally, their influence
will be preponderant since the Tran. Also since the Tran, Vietnamese Emperors
take pleasure to versify and all dynasties shall transmit to posterity compilations
of poetry of emperors and their courtiers. This custom lasted until the
last dynasty and emperors like Le Thanh Ton of the Le and Tu Duc, Minh Menh
of the Nguyen are among great poets of Chinese language of Viet Nam.
Vietnamese studies find Chinese language poetry does not present a same
interest than prose. Chinese language works in prose are infinitely precious
not so much by style qualities but by the great mass of information, which
are essential in the reconstruction of Viet Nam past such as Official administrative
writings (orders of the day, emperors' proclamations), historical or geographical
works, compilations of legends etc…
Nguyen Trai is among the great Vietnamese authors of Chinese language. A
remarkable poet and prose-writer, has left behind an abundant work. His
geography, under lesser form, is the most ancient composed by a Vietnamese.
Le Loi's proclamations that are attributed to him are masterpieces reverently
admired. |
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Excerpt
of the Binh Ngo Dai Cao (Proclamation following a victory over the Chinese)
"… A short time ago, because of the over-vexatious Ho's administration,
our feelings were filled up with discontent. Throngs of mad dogs that
are the Ming watched over us and profited from the situation to do harm
to our people. Bands of rebels and traitors also took advantage of the
occasion to sell our country. Our people were burnt alive in cruel furnaces;
inhabitants were unjustly shoved into deep wells. They thwarted Heaven
and bore down the population; they schemed demoniacal tricks under ten
thousand forms. Then, they incurred warfare and, for almost twenty years,
calamities succeeded calamities. They had lost all human sentiment - even
Heaven and Earth aspired to a respite; Taxes were heavy and collections
frequent, mountains and rivers had nothing left to yield. In order to
exploit gold mines, one had to confront pestilential vapors of high regions,
and to cut through mountains and screen sands. To find brilliant pearls,
one had to rout marine monsters, gird up one's loins and plunge into deep
sea. They molested our people by urging it to dig ditches to catch black
roebucks; they annihilated- the beasts in setting traps and nets to catch
kingfishers. Even insects and plants do not have the satisfaction of lawns
in peace. Widowers and widows, wretched and badly off people could not
find a peaceful home. They bleeded the people living body white to fatten
their tyrannical mouths. They pushed to the extreme, wood and earth works
to embellish their public buildings and their private houses. In hamlets,
fatigue tasks were overwhelming and toilsome; in villages, people forsook
the weaving-loom. Should one drain the Oriental Sea water, one still could
not wash traces of their ignominy; should one take all bamboo of Meridional
Mountains, one still could not transcribe all their crimes. Geniuses themselves
grew angry, Heaven and Earth could not show themselves lenient…"
Nguyen Trai
(14th century)
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Eulogy
of mid-autumn shining moon
Tonight, the moonlight is so lively, one might think it is daytime,
All stars in the universe have not failed to join their lights,
The moon consents to let clouds float closer around her, but does not
agree to be dissimulated,
If she lets the wind follow her, it is to help her in her rapid gliding.
The sun's glare, in summer or winter, differs: it is either redoubtable
or beneficent,
The moon's glare, whether it is full or waning, remains mellow and pleasant,
One affirms that within a range of ten thousand "li", the night is similar
to the one eight here,
I wonder if my black-head poor people has been happy or not?
Minh Mang
(1820-1840)
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