Beautiful and Beguiling: The Song of Kieu.
Delving into another countries’ literature is the easiest way to see the soul of a nation. For Vietnam, over the past two centuries, The Song of Kieu, has become one of the central myths of the nation that has gone on to delight and inspire its readers.
The Song of Kieu is an epic poem that tells of the tragic tale of Kieu, a beautiful and gifted singer, who submits to marriage to save her family from debt, but is tricked into working in a brothel. The story moves quick and involves young love, beatings, two suicide attempts, kidnap, jealous wives, two marriage proposals, friendship, and a good deal of murder. Over the course of the journey Kieu will become a lover, a wife, a nun, a slave, a victim, and a Queen.
The prose captures the reader from its opening lines, ‘It’s an old story: good luck and good looks don’t always mix.’ Nguyen Du can bring forth incredible imagery with such a simple turn of phrase, ‘Your cheeks are pear blooms drenched with rain.’ At times the tale is profound and rings true today as it did over two centuries ago, ‘Some people are born happy, while others feel the tortures that torment us.’ Beyond the rich poetry is the cynical humour found throughout the text that keeps a certain lightness whilst trudging through the dark. ‘Once money hits the table, all canoes paddle smoothly.’
The crime in the brilliance lay not with the artist but with the critic. While the tale has become seen as one of the most important pieces of Vietnamese literature, it goes undiscussed and unseen in western academia. The Eurocentric literature courses will continually celebrate writers from the Anglosphere, France, and Russia, and yet so often overlook those from further afield. It is a great shame that works as great as Beowulf and Don Juan are heralded as the jewels in the crown of epic poetry, while perhaps even greater writers remain unseen.
The Song of Kieu is not only an entertaining foray into Vietnamese literature, but a deep and moving dive into a tale of oppression, fate, and love. Nguyen Du’s epic poem shines a light on the pitfalls of Confucian disciplines and carefully cries for the vindication of a woman’s autonomy.
When we delight in a nation’s literature we delight in their history, ideas, and beliefs. It can be said that over time historical figures may be forgotten, speeches lost to time, great deeds long since remembered; but it is the art that lives on.
