“With Vietnam” - Touching poems supporting Vietnam from Spain

On April 23, in Hanoi , Kim Dong Publishing House organized an exchange to launch the poetry collection "With Vietnam" - A vivid symbol of friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and Spain.

Speakers exchange and share about the poetry collection "With Vietnam". Photo: Kim Dong Publishing House

The poetry collection is available to Vietnamese readers on this occasion with the support of the Spanish Ministry of Culture and the Spanish Embassy in Vietnam.

Speaking at the book launch exchange program, Deputy Director and Editor-in-Chief of Kim Dong Publishing House Vu Thi Quynh Lien said that more than half a century ago, in a faraway country in Southwestern Europe, anti-war poems were written by Spanish poets not only with their pens, but with their hearts for Vietnam.

The book "With Vietnam". Photo: N. Phuong

According to Ms. Vu Thi Quynh Lien, although they have never set foot in Vietnam, Spanish intellectuals and artists who love peace and justice have stood side by side and supported the Vietnamese people through their own artistic activities. Now that book of poems has reached Vietnamese readers through the translation of Dr. and translator Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, continuing to be a living testament to the strong vitality of poetry and humanity, as well as the friendship between Vietnam and Spain.

Spanish Ambassador to Vietnam Carmen Cano De Lasala and translator Nguyen Thi Kim Dung. Photo: Kim Dong Publishing House

Spanish Ambassador to Vietnam Carmen Cano De Lasala expressed that the book of poems opens up the strong feelings that Spanish poets had for Vietnam during difficult times. The book is not only a link connecting the two nations, but also a poetic space that helps the Vietnamese public learn and explore Spanish literature through great contemporary names.

“With Vietnam” includes more than 40 poems written in the 1960s, the period when the resistance war against the US was at its fiercest, and also when the anti-war movement spread globally. The collection of poems was compiled by female poet Angelina Gatell, with the participation of many famous poets such as Rafael Alberti, Gabriel Celaya, Gloria Fuertes, José Agustín Goytisolo, Celso Emilio Ferreiro...

The collection of poems was compiled in 1968 and, due to its anti-war and anti-imperialist content, was censored and banned from publication by the government. In 2016, the manuscript of the collection was found in the archives of the censorship agency and was officially published.

Readers visit the exhibition and the poetry and painting art space emerging from books. Photo: Thuy Du

“Together with Vietnam” is a profound and sincere support for Vietnam from the other side of the hemisphere - expressing international solidarity and the desire for peace. The work is not only history but also a timeless humanitarian echo, reflecting the emotional view of Spanish intellectuals towards Vietnam. The verses in it not only express love for a nation, but are also the voice of conscience, of conscience before the pain of war.

Since it is impossible to find the original paintings and engravings by artist Julio Álvarez, in this Vietnamese edition, “With Vietnam” has been newly illustrated by 6 Spanish and 6 Vietnamese artists. This creates an artistic dialogue across time and space, demonstrating the profound resonance between poetry and painting in conveying the message of peace, anti-war and human solidarity.

At the exchange, Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, lecturer of the Spanish Department (Hanoi University), translator of the poetry collection shared that she spent 2 years translating with all her emotions and understanding. When translating the poems, she felt the cruelty of war and the sympathy and solidarity of people around the world protesting against the war in Vietnam...

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/cung-viet-nam-nhung-van-tho-xuc-dong-ung-ho-viet-nam-tu-tay-ban-nha-700082.html