Explore the development of Vietnamese through 5 publications of 'Truyen Kieu'

The Truth National Political Publishing House has just released a set of 5 different editions of the masterpiece “The Tale of Kieu”, including: “Kim, Van, Kieu Story” transcribed and annotated by Truong Vinh Ky; “The Tale of Thuy Kieu” (The Tale of Kieu) edited by Bui Ky - Tran Trong Kim; “Kim Van Kieu Notes” annotated by Bui Khanh Dien; “The Tale of Kieu Interpretation” annotated by Ho Dac Ham and “The Tale of Kieu” (The Tale of Kieu) edited and annotated by Nong Son Nguyen Can Mong.

Set of 5 different editions of the masterpiece "Truyen Kieu". Photo: Publishing House

“The Tale of Kieu” by the great poet Nguyen Du is not only a literary masterpiece but also a cultural and linguistic monument. The work is a linguistic encyclopedia and a powerful testament to Nguyen Du’s profound humanism.

Over the past 200 years of existence and spread, "The Tale of Kieu" has gone through many forms of circulation, from ancient Nom handwritten copies to modern national language printed versions.

According to information from the Truth National Political Publishing House, the five publications published this time represent five important milestones in the history of Kieu textual studies, thereby revealing the characteristics of the Vietnamese language in each period.

The publication “Kim, Van, Kieu Story” by scholar Truong Vinh Ky is a document of important historical value. This is the first “Truyen Kieu” printed in the national language in Vietnam.

The study of this 1875 version of Kieu allows linguists to see the primitive appearance of the national language, the use of punctuation, spelling, and vocabulary still strongly influenced by the way Vietnamese was recorded in the late 19th century. This is living proof of the process of nationalizing literature, a decisive turning point that brought the Tale of Kieu closer to the masses, overcoming the barrier of Nom script.

“Kim Van Kieu Commentary” annotated by Bui Khanh Dien corrected some incorrect words in the Nom version and annotated the historical references, while explaining the story in prose.

This book was published in 1924 by Bui Khanh Dien's son, Bui Thien Can, at Ngo Tu Ha Publishing House, Hanoi . This work shows how Vietnamese scholars in the early 20th century attempted to free language from the constraints of Sinology, enriching the vocabulary and grammar of modern Vietnamese.

“The Tale of Kieu (The Tale of Kieu)” edited by two leading scholars of the 20th century, Bui Ky and Tran Trong Kim, is considered the standard document on Kieu textual studies to this day.

The linguistic value of this work lies in the scientific comparison method and absolute meticulousness. The two authors compared a series of Nom and ancient Vietnamese texts to establish a unified text, eliminating as much copying errors and linguistic differences as possible. This work provides an in-depth look at the vocabulary, grammar and phonetics system of Truyen Kieu.

Ho Dac Ham's publication "Kieu story commentary" continues to develop the interpretation method, but in the direction of structuring the content. The author divides 3,254 verses into 238 sections and types them in Roman letters, each section he summarizes the main idea and briefly narrates with simple, accessible and easy-to-understand text.

The linguistic value of this work lies in the standardization of Vietnamese expression and summary. Ho Dac Ham has used a simple, accessible writing style, creating an effective language pedagogy.

At the same time, the fact that he devoted a large part to annotating Chinese characters and comparing texts through the "contrast" section also reflects his deep interest in establishing standard spelling and vocabulary for Vietnamese during the transition period from Nom to Quoc Ngu.

“The Tale of Kieu (The Tale of Kieu)” is a work of revision and annotation by Nong Son Nguyen Can Mong, focusing on eliminating errors and different versions.

In the context of The Tale of Kieu being transmitted through many different handwritten and printed versions, leading to many differences in terms of words, Nguyen Can Mong's work is extremely important, helping researchers better understand the changing nature of Vietnamese vocabulary and the need to establish linguistic standards in textual studies. This publication is an affirmation of the responsibility of scholars to preserve the purity of the Vietnamese language.

Portrait of Kieu appears when the spines of 5 books are combined. Photo: Publishing House

The publication of five editions of Truyen Kieu with respect and keeping the original (including spelling, grammar and ancient words) by the Truth National Political Publishing House not only helps readers admire the beauty of a literary masterpiece but also allows readers and researchers to clearly see the mark of time and the development of the Vietnamese language through each period.

The unique and creative thing is that when owning all 5 editions of this book, readers can combine the portrait of Kieu through the spine of the book. The book series is expected to create inspiration and motivation to stimulate young people and researchers to continue exploiting the treasure trove of knowledge left by the great poet Nguyen Du.

Source: https://congluan.vn/kham-pha-su-phat-trien-cua-tieng-viet-qua-5-an-pham-truyen-kieu-10318056.html