When Vietnamese and Palestinian poets share empathy for compassion.

The works of these two authors have transcended language barriers, becoming a common voice for those who love peace. The common ground between the two poetry collections lies in their humanist spirit and the responsibility of the writers.

"Last night he knelt down / With both hands open / One hand full of words / The other hand bleeding profusely…"

These are verses that poet Nguyen Quang Thieu, President of the Vietnam Writers Association, wrote as a gift to poet Murad Sadani, President of the Palestinian Writers Association, in 2023. The verses express empathy and anguish at witnessing the suffering caused by war on Palestinian land.

On December 16th, the two poets had a delightful reunion at the Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House, on the occasion of the launch of the poetry collections "Under the Olive Tree" by poet Nguyen Quang Thieu and "Murad's Stone" by poet Murad Sadani.

Two poetry collections by Vietnamese and Palestinian poets share a common theme of peace and the human condition. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)

According to poet Tran Dang Khoa, Vice President of the Vietnam Writers Association, the poetry of Nguyen Quang Thieu and Murad Sudani is not limited by linguistic or geographical boundaries, but directly touches human emotions through pain, compassion, and profound humanism.

"Under the Olive Tree" is a bilingual poetry collection featuring poems written by poet Nguyen Quang Thieu during a field trip with Vietnamese writers to war-torn regions of Palestine in May 2023.

This collection of poems is a prayer for peace, a call for the awakening of humanity to ignite hope, and a plea for freedom and the good things that Palestinians deserve.

Murad Sudani's "The Stone" was written in November 2023, in the face of a haunting reality. From within each Palestinian, in each eye yearning for life, poetry emerges and becomes more powerful than ever. The collection of poems is written with all the tragedy and undying aspirations contained within a Palestinian.

Poet Murad Sudani was one of nine foreign authors awarded the Contribution Prize in the "Poetry and Roots" competition held on December 15th in Hanoi .

Palestinian Ambassador to Vietnam Saadi Salama shared his thoughts at the book launch. (Photo: Khieu Minh/Vietnam+)

Speaking at the launch ceremony, the Palestinian Ambassador to Vietnam, Saadi Salama, stated that in poet Nguyen Quang Thieu's work "Under the Olive Tree," one can clearly see the deep affection the Vietnamese people have for the Palestinian people.

“We can see a very special affection from the Vietnamese people in general, and from Vietnamese poets and writers in particular, towards the Palestinian people. We can see the aspiration for peace, independence, and freedom everywhere in Vietnam. The messages and poems of the Chairman of the Vietnam Writers Association, Nguyen Quang Thieu, today have very special meanings, giving us motivation and a feeling of not being left behind,” the Ambassador shared.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/khi-nha-tho-viet-nam-va-palestine-se-chia-su-dong-cam-ve-long-trac-an-post1083395.vnp