Song of Innocence and Experience: Vietnamization of William Blake's Poetic Masterpiece

The Vietnamese book is selected and introduces a cluster of typical bilingual works, keeping the original order and adding analytical comments with the hope of being able to serve as a bridge to convey "William Blake's unmistakable "illuminated book" style", according to translator Tuan Binh.

Breakthrough poet

William Blake had a unique artistic creation process in the history of Western art. During his lifetime, he was not recognized by the contemporary art elite and walked on the tightrope between a genius and… “unfortunate lunatic”.

It was not until 1863 that Blake began to be regarded as an important figure in English poetry and art. Today, he is recognized as a great poet with pioneering breakthroughs and creative personality in literature, painting and printing.

The book is published by Literature Publishing House and Book Hunter in June 2025.

William Blake left mankind wonderful poems in Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs of Experience (1794).

Vietnamese readers have known the work Infinity in the Palm of the Hand - From Big Bang to Enlightenment by Professor Matthieu Ricard and Trinh Xuan Thuan. The concept of "infinity in the palm of the hand" is taken from William Blake's poem. Professor Trinh Xuan Thuan commented: "Wiliam Blake was a poet but he had rich intuition and imagination, understanding of philosophy and the laws of existence. Therefore, even without being an astronomer, he could still perfectly describe the totality of the universe in a grain of sand."

Calling himself a “rhymer,” translator Nguyen Tuan Binh said: “I have tried my best to translate William Blake’s poems, although of course I cannot convey the author’s classic lyrics into another language without losing the ideas and music in them. Please forgive me, readers.”

Young innocence, old contemplation

William Blake’s signature is the harmony between poetry and painting, which he painstakingly engraved on metal or paper during his lifetime. Blake’s books retain the unique form of words and pictures, giving the viewer a true “work of art” experience. This multi-talented poet (painter, engraver, designer, printer, publisher) said that he often “wrote and painted at the same time so that his imagination would not be interrupted”.

“Infinity in the palm of your hand”
The four opening lines of William Blake's epic poem Auguages of Innocence (1863) are perhaps the most popular, having only been discovered 35 years after his death!
“To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour”.
The latest translation by translator Nguyen Tuan Binh is:
“To see the World in this Grain of Sand
And Paradise among Wildflowers somewhere,
Hold the Infinite in the Palm of Your Hand
And the Eternal River flows in that moment.”

William Blake's poems and drawings are imbued with the innocence and joy of childhood, as well as the joy and sadness of a human life that has gone through many experiences. He brings "innocent songs" and metaphysical contemplation. He seems to be sad about the finiteness of human life and sometimes about the infiniteness of the universe.

The main idea in William Blake's poetry is the journey of inner dialogue, which is imaginative and prophetic, developing through many stages, so it contains many complex and ambiguous symbols. However, the sharp contrast in William Blake's poetry is not too difficult to understand. Because the reader can clearly feel "himself in his poetry".

These are perhaps two opposing states within each of us: a pure, dreamy, romantic nature planted in childhood and a full awareness of the harsh realities of life. Whether lonely or brilliant, people can seek holy faith, love and connection with nature as a refuge for their desires:

“Oh, such is human life;

Happiness and Pain weave the way home;

Then when understanding the vicissitudes of life

Peacefully watching the mortal world...".

Poet/painter William Blake and his famous engravings during his lifetime.
“William Blake is a person who lives fully with the nature of being human, always conscious of goodness, for that reason his poems never get old. With the collection of poems Songs of Innocence and Experience, we love, read and preserve them for a long time because once again we are convinced that in this chaotic, complicated and complicated world, there is still a boundless poetic soul, each word, each line creates a golden thread weaving our souls so that we can live better and better” - poet LE MINH QUOC.
"The Song of Innocence and Experience" is not just a collection of poems, but a journey to explore the human soul through the lens of innocence and experience. This translation (by Nguyen Tuan Binh - PV) deserves to be considered an important bridge, helping Vietnamese readers explore the rich artistic world of William Blake" - PhD in Literature HA THANH VAN.