1. In the daily speech of Le Thuy people, the word "mut mua" is commonly used with many different meanings depending on the situation of the user. However, people in my hometown often use it to express an endless duration without any final point. It can be a complement in the case: "I waited for you to mut mua but you didn't see it". It can be an adjective in the case: "Waiting for mut mua is my love for you". It can be a colloquial expression in the case: "Going out to mut mua Le Thuy".
According to Professor Nguyen Anh Tri, the “Mut mua Le Thuy” dialect has been widely used in the daily life of the people. The way of speaking is full of symbols, the language is imbued with local identity, but has gone beyond the dialect boundary to become an idiom with profound meaning in Vietnamese.
Professor Nguyen Anh Tri has a quite convincing explanation of the layers of meaning of this sentence. In my opinion, the first layer of meaning comes from the typical flooding phenomenon of Le Thuy area. Floods in this area rise quickly and last for several days or even a week, causing immense difficulties for the people. "Mut mua Le Thuy" describes the long-lasting, long-lasting flood but reflects the optimistic spiritual life of the people of Le. No matter how long the flood lasts, Le Thuy is still the same, we are used to it, we know it and it's okay.
Kien Giang River. Photo by N. Hai |
Therefore, in our opinion, over time, new meanings have emerged to express the characteristics and personalities of the people here. “Mut mua Le Thuy” refers to the hard work, resilience, and resilience in the face of difficulties and challenges of natural disasters and enemies; it refers to the spirit of tireless work, rest in labor, and diligence and patience.
“Sucking up the Le Thuy season” not only reflects the production life but also reflects the spiritual life of the people of Le land; living to the fullest, playing to the fullest until forgetting oneself, like the common saying: “Playing to the end”, “playing to the core”, “playing with all your might”… However, the Le Thuy people say, “playing to the fullest in the Le Thuy season” covers everything.
Le Thuy people also use this saying to express deep affection and loyalty. This moral is included in lullabies and teachings of adults for the young. This is a meaning that is quite commonly used in my hometown and the 8X and 9X generations still remember it. In life, Le Thuy people still have many hardships and difficulties, but they have turned hardship into a symbol of affection between people: Strong attachment, always the same, like the water forever flowing through the green Kien Giang river. "I love you, I love you until the end of Le Thuy season/Don't betray each other and hurt the old wharf, the ferry." (lullaby lyrics).
Thus, the idiom “Mut mua Le Thuy” not only reflects a cultural feature but also a subtle slice of the people, life, character and emotions of this land. Over time, the saying is not only beautiful in language but also rich in humanistic meaning.
2. Why did the word "mut mua" originate in Le Thuy and not elsewhere? This question makes Professor Nguyen Anh Tri very worried. Because during his business trips in the South, he heard the word "mut mua" in the colloquial language and in the songs of the Southern people. There are many different opinions explaining the origin of this word, however, in our opinion, based on the dialect, historical characteristics and factors belonging to the regional culture, we will be able to explain which land the word "mut mua" originated from and who is the real owner.
In the South, there was a time when people here used the phrase "Mut mua Le Thuy" mainly to praise the famous artist Le Thuy who sang Cai Luong. When listening to vọng cổ or Cai Luong, one must definitely listen, watch artist Le Thuy sing until the end, must be the last person after the performance of this talented artist. Or understand, those who leave their work to listen to Le Thuy sing must do it. In the culture of the South, "Mut mua Le Thuy" also means to do something no matter how much time it takes. Thus, the above saying is understood as: watching Le Thuy perform, skipping the whole season, forgetting the time or being so absorbed in something that no matter the date or month ("The durian tree planted in this land has grown mut mua but has not yet seen fruit"). Understanding this, we understand more clearly the character and language of the people of the South.
From the above explanations, we affirm that "Mut mua Le Thuy" originates from the place name Le Thuy - the name of a district in Quang Binh province, where there is the gentle Kien Giang river and the famous folk song, the birthplace of General Vo Nguyen Giap. The land "first Dong Nai , second two districts", straight as the stork flies, green all year round "Standing on this side, the fields are immense and boundless. Standing on the other side, the fields are immense and boundless" has created a metaphorical association about the length, breadth, and boundlessness that creates the phrase "Mut mua Le Thuy".
According to articles in Thanh Nien Newspaper and Tuoi Tre Newspaper, the phrase "Mut mua Le Thuy" appeared in the early 20th century, especially widely since the famous singer Le Thuy affirmed her talent on the cai luong stage.
However, the “Mut mua Le Thuy” of the people of Le has long appeared in folk songs and in the humane folk songs. In the book of songs by Mr. Ngo Mau Trieu in An Thuy, Le Thuy, it is written: “Mut mua Le Thuy, my hometown/My dear, wait for me to come home and cook rice/The green fields are still fragrant when the sun comes/A few fish, my dear, I catch them”. The folk song reflects both the daily life of the people on the left and right banks of the Kien Giang River and the happiness of farming and the love of couples of the people here, very gentle and full of the river.
On the other hand, according to history, during the Mac Dynasty, when Dr. Duong Van An wrote the famous book "O Chau Can Luc" (1553), he determined that Le Thuy district had 32 communes and 1 village. Accordingly, Le Thuy area is located along the right bank of Kien Giang river, from An Trach (My Trach), Ha Co to Thach Xa (today's Hong Thuy); the left bank to Van La belongs to Khang Loc district.
Therefore, from the above bases, we once again affirm that “Mut mua Le Thuy” was used by the ancestors of Le Thuy people several hundred years ago. During the “opening up” to the South at the end of the 17th century, Le Thanh Marquis Nguyen Huu Canh brought the people of Le Thuy, Quang Ninh to the South to reclaim a large land, to develop the Saigon-Gia Dinh area. Of course, the people here will carry their traditions, culture, history and even their language with them. That is the most convincing explanation for us to believe that “Mut mua Le Thuy” must be an idiom of the people of Le Thuy.
Ngo Mau Tinh
Source: https://baoquangbinh.vn/van-hoa/202504/mut-mua-le-thuy-tu-phuong-ngu-tro-thanh-thanh-ngu-2225426/
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