Right in the early years of the 50s of the 20th century, in the Viet Bac resistance zone, the Literature and Arts Magazine introduced to Vietnamese readers Polish authors such as Broniewski, Iwaszkiewicz, Galczynski, Kruczkowski, Żukrowski. One year after the Dien Bien Phu victory, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the death of the great poet Adam Mickiewicz, the Literature and Arts Publishing House published the book Adam Mickiewicz, the great poet of the Polish people and the world .
Until the early 1980s, Polish literature translation in Vietnam was mainly done in French (Hoang Trung Thong, Nguyen Viet Lam, Te Hanh, Nguyen Xuan Sanh) and Russian (Vu Dinh Binh, Hong Thanh Quang). Most of the works introduced were poems, short stories and excerpts. In 1956, in the poetry collection To the Future , two Polish poets - Broniewski and Jastrun - were translated and introduced. Since 1960, publishing houses such as Literature, Culture, Labor, Youth, and Arts have continuously brought to Vietnamese readers works such as Remember (1960), Juliusz and Ethel (1961) by Leon Kruczkowski, Classical Polish Short Stories (1962), Trap, New Road (1963) by Tadeusz Konwicki, Vietnam in my heart (1966) by Monika Warnenska. Kim Dong Publishing House printed the fairy tale collection The Innocent Boy and the Duck and the fairy tale The Strange Electric Letter , creating a good impression in the hearts of young Vietnamese readers. In 1968, the collection of Adam Mickiewicz's Poetry was published, which included excerpts from the masterpiece Tadeusz . In 1983, the New Works Publishing House printed the short story collection Four Birthdays by R. Strawinski. In 1985, Te Hanh and Nguyen Xuan Sanh published the Collection of Polish Poetry, consisting of 5 parts: folk poetry, pre-romantic poetry, poetry of the young Polish period, poetry between the two wars, and modern poetry.
The important turning point in introducing Polish literature in Vietnam was probably 1985, when translator Nguyen Huu Dung translated the novel Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz - a Nobel Prize winner in 1905 - published by the Literature Publishing House. From this milestone, the position of Polish literature in the reading life of Vietnamese people was clearly enhanced. Although the number of translators was not large, they created a diverse picture of style and aesthetic taste, complementing and supporting each other to bring Vietnamese readers a rich view of Polish literature.
Nguyen Huu Dung, a scientist who studied in Poland (1976-1980), was awarded a translation prize by the Vietnam Writers Association in 1985. Over three decades, he has published more than a dozen translated works: The Ugly Duckling by Andersen, Kim Dong Publishing House (1985), Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz, Literature Publishing House (1985), In the Desert and in the Deep Forest by Henryk Sienkiewicz, Kim Dong Publishing House (1986), The Path to Fame by Nikodem Dizma , Tadeusz Dolega-Mostowicz, Literature Publishing House (1988), The Doctor , Tadeusz Dolega-Mostowicz, Literature Publishing House, Hania by H. Sienkiewicz, Literature Publishing House (1988), Professor Vintruc , Tadeusz Dolega-Mostowicz, Hanoi Publishing House (1989), The Elephant , a collection of short stories by Mrożek, Women Publishing House (1989), The Leper , Helena Mniszek, Hanoi Publishing House (1990)... After that, he devoted 30 years to translating the novel series The Holy Knight by Henryk Sienkiewicz and this novel series received the Literature Award of the Vietnam Writers Association .
Translator Ta Minh Chau, trained at the Faculty of Literature, Warsaw University (1967-1973) and was a graduate student in the early 1990s, is also a poet with three published poetry collections. He specializes in translating poetry: right after poet Wisława Szymborska was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1996, a collection of 75 of her poems was selected, translated and introduced by Ta Minh Chau, published by Literature Publishing House in 1997 and in 2014, the Writers' Association Publishing House printed Selected Poems of Szymborska . Poet Halina Poswiatowska's poetry collection The Sob of the Heart was also translated by Ta Minh Chau. It is a touching coincidence that both of these Polish poetesses have works written about Vietnam. Besides, Ta Minh Chau is also the author of translations of some valuable Polish prose works: the short story collection Wild Strawberries by Iwaszkiewicz (1986), The Madmen by M. Orion (1987), the novel Ashes and Diamonds by Jerzy Andrzejewski (1988). On September 22, 2016, the Vietnam Writers Association organized the launch of the poetry collection Descartes Street by Polish poet Czesław Miłosz, Nobel Prize in Literature in 1980, translated by Ta Minh Chau. After reading nearly 1000 poems by Miłosz, Ta Minh Chau selected nearly 100 poems to translate. Each of his poems is a hymn, it resonates in pain but is filled with love and aspiration, as poet Nguyen Quang Thieu introduced.
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| Translator Le Ba Thu (far left) at the Polish Literature in Vietnam seminar, May 2025. (Photo: Polish Embassy in Vietnam) |
With more than 30 books, translator Le Ba Thu is considered to have translated the largest number of Polish works in Vietnam.
He studied at the Warsaw Polytechnic University (1964-1970), later working in education and diplomacy. His translated works range from classical authors such as Henryk Sienkiewicz, Bolesław Prus to famous poets such as Wislawa Szymborska, Czeslaw Milosz, Tadeusz Rozewicz and many contemporary works (including 14 novels, 6 short story collections), works for children, and humorous stories. Le Ba Thu's translated works have been accepted by many publishing houses, have sold well, have been reprinted many times and have been widely introduced. Among the translated books published by Le Ba Thu are: Pharaoh, Hoang Thai, Qua cua Chua, Xin cach dan ong! You will know my hand! Under the Angel's Wings of Wine, Balcony to Heaven, The Girl is Nothing, The Elephant, Hope, Other Pleasures, Sunday's Fiancée, The Homeless Woman, In the Land of Gold, The Ugliest Woman on the Planet, The Tiny Golden Shark, Why Can't You Hear the Voice of Fish, Tomek in the Black Continent, Laughing All Year Round, Laughing Together with the Five Continents, Laughing Planet, 600 Jokes... Le Ba Thu's two translated novels Gift of God and Hope were awarded by the Vietnam Writers' Association and the Hanoi Writers' Association in 2010 and 2014. He also received an award from the Army Literature magazine for the best translated work in 2008: Bridge on the Ben Hai River and Taking a Photo with a Bear .
Translator Nguyen Chi Thuat studied at university and defended his doctorate in literature in Poland, was a former lecturer at Hanoi University of Foreign Languages, and was also a visiting professor of Vietnamese at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań. He is considered a strong bridge between Vietnamese and Polish literature, with many articles introducing Polish literature in domestic magazines.
He writes poetry in Polish with two published collections: From the Red River to the Visla and Varta Rivers (2011) and Following the Varta River (2016). Regarding translation, Nguyen Chi Thuat has introduced many works such as Death in the Triangle of Mistakes , K. Kożniewski, Hanoi Publishing House (1988), Fragile Happiness, a collection of short stories by many authors, Thanh Nien Publishing House (2001), The Game of Breaking the Siege , a collection of short stories, QĐND Publishing House (2002), The Pianist's Memories by W. Szpilman, Hanoi Publishing House (2003), The Last Valentine's Day (published with Nguyen Thi Thanh Thu), a collection of short stories, Tre Publishing House (2012). He is also the one who translated and introduced the Polish writer and journalist Ryszard Kapuścinski in Vietnamese literary magazines. In 2015, Women's Publishing House published the book Dad, Her and Me by Manula Kalicka, which he translated. In 2016, Kim Dong Publishing House published the comic book The Adventures of Matô the Goat . Recently, the world-famous work The Emperor by Ryszard Kapuściński was published. The most valuable work of translator Nguyen Chi Thuat is the massive novel series Doll by Bolesław Prus, published by Women's Publishing House. Translator Nguyen Chi Thuat received awards from the Hanoi Writers' Association and the Vietnam Writers' Association in 2017 and 2018.
Translator Nguyen Thi Thanh Thu, who studied at the Wrocław Polytechnic University, although she came to translation late, has published about 20 books, notably Loneliness on the Internet - the translation work that made her name, reprinted 10 times and received the translation award of the Hanoi Writers Association (2006). Other works include Illegal Relations (2013), School for Wives (2014), Sand Castle (2015), The First on the List (2016)...
In 2008, translator Nguyen Van Thai translated Mickiewicz's masterpiece Tadeusz , making Vietnam one of the few Asian countries to introduce this work. He also translated Hania, My Love, My Sorrow by Henryk Sienkiewicz, Kim Dong Publishing House (2010), Summer Vacation with Writers by Andrzej Grabowski, Kim Dong Publishing House (2011) and the novel Farmer , the 1924 Nobel Prize winner in Literature by Władysław Reymont, Lao Dong Publishing House and the East-West Language and Culture Center published in 2012. One year after publication, the translator received the translation award from the Vietnam Writers Association. Most recently, in 2022, he released a translation of Bieguni - Those Who Never Stop Moving by Olga Tokarczuk (Nobel 2018).
Translator Thai Linh, graduated from the Faculty of Law, University of Warsaw, currently living in Poland, has introduced to Vietnamese readers two outstanding works of Ryszard Kapuściński: Travels with Herodotus and Ebony .
In addition, many other translators such as Thanh Le, Nguyen Tran Ba, Lam Quang My, Le Nhi Hong, Tu Duc Hoa, Nguyen Hong Thanh... have contributed to enriching the appearance of Polish literature in Vietnam. Up to now, more than 120 works have been translated into Vietnamese, from classics to contemporary, novels, poems, short stories, essays... The works of five Polish Nobel writers and poets (Henryk Sienkiewicz, Wladyslaw Reymont, Czeslaw Milosz, Wislawa Szymborska, Olga Tokarczuk) have all reached Vietnamese readers through the efforts of dedicated translators. Through this, Vietnamese readers have a deeper understanding of Polish traditions and history, better observed the daily lives of Polish people and discovered interesting similarities in the psychology and destiny of the two nations.
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| Polish book exhibition at the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, May 2025. (Photo: Embassy of Poland in Vietnam) |
The translators' contributions were recognized by Poland. Four translators, Nguyen Huu Dung, Ta Minh Chau, Le Ba Thu, and Nguyen Thi Thanh Thu, received the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. In 2023, the Polish Foreign Minister awarded certificates of merit to six translators for their outstanding contributions to promoting Polish literature in Vietnam.
The Polish Embassy in Vietnam always accompanies translators, organizing many events to introduce translated works at the Embassy and on the occasion of the annual European Literature Day in Hanoi. Most recently, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Poland and Vietnam (1950-2025), on May 28, 2025 at the Temple of Literature (Hanoi), the Polish Embassy in Vietnam organized an exhibition of Polish books and a discussion on Polish Literature in Vietnam, with the participation of many students, translators, representatives of publishing houses and literature lovers.
Speaking at the event, Ambassador Joanna Skoczek congratulated and welcomed the impressive achievements of Polish literary translators in Vietnam in recent years. She said that the Polish Embassy will continue to strongly support the introduction of Polish literary works in Vietnam, encourage students to participate in these literary activities and explore the beautiful and interesting journey of Polish literature in Vietnam.
The exchange between three translators Nguyen Huu Dung, Le Ba Thu and Nguyen Thi Thanh Thu with students, representatives of publishing houses and readers took place enthusiastically. Through challenging translation stories, they shared many methods and experiences to have accurate and evocative translations.
Translator Le Ba Thu concluded: “The author writes what he knows, and the translator must translate everything the author writes.” It is this dedication that has created lasting bridges, bringing Polish literature closer to the hearts of Vietnamese readers.
Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/nhung-nhip-cau-dua-van-hoc-ba-lan-den-voi-ban-doc-viet-nam-215051.html
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