Tale of Kieu

The Vietnamese Poet -- Nguyen Du

The renowned poet, Nguyen Du has been acknowledged by UNESCO as
one of the greatest poets known to mankind.

THE POEM
The original Tale of Kieu is a Vietnamese Epic Poem written by Nguyen Du (1766--1820), and is widely regarded as the most significant work within Vietnamese literature. The poem recounts the life, trials and tribulations of Thúy Kieu, a beautiful and talented young woman, who had to sacrifice herself to save her family. She unwittingly sold herself as a prostitute to save her father and younger brother from prison.

The Tale of Kieu has been acclaimed internationally and selected as one of the study pieces within many universities. Many scholars feel that the poet, Nguyen Du, used The story of Kieu to relate to his own life. For example: Kieu sold herself to settle her family debt ; whereas Nguyen Du considered the action of joining the new Vietnamese government as selling his own integrity. Kieu had to endure suffering and hardships; Nguyen Du suffered greatly due to his loyalty to his former king. Kieu stays faithful in her heart, to her first love, Kim Trong; Nguyen Du kept his loyalty to the Le Dynasty. Finally Kieu was reunited with Kim Trong and in like manner, Nguyen Du hoped for the return of his King.
The Tale of Kieu is a story about a woman's survival, perseverance, and compassion against incredible odds.
LITERARY RECOGNITION
The Tale of Kieu has been recognized by Southeast Asian scholars as the most important Vietnamese literature of 19th century. It is also regarded as one of the masterpieces of world literature, in the same level as Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables" and the verse classics of Goethe and Schiller. The Tale of Kieu poem has been taught in school and quoted by almost all Vietnamese; often the verses are recited at social gatherings and used as a book to predict the future on the 1st of the New Year.

As stated by Pham Quynh (1920), "As long as The Tale of Kieu lasts, our language will last; and as long as our language lasts, our country will last.

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Reaching For The Stars - African American
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Best of Broadway - American
Miss Saigon

http://www.taleofkieu.com/

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