Spring means new opportunities for poet, translator and readers

This+poet+proves+that+anyone+can+send+a+message+through+poetry.

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This poet proves that anyone can send a message through poetry.

According to Amazon.com, Spring Essence: The Poetry of Hô Xuân Huong is a collection of poems by an eighteenth century Vietnamese concubine. She wrote poems as a vehicle for social criticism and commentary and the book was translated into English by John Balaban and released in October 2000. Hô Xuân Huong is another way of saying “Spring Essence” and the poet used her literature to defy the conventions of her time. Forwardreviews.com explains that this book focuses on a girl who “wrote her poetry in the vernacular of her people.” “What is immediately surprising about Ho Xuan Huong’s writing is that she wrote at all – futher , that she earned immediate and continuing acclaim.

After all, she was a woman writing poetry in a male, Confucian tradition,” says http://www.nomfoundation.org/. My favorite poem was on page 33:

The Floating Cake:

“Thân em vừa trắng là vừa tròn

Bảy nồi ba chìm với nước non

Rắn nát mặc dầu tay kẻ nặn

 Mà em vẫn giữ tấm lòng son” 

In English translation, it’s as follows:

“My body is white;

my fate, softly rounded, rising and sinking like mountains in streams.

Whatever way hands may shape me,

at center my heart is red and true.”

I like this particular one because of the heart part. I’m not sure why I like that part, but I just like the way that it sounds, I guess.

Translation found at https://livinglocal.triip.me/banh-troi-nuoc-song-about-vietnamese-womens- life/.