It must be said from the beginning that the poetry of author Nguyen The Vinh is not easy to read. Because under the layers of language are hidden many allusions, classics, historical stories, and folk legends.
One example can be taken from the poem "Three Groomsmen".
With just over 20 verses, it brings a large volume of legendary, folk and historical stories.
From the story of Son Tinh - Thuy Tinh during the Hung Kings era written by the author, "Chang Ca from Tan Vien mountain/King Hung chose the gentle Son Tinh/Lược tài quán hết thiên binh/Chín ngà, hồng mã... nghê kình chịu thua", to the story of Chu Dong Tu - Tien Dung, "Chang Hai land mật nhãn lồng/Gia tư chiếc khố con ông lưới chài" recounting the story of Chu Dong Tu - and Tien Dung meeting, becoming husband and wife.
The final part of the poem "Three Sons-in-law" mentions a real historical figure, the famous general Pham Ngu Lao. To understand the poems of author Nguyen The Vinh, one must be very knowledgeable about history.
The poem reads "The Tran Dynasty in An Thi land/The story of basket weavers asking no questions," the poem evokes the historical story of the famous general Pham Ngu Lao.
According to historical records, Pham Ngu Lao was from Phu Ung village, belonging to An Thi, Hung Yen province.
According to the newly compiled Tong pha ky yeu book, from a young age, the boy Ngu Lao showed himself to be unusual, with a straightforward personality.
There is a legend that once, Pham Ngu Lao was sitting weaving baskets on the street, thinking about the book "Binh thu" (Military Records), so he did not know that the mandarins and soldiers had rushed to him. A street ranger scolded him repeatedly, but the basket-weaving young man still sat still.
The soldier then used a spear to pierce the thigh of the obstacle, but the basket maker seemed to be gone. General Cong saw this and went out to talk to the young man. Through the fluent response of the peasant young man, General Cong secretly understood that this would be a good general of the court. He ordered the soldiers to get medicine to treat the wound and then invited him to the court.
Pham Ngu Lao later became a talented general of the Tran Dynasty, and Hung Dao Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan married his daughter.
The poem by author Nguyen The Vinh wrote, "The old mirror shines forever on the ancestors/Worshiping the son-in-law, the famous god of the South...".
With only 6 verses, the author recounted many historical anecdotes about General Pham Ngu Lao under the Tran Dynasty, from the story of "weaving baskets" to becoming a famous general, worshiped by the people.
Reading poetry by author Nguyen The Vinh cannot read... "playing around". Because each verse of his hides stories and messages, with depth of research on culture and history.
Under layers of language, readers must have understanding, even look up and learn to understand all layers of meaning.
Surely, author Nguyen The Vinh had to travel a lot, to all provinces and cities, and wherever, in any land, he spent time researching carefully about scenic spots, historical figures, anecdotes, classics, folk anecdotes to culture and cuisine of each region.
The poem "Khuc Dau Xanh" is a story about the land of Kinh Bac, where King Ly Thanh Tong once went to festivals, met a girl singing by the mulberry field, and fell in love. Later, that girl became Nguyen phi Y Lan.
Nguyen Phi ordered the construction of many pagodas, and made a will for her son, King Ly Nhan Tong, to build Long Doi Son Pagoda - this place became one of the important Buddhist centers of the Ly Dynasty, preserving many national treasures.
The poem by author Nguyen The Vinh wrote, "...Worthy people take the palanquin to follow the king/Build the Dai Viet foundation, build the hundred-compartment pagoda/City stars reach out in the sky/Thought to hear the Y Lan song of yesteryear!".
You must love history and national culture very much - to be able to understand and guide readers through each level of poetry, to find their roots, to be immersed in folk aesthetics so much.
In the printed edition of the anthology "Hoa Bao Tien", below many poems, there is a very long passage to annotate the anecdotes, stories, and historical figures that the author includes in his poems.
The poem "Hoa bao tien" has a nearly half-page long caption, explaining the meaning of "Hoa bao tien" - accordingly, Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam has a stele engraved with a motif called "Hoa bao tien" - a flower wishing for luck, goodness, and happiness.
In the poem, the author also uses a lot of stories about historical and cultural place names, legends, literary allusions to create a very unique poetic structure.
Author Nguyen The Vinh is like a person who preserves and holds onto all the cultural and historical quintessence, from the Hung Kings founding the country to the ups and downs of dynasties, in each of his poems, he constantly remembers the nation's past:
... Young tofu Hung, soul of Lac bird
Tet part of Lang Lieu cake
Pure palm leaves, wonderful Xoan ghẹo
Open bronze drum, the country rises high"...
