Vietnamese poet Nguyễn Quang Thiều (first from right) and Palestinian poet Saadi Salama (second from right) at the launching ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Two collections of Vietnamese and Palestinian poems have been released in Hà Nội, giving voices to stories of war, suffering and humanity's enduring aspiration for freedom and peace. 

Published by the Việt Nam Writers' Association Publishing House, Under Olive Shade brings together poems written in English and Vietnamese by Nguyễn Quang Thiều during a field trip to Palestine in May 2023.

The collection serves as a prayer for peace and a call to awaken human conscience, seeking to rekindle hope and affirm the Palestinian people’s rightful longing for freedom and a life of dignity.

Murad’s Stone, also published by the house, was written by Murad Sadani in November 2023 amid harrowing realities, encapsulating the collective grief and yearning carried within every Palestinian. In Sadani’s poetry, images of people, stones, blood and words intertwine, forming a fierce poetic universe suffused with an unyielding desire for freedom.

Palestinian ambassador to Việt Nam Saadi Salama said he was deeply moved by the two collections, noting the sincerity and emotional depth.

"Under Olive Shade highlights the powerful expression of the profound solidarity felt by the Vietnamese people and Vietnamese writers as well toward the Palestinian people," he said. 

Thiều said his nine-day trip to Palestine felt more like nine years. During that visit, he met Palestinian people and directly sensed the history, culture and aspirations of the nation.

The poems were written during his stay in Palestine and after his return to Việt Nam.

Neither writer is a major literary figure in their nation, but their work transcends national boundaries to engage with universal human concerns, according to poet Trần Đăng Khoa, Deputy President of the Việt Nam Writers’ Association. 

"With their intellectual depth and strong humanistic spirit, their poetry is capable of crossing borders and speaking directly from the writers’ hearts to those of their readers," said Khoa. 

Poet Sudani was one of nine foreign authors to be honoured at a poetry competition on December 15 in Hà Nội. 

The two collections officially launched on December 16 and form a powerful poetic dialogue that connects people across borders, hope for freedom and join in a shared prayer for peace for humanity. — VNS