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| The cover of Spring Essence: The Poetry of Hồ Xuân Hương, which features a collection of poems edited and translated by John Balaban. |
Viet Nam News
HÀ NỘI — Friends of Vietnam Heritage will have its monthly FVH Bookclub workshop today, March 7. The event will centre on the poetry of Hồ Xuân Hương and song lyrics by composer Trịnh Công Sơn.
Hồ Xuân Hương (1772-1822), whose name means “Spring Essence”, is one of the most important poets in Việt Nam’s history. Born and living in the time of feudalism, which disregarded the role of women, she became renowned for her poetic skills, especially for her subtly risqué poems which used double-entendres and sexual innuendos to comment several social, religious and political issues. A concubine, she had the courage to mention topics which were taboo for women of that time.
Trịnh Công Sơn (1939-2001) was a famous Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. Together with two other songwriters, Phạm Duy and Văn Cao, he formed the foundations of modern (non-classical) Vietnamese music and became an important figure of this genre. Alongside many love songs, Trịnh Công Sơn also composed several anti-war songs, which were written during and about the American War. Some of them were censored by the US-backed southern Republic of Việt Nam.
He was commemorated with a doodle on google.com on February 28 on the occasion of his 80th birthday anniversary.
The FVH Bookclub workshop will take place at Phù Specialty Tea & Coffee, No 19A Alley 12/2/5 Đặng Thai Mai Street, Tây Hồ District. — VNS
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| Songwritter, musician, painter and poet Trịnh Công Sơn. — Photo soha.vn |
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