[ThaiHaBooks]

Cảo thơm lần giở trước đèn

Phong tình có lục còn truyền sử xanh

Unfolding the scented pages under the lamp,

The tale of love is still handed down in history

The Tale of Kieu (Truyện Kiều) is the magnum opus of the Great National Poet Nguyen Du and stands as one of the supreme masterpieces of classical Vietnamese literature. Written in Nom script using the traditional luc bat (six-eight) verse form, it is based on the Chinese novel Jin Yun Qiao (Kim Van Kieu truyen) by Qingxin Cairen. For hundreds of years, The Tale of Kieu has lived harmoniously within the spiritual life of the entire nation. As it is often said: “Everyone in the country, from commoners to the learned literati, knows it, reads it, and acknowledges its brilliance.”

From its inception to the present day, The Tale of Kieu has sparked a “fever” within the Vietnamese literary circle. This phenomenon created two main trends in the dissemination and appreciation of the work.

• The first trend involves the organization of woodblock printing, copying, and reprinting on numerous occasions. This was accompanied by a bustling and steady wave of transliteration, annotation, and commentary on The Tale of Kieu throughout the country.
• The second trend turned The Tale of Kieu into a focal point for Vietnamese scholars and artists. People did not merely enjoy reading it; they competed in cultural activities derived from it, such as composing poems about Kieu (đề Kiều, vịnh Kiều), chanting Kieu (hát Kiều), solving Kieu riddles (đố Kiều), practicing Kieu fortune-telling (bói Kiều), and adapting Kieu verses (lẩy Kiều, tập Kiều). Furthermore, the masterpiece was translated from Nguyen Du’s Nom poetry into Han (Chinese) poetry using various meters and was adapted into other performing arts such as Phu (rhapsodies), Dien ca (verse narratives), Tuong (classical drama), and Cheo (traditional opera).

According to statistics from Kieu scholars, we have collected 63 different ancient texts of The Tale of Kieu to date. Among this collection, special mention must be made of the Kim Van Kieu Tan Truyen, also known as the Kim Van Kieu Hoi Ban (The Collected/Illustrated Edition), which is currently archived at the British Library.

ABOUT THE “TRUYỆN KIỀU HỘI BẢN” (THE TALE OF KIEU: ILLUSTRATED ROYAL EDITION)

This publication of Truyện Kiều hội bản (The Tale of Kieu with Illustrations) is reconstructed based on the 1894 edition archived at the British Library. There is a hypothesis that this edition was executed by King Tu Duc, with the red text representing the summary potentially being the King’s “vermilion remarks” (châu phê).

Regarding the layout, the presentation of each page is highly consistent, comprising 6 elements: ① Leading phrase (Câu dẫn) ② Folio number (Số tờ) ③ Summary of the main content of the excerpt (written in vermilion ink) ④ The main poetic text of The Tale of Kieu ⑤ Annotations ⑥ Illustrations depicting the content of the excerpt.

A unique feature is that every page includes an illustration corresponding to the content, totaling 146 extremely detailed drawings executed in Chinese ink (mực nho).

Truyện Kiều hội bản boasts a rich and diverse collection of notes and commentaries, including many unique annotations. It contains approximately 705 annotations, comprising about 513 notes on references/origins, about 127 notes explaining the meaning of words and verses, 01 textual variation (khảo dị), and 64 critiques/comments (nguyên phê, cổ phê, phê vân).

ABOUT THE SPECIAL EDITION: THE TALE OF KIEU: ROYAL ILLUSTRATED VERSION

To mark the 260th anniversary of the Great Poet Nguyen Du’s birth, Thai Ha Books is releasing a special edition of The Tale of Kieu. This is our tribute to the man who gave the Vietnamese language a masterpiece that transcends the boundaries of literature to become the collective memory of our nation.

The entire project is strictly limited to 260 copies, representing the 260 years since Nguyen Du’s birth. The project features two handcrafted editions with two different approaches, yet both honor a shared root: The Tale of Kieu, Nguyen Du, and Vietnamese culture.

Two editions, two materials, two distinct spirits: one reflecting everyday life, the other reflecting the royal dynasty. All 260 copies are printed in two colors on high-quality fine art paper (Super, 120 gsm).

THE TALE OF KIEU – “QINGMING FESTIVAL – DAP THANH GATHERING” EDITION

Quantity: 160 copies – Price: 4,000,000 VND

This lacquerware edition (ấn bản sơn mài) is inspired by the painting of the Qingming Festival during the Dap Thanh gathering.

Lacquer was chosen for this edition not merely for its surface beauty, but for the element of time hidden within each layer. Unlike materials that offer a quick finish, lacquer demands patience: paint – wait – polish – and paint again. This meticulous process ensures the colors do not just sit on the surface but settle deep within.

During creation, gold dust and eggshell inlays are used to create shimmering light accents beneath the layers of lacquer. The book cover is ingeniously designed to also serve as a protective box, handcrafted with meticulous attention to detail.

Lacquer is not just a coat for the book; it is a vessel for preserving time. Much like The Tale of Kieu, as years pass, its beauty only deepens and endures, refusing to fade in haste.

ThaiHaBooks proudly presents!

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