December 27, 2005

Ho Xuan Huong, Spring Essences, trans. John Balaban (Copper Canyon, 2000). 134 pages. $15.

Balaban has managed a small marvel in this volume of Vietnamese poet Ho Xuan Huong's work. First is his deft handling of the necessary introductory material: the complex historical background of feudal Vietnam; a biographical sketch and brief account of the scholarly debate surrounding her (her husband was executed for bribery in 1819; the document lists her as his concubine); there's the language itself (She wrote in Nom characters adapted from Chinese characters) and even the transliteration system requires a brief introduction; finally, there's the manuscript tradition to contend with as the poems were altered over the years, creating different versions of the poems. As scholarly as all this sounds, it falls short of overload (he does this all in 12 pages) and equips the reader to understand and appreciate the poems more deeply. In all, Balaban tells us he spent ten years on this project and the product manifests his care and dedication.

The poems themselves are presented trilingually. One page conatins the Nom original and the transliteration at bottom; the facing page conatins the English translation. Even a quick read-through offers several reasons why Ho is considered the Queen of Nom poetry. The poems are short, either four lines or eight, and packed with striking images and scathing social commentary. Take for example the sharp witted banter in the two poem call and response cycle between Chieu-Ho and a disciple:

Teasing Chieu-Ho

Is the master drunk? Is the master awake?

Why flirt with the moon in the middle of the day?

Perhaps there's something I ought to say:

Don't stick your hand in the tiger's cave (43).

Chieu-Ho's Reply

No, I'm not drunk and, yes, I was awake.

And why not flirt with the moon by day?

At the tiger's cave where one shouldn't play,

his cub lept into your hands to have his way (45).

Balaban's translations are well crafted and retain much of the artistry of the original. This volume should help return Ho Xuan Huong to her proper place among the greats of Asian literature.