Top 8 Essays on the Spring Landscape in the Excerpt 'Spring Day Scenery' from 'The Tale of Kieu' by Nguyen Du

In ancient poetry, nature was not only the center of beauty but also a place for expressing human emotions. In the timeless "Tale of Kiều," the great poet Nguyễn Du dedicated 222 verses to describing the beauty of nature. Among them, the excerpt 'Cảnh ngày xuân' (Spring Scene) stands out as one of the most exquisite depictions.

With just 18 concise lines, Nguyễn Du infuses the poem with the vitality of spring, showcasing his refined descriptive technique. The first four lines of the poem paint a vivid spring landscape during the Qingming Festival:

"The swallow flutters through the spring sky,

The sunlight is warm, just past the sixties,

The fresh grass stretches to the horizon,

The pear branches are adorned with a few white flowers."

Nguyễn Du creates a beautiful spring scene, particularly highlighting quintessential details to depict the essence of the season. The first two lines uniquely mark the passage of time and subtly evoke the arrival of spring through the metaphor of the swallow and the gentle sunlight. This indicates that spring is at its most radiant and full bloom. The second line reflects the swift passing of time, as the swallows soar like a shuttle, symbolizing a vast, clear sky and the dynamic rhythm of spring. At the same time, it conveys Nguyễn Du’s bittersweet feeling of time slipping away. The freshness of the grass and the occasional white pear flowers further enhance the scene.

"The fresh grass stretches to the horizon,

The pear branches are adorned with a few white flowers."

This is truly a masterpiece. The poet uses a technique of sketching to present a lively, vibrant spring scene full of life. The green grass represents vitality, while the white pear blossoms add purity and beauty to the picture. Nguyễn Du's innovation in describing the grass as 'fresh' rather than the 'fragrant grass' of traditional Chinese poetry shifts the focus from scent to color, creating a harmonious blend with the pale yellow and blue sky. The delicate white flowers on the pear branches highlight the serenity and freshness of spring, making the scene both vivid and peaceful. The word 'white' is placed before the flowers, giving it a stronger impact, and the verb 'adorn' adds a sense of life and energy to the scene. The poet's creative expression reveals his sensitivity to nature’s beauty, making it a lively and immersive portrayal of spring.

Spring is the season of renewal, when nature bursts forth with life. It is also the time of numerous festivals, and in Nguyễn Du's poem, it reflects the lively atmosphere of the Qingming Festival. The next eight lines describe the bustling and joyful spring festival: "The ceremony is for tomb sweeping, the festival for spring outings." The poet takes us back to Eastern customs, where tomb sweeping is a ritual of honoring ancestors, while spring outings are joyful celebrations with families and lovers. The image of people gathering for the festival, with 'talented men and beautiful women,' and 'horses and carriages' fills the air with excitement and energy.

"The talented men and beautiful women are dashing,

Carriages like flowing water, clothes like a thick layer of fabric."

The Qingming Festival, celebrated in early spring, is depicted here with vibrant imagery of couples and groups coming together to enjoy the beauty of the season. The comparison to 'carriages like flowing water' and 'clothes like a thick layer of fabric' enhances the lively atmosphere of the spring outing, where young men and women joyously engage in the festivities. This imagery symbolizes not only the external beauty of the event but also the deeper connection between people and the tradition.

The next lines depict the bustle of the celebration with expressive terms like 'nô nức,' 'dập dìu,' and 'sắm sửa,' along with words borrowed from Chinese, such as 'tài tử,' 'giai nhân,' and 'ngựa xe,' that paint a lively, vibrant, and joyful picture of the spring festival.

"Among the crowds, horses and carriages pass like water,

The clothing of men and women is as tight as the fabric."

If the earlier lines illustrate the busy and festive nature of the holiday, the final six lines convey a more somber and reflective tone. They depict the return journey of the sisters Thúy Kiều, contrasting the lively festival with the peaceful stillness of the late afternoon. The following verses describe a quiet and serene scene as the sisters walk by a stream and a small bridge:

"The shadow of the sun leans to the west,

Thúy Kiều and her sisters slowly walk back,

Step by step, following the stream,

Gazing at the peaceful landscape,

The river gently winds,

A tiny bridge arches over the stream."

The festive spirit has faded, and the mood is now calm and introspective. The six lines evoke a sense of tranquility, where time seems to slow down as the sisters return home. The imagery of the late afternoon, with the sun tilting towards the west, creates a melancholy mood. The use of descriptive words like 'tà tà,' 'thanh thanh,' and 'nao nao' enhances the feelings of quiet reflection and nostalgia as the characters leave the festival behind.

The fading daylight and the peaceful landscape symbolize the emotional shift in Thúy Kiều's journey, signaling an inevitable change in her fate. These closing verses effectively blend the natural world with the emotions of the characters, embodying Nguyễn Du's skillful use of scenery to mirror human sentiment.

In conclusion, through a rich use of descriptive language and vivid imagery, Nguyễn Du’s 'Cảnh ngày xuân' (Spring Scene) stands as one of the finest examples of literary depiction. The poem masterfully intertwines the beauty of nature with the emotions of the poet, making it a timeless work that continues to captivate readers around the world.

Spring is the season of blooming flowers and fragrant grass, the season of traditional cultural festivals. It has been celebrated in the poetry of Nguyễn Trãi, Trần Nhân Tông, and Hàn Mặc Tử. In Nguyễn Du’s depiction of spring in "Cảnh ngày xuân" (Spring Scene), the festival adds a unique charm to the beautiful spring landscape.

From the high hill, spring reveals before us an endless horizon bathed in the warm light of the morning sun. By March, the sky is not as clear as autumn, but it’s still bright enough to reflect the joyful flights of swallows:

“On spring days, the swallow’s flight brings the spring

The radiant sunlight surpasses sixty years of age.”

The “swift flight” of the swallow, or perhaps the swift passage of spring, is illustrated. In this vast setting, spring is depicted as a vibrant, beautiful painting:

“The grass is green as far as the eye can see

The branches of the pear tree are dotted with a few blossoms.”

The green grass serves as the backdrop, while the white pear blossoms enhance the purity and gentle beauty of the scene. Nguyễn Du uses these two main colors to vividly capture spring’s elegance. We’ve also seen the essence of spring in Nguyễn Trãi’s poetry:

“The green grass is like smoke, the spring is fresh

With spring rain, the water meets the sky.”

And this is the spring image in Hàn Mặc Tử’s verse: “The green grass sways in waves reaching the sky.” Then, the scene shifts to a lively, bustling festival:

“Near and far, people gather joyously for the spring festival

Women prepare their outfits to enjoy the spring day

With the lively music and dance, the streets are full

Horses and carriages flow like water, while colorful clothes brighten the scene.”

Countless “talented men and beautiful women” walk side by side, their steps in sync with the bustling crowd. The metaphor “gathering like the songbirds” creates a picture of a lively spring festival, reminiscent of cheerful swallows. But the true beauty of this scene lies in the vibrant, elegant youths, the very soul of spring. The poet meticulously describes the festive atmosphere, a longstanding cultural beauty of the East. It also reflects the refined elegance of Thúy Kiều. As the evening draws near, the sun sets behind the mountains:

“Slowly, the sun sets in the west

The women, lingering, gradually make their way home.”

The slow pace of the verse mirrors the soft steps of people, moving with a gentle, nostalgic sadness as the festival concludes. The atmosphere is still, yet everything moves gradually. The sun dips below the horizon, the footsteps of people echo softly, and the water flows gently. But the excitement of the festival has faded. The “nostalgic” feeling of the flowing water reflects the bittersweet parting of the crowd. Indeed, as evening sets in, spring’s colors begin to reflect a more melancholic mood. The poet seems to anticipate what will soon happen—Kiều will meet Đạm Tiên and the dashing scholar Kim Trọng.

With his keen observation, the poet captures the spirit of spring beautifully, creating a vivid, soulful image. His deep love for nature, his country, and its people inspired him to create such timeless imagery, immortalizing the spring season in Vietnam’s literary treasure.

Not only is Nguyễn Du a master at portraying people, but he also excels in depicting nature. Every scene he paints with words seems alive, infused with the emotions of the characters. 'Spring Day' is such a scene, a depiction of nature that is not only beautiful and harmonious in color but also expresses the various emotions of Thúy Kiều and her sisters.

The opening lines describe the perfect beauty of spring:

The spring day, the swallow flies swiftly,

The bright sunlight nearly touches sixty.

The swallows flit gracefully through the sky like weaving shuttles. Nguyễn Du uses such a vivid and evocative image. By this time, spring has nearly reached the end of March, at its fullest, most radiant, and most beautiful moment. The atmosphere is bathed in bright, warm light. But beneath this joy is the subtle sorrow of Thúy Kiều and her sisters, who feel that spring, the day, the colors, have passed all too quickly. The two lines convey not just the arrival of spring but also the sweet melancholy of time passing too swiftly. The next two lines, painted with delicate strokes, create a stunning picture of spring:

The fresh grass spreads to the horizon,

The white plum branches dot with a few blooms.

The painting is filled with vibrant green, lush grass that stretches endlessly, signifying the boundless vitality of spring. To highlight this, Nguyễn Du 'adds' a few white plum blossoms to the scene.

These plum blossoms, pure and white, though the poet does not describe their fragrance, we can almost imagine the delicate, subtle, and pure scent that mirrors the color of the flowers. Nguyễn Du’s brilliance lies in making the picture come alive, using the verb 'add' to animate the scene, creating a sense of life rather than the stillness typical of classical Chinese poetry. This picture is vibrant, teeming with life.

The beauty of the scene comes from the delicate blending of green and white, creating a space that is both rich and pure. Amid this beautiful spring scene is the image of a procession heading to the festival: 'On the Qingming day in March, the ritual is tomb sweeping, the festival is hill climbing.' The poet uses parallelism and separates 'ritual' and 'festival' into two parts to convey the two spring activities: the tomb sweeping ceremony and the hill climbing festival. This illustrates the beautiful tradition of honoring the deceased, a deep cultural value of the Vietnamese people, reminding us to 'drink from the well, remember the source'. The verse also hints at another cultural practice of spring: young people meeting each other to enjoy the beauty of the season. The festival atmosphere is lively and joyous. The poet uses many two-syllable words: 'near and far', 'swallows', 'sisters', along with reduplicative words like 'noisy', 'crowded', to express the cheerful, lively feelings of the people during the spring festival. To enhance this festive mood, Nguyễn Du employs the metaphor 'noisy swallows', which evokes both the image of a bustling crowd and the lively conversations and meetings between young lovers at the festival.

Not only is the scene lively, but it is also packed with people: 'The horses and carts are like water, clothes are like clams.' In the following eight lines, the poet not only vividly portrays the cultural beauty of the Vietnamese people but also sets the stage for the fateful encounter between the stunning Thúy Kiều and the refined, elegant Kim Trọng.

As the day turns to evening, the festival and ritual slowly fade, and Thúy Kiều and her sisters walk away, the space growing quiet, evoking a sense of melancholy in the hearts of those leaving the festival, especially in Kiều’s sensitive heart:

Walking along the small stream,

Viewing the tranquil scenery,

The water gently flows around,

The small bridge crossing the stream,

The images of the 'small stream' and 'small bridge' evoke a sense of a small, intimate space, growing deeper and smaller, as if everything is fading, lingering with sadness and the bittersweet feeling of the day's end. In this part of the poem, the poet uses three reduplicative words: 'tranquil', 'melancholy', 'small'—words that not only create vivid imagery but also express the deep emotions of the character. The word 'melancholy' not only describes the flowing water but also reflects the inner turmoil, the tender emotions of the character. These words infuse the scene with a mood of nostalgia, wistfulness, and gentle sorrow. Through the art of describing nature, Nguyễn Du not only paints a picture of spring but also reveals the delicate, pure soul of the young women.

In creating this masterpiece of spring, Nguyễn Du skillfully uses the technique of nature mirroring emotions: he not only shows a beautiful, vibrant spring but also reveals the subtle emotions of the characters. The poem’s language is rich and diverse: using vivid words, compound words, and expressive phrases to enhance both the visual and emotional impact. The rhythm of the poem shifts flexibly, capturing the emotions of the characters.

Through this excerpt from 'Spring Day,' we see the genius of Nguyễn Du. With a few masterful strokes, he creates a vivid picture of nature and the spring festival, full of brightness and joy, while also revealing the sensitive, subtle soul of the character Thúy Kiều.

Nguyen Du was born and raised in an aristocratic family with a long history of serving as officials. He was well-educated, a true Confucian scholar, and a renowned poet in Vietnamese literature. His famous work, *The Tale of Kieu*, has not only gained recognition domestically but also reached international acclaim. The excerpt 'Spring Day Scene' from the beginning of *The Tale of Kieu* beautifully describes the vibrant spring day and the scene of Thuy Kieu and her sisters going out to enjoy the spring festival.

'Spring Day Scene' is a vivid and colorful depiction of spring, complete with sounds and light, masterfully captured by Nguyen Du in *The Tale of Kieu*. It paints the freshness and vitality of spring through nature's vivid imagery.

'Spring days, the swallows fly back and forth'

'The bright spring sunshine, though still early'

'The grass grows green, stretching to the horizon'

'The pear tree branches, adorned with a few white blossoms'

In spring, all creatures are lively, and the swallow, a symbol of the season, flits back and forth. The line vividly captures both the scene and the fleeting nature of spring. Nguyen Du's use of descriptive terms such as 'spring sunshine,' 'green grass,' and 'white pear blossoms' brings the scene to life, evoking the allure of spring that many long to experience. A dazzling light, a clear blue sky, a few delicate blossoms gently swaying. Oh, how enchanting! This forms the vibrant, life-filled picture of spring.

The natural beauty, both poetic and full of life, mirrors the festive spirit of the Qingming Festival. The lively atmosphere, full of people, dispels the usual solitude that one might associate with the season.

'In the Qingming season of March'

'The ceremony is for tomb sweeping, the festival for the spring outing'

'People from near and far gather, like swallows in spring'

'The sisters prepare their attire for the spring festival'

When the Qingming Festival is mentioned, it is impossible not to think of the two key activities: 'tomb sweeping' and 'spring outing.' These activities express both reverence for ancestors and the joy of celebrating spring. Nguyen Du uses action verbs and adjectives to illustrate the hustle and bustle of the festival-goers, capturing the lively and joyful atmosphere. Moreover, the reference to 'swallows'—birds that flutter about in spring—symbolizes the busy scene of people participating in the spring festivities.

'The streets are filled with beautiful ladies and gentlemen'

'The horses and carriages move like flowing water, their attire like thick layers of clothing'

'The hills are busy with people bringing their goods to the market'

'Gold coins and paper offerings scatter in the air'

The New Year, through Nguyen Du’s words, is a celebration of love and beauty: 'The streets are filled with young lovers.' Young lovers seek the opportunity to meet during the spring to celebrate together. It is only natural that everyone wants to dress their best for the spring festival, which is why Nguyen Du uses imagery like 'clothes stacked like layers.'

The scene of people bustling about is likened to clothes piled high, filled with excitement. While everyone is preparing themselves, they also remember their ancestors through the act of 'throwing gold coins and scattering paper offerings.' This ritual represents a spiritual connection with the departed. Through Nguyen Du’s profound pen, the festival scene is lively, filled with people and clear skies above, a vibrant natural world.

Every celebration comes to an end, and the scene of the departure from the festivities brings feelings of melancholy. The final part of this excerpt depicts Thuy Kieu and her sisters returning from their spring outing.

'The shadow gradually fades in the west'

'The sisters wander, slowly returning home'

'They walk along the small stream'

'Observing the tranquil scenery, peaceful and calm'

'The flowing stream gently curves'

'A small bridge crosses over the stream, connecting the land'

By using the word 'gradually fading,' Nguyen Du emphasizes the quiet passage of time, signifying the end of the spring day. This is not a moment of joy, but one of quiet reflection. The final verses use words like 'peaceful,' 'gentle,' and 'small,' reflecting Thuy Kieu's deep emotional and intimate feelings. The spring scene, though filled with joy and beauty, is tinged with a sadness and foreboding sense of Thuy Kieu’s future fate.

Through this excerpt from 'Spring Day Scene,' Nguyen Du showcases his talent for depicting nature and the inner emotional world of the characters. The use of rich, descriptive language highlights the vibrant and colorful portrayal of spring, bringing the season to life while also reflecting deeper emotional currents, providing a glimpse into the character's fate.

In the excerpt "The Sisters Thuy Kieu," readers can appreciate Nguyen Du's artistic talent in capturing the graceful portrait of the two sisters, Van and Kieu, with their flawless beauty and talent. However, in the excerpt "The Spring Scene," readers once again experience Nguyen Du's unique artistry in depicting the spring landscape, infused with the emotions of the people.

The excerpt "The Spring Scene" comes right after the description of the beauty and talent of Thuy Kieu's sisters. In this part, Nguyen Du presents a vivid and lively picture of the spring nature and the spring festival during the Qingming period. This poem sets the stage for Kieu's spring outing, where she will encounter Kim Trọng and their fateful meeting.

Initially, the first four lines open with a unique artistic technique of sketching, where a little is said but much is implied, and Nguyen Du creates a beautiful spring landscape rich with vitality:

The swallow brings spring’s fluttering flight

As spring light spills past sixty, a golden sight

The grass stretches out to the distant horizon

The pear branches bloom with a few flowers, so bright.

The first two lines evoke both the passage of time and the expansive space. Spring passes quickly, like the swift motion of the swallows. With only ninety days in spring, we are already in the third month, after January and February have passed. The spring sunlight is soft, clear, and spreads across all places.

Above the sky, flocks of swallows flutter and soar through the spring air. Below, an endless field of fresh green grass stretches far into the distance. The word “tận” (endless) makes the spring landscape seem expansive, stretching outward, with a sea of vibrant green. On this lush green ground, pear blossoms bloom with pure white petals, suggesting new beginnings. The inversion of the sentence structure emphasizes the whiteness of the blossoms against the spring grass. In just four brief lines, Nguyen Du paints a pure, serene, and lively spring scene, filled with the essence of Vietnam’s spring.

The next eight lines describe the spring festival during the Qingming period. In the first two lines, the author briefly introduces two main activities of the season: tomb sweeping and the spring horseback festival in the third month of spring.

In Qingming, in the month of March

One honors ancestors, another rides the spring march.

Tomb sweeping is a beautiful cultural tradition symbolizing gratitude and respect for ancestors by cleaning their graves. After the tomb sweeping ceremony, it becomes an opportunity for young men and women to meet, flirt, and socialize during the spring horseback festival. The lively, bustling atmosphere of the spring festival is captured by Nguyen Du through a rich array of descriptive and evocative words:

Far and near, the celebration's joyous cheer

Sisters preparing for the spring walk, near and dear

Young men and women, all in a daze

Horses, carriages, and fine clothes fill the maze.

The use of compound words (near and far, celebration, sisters, horses, fine clothes) combined with reduplicative words (joyous, bustling, preparing) creates a sense of a crowded, energetic spring festival. The metaphor “joyous cheer” suggests flocks of people moving like swallows in the spring, bustling with excitement. The comparison “Horses like water, clothes like layers of cake” vividly depicts the busy crowds of people at the festival, with carriages and people tightly packed together.

In conclusion, through the use of metaphors, comparisons, and vivid imagery, the poet paints a picture of a spring festival filled with both vitality and grace, as the young and beautiful meet, and the excitement of the festival is felt. At the same time, there are quiet moments of reflection and respect, such as during the tomb sweeping ritual:

Scattered mounds of earth rise high

Golden threads flutter as paper offerings fly.

While the spring horseback festival is lively and cheerful, the tomb sweeping ritual carries a sense of somber reflection, evoking the tradition of “drinking water, remembering the source” and the deep sense of respect for ancestors. Through these eight lines, the poet captures the essence of the spring festival and its cultural significance, setting the stage for Kieu’s fateful meeting with Kim Trọng.

The final six lines use the technique of “describing the scene to express emotions,” where Nguyen Du depicts the quiet and bittersweet ending of the spring festival, as the two sisters walk home:

The sun’s glow begins to dip in the west

The sisters wander home, feeling at rest

Following the winding stream, they go

Taking in the peaceful view below.

The gentle river winds in its bend

The tiny bridge over the stream seems to end.

The scene still carries the soft, serene feeling of spring, but the sun has already begun to set. The lively, festive atmosphere of the spring day is drawing to a close. The two sisters are walking home, with the river and a small bridge marking the end of the day. The words “gently,” “softly,” “wandering,” and “peaceful” not only describe the environment but also reflect the emotions of the characters: reluctant to leave, filled with a sense of longing, and anticipating something yet to come—perhaps the meeting with the grave of Dam Tien or the meeting between Thuy Kieu and Kim Trọng.

In conclusion, through the use of the “describing the scene to express emotions” technique, combined with a rich vocabulary and evocative imagery, Nguyen Du masterfully depicts the spring sunset at the festival, infused with the emotions of the characters. Through this, we witness Nguyen Du’s skill in conveying human emotions. While in the "Kim Van Kieu Truyen" by Thanh Tam Tai Nhan, the author only briefly mentions the Qingming festival before telling of the meeting at Dam Tien’s tomb, Nguyen Du creates a vivid spring scene in poetry, full of life, and deeply connected to the essence of Vietnamese culture and nature.

Through the excerpt "The Spring Scene," we see Nguyen Du’s unique talent in blending emotions with scenery. His masterful depiction of spring’s beauty and the vividness of the festival’s atmosphere resonates deeply, bringing the season and its cultural significance to life.

Nguyen Du is not only a master of language in portraying characters' psychology, but also a "painter" who creates images with words. The excerpt from 'The Spring Day Scene' from *The Tale of Kieu* is a prime example. Readers are left in awe of Nguyen Du's sharp observation and his ability to paint vivid pictures with his words. The spring scene comes to life with vibrant and fresh beauty, full of energy and vitality.

Spring is an inexhaustible theme in poetry, inspiring many artists. Each person experiences spring in their own way. For Nguyen Du, spring is linked to nature, people, and the traditional festivals of the Vietnamese people. Overarching the poem is a beautiful, picturesque landscape, tinged with a sense of melancholy as the day fades towards evening.

The opening lines use beautiful language to create a smooth, poetic depiction of nature’s springtime beauty:

In the spring, the swallow flits by

The bright sun now well past sixty

The grass is green, stretching to the horizon

The pear tree branches bear a few white flowers

The scene is full of poetic charm and grace, capturing the vastness of the land as spring arrives. The swallow, symbolizing the season, heralds warmth, vitality, and joy. The words “flits by” evoke an image of the sky filled with swallows, while also alluding to the swift passage of time. Does Nguyen Du share a view similar to that of Xuan Dieu, where time moves quickly, youth and spring also fade, and life itself feels shorter?

In just two brushstrokes, Nguyen Du paints a breathtaking spring landscape. The art of subtle highlights and accents enhances the beauty of nature and life. The green grass represents the freshness and purity of nature. The word “rippled” both describes the distant view and conveys the expansive reach of spring. The phrase stretches the verse, infusing it with life and light. The white flowers on the green grass add a touch of elegance, giving the poem a vibrant, unstoppable energy.

With just these four lines, Nguyen Du, like a skilled artist, creates a beautiful nature scene, blending the earth and sky. The atmosphere, the colors, and the essence of spring flow through every line of the poem.

Spring’s joyful atmosphere is enhanced by the March festival for tomb sweeping:

In the third month of spring

The ritual is tomb sweeping, the festival is for spring walks

The joyful, bustling, and energetic atmosphere of people during this event makes the reader feel immersed in the lively spring season.

Swirling courtesans and gentlemen

The horses and carts flow like water, clothes in layers

Spring is the perfect time for love to blossom and for unspoken emotions to be expressed. The images of “horses and carts” and “clothes” evoke a busy, lively scene. Nguyen Du skillfully uses vivid imagery that brings the reader into the heart of spring.

Scattered piles of offerings rise up

Golden coins tossed, ash from paper money drifts by

The traditional customs during the spring festival, as people sweep tombs, are depicted by Nguyen Du in a simple, heartfelt manner, evoking nostalgia and affection. This is a sincere tribute to the past and to those who have shaped our lives.

However, towards the end, the mood shifts, and the scene becomes somber:

Slowly the sun sinks in the west

The women walk slowly, hands joined, heading home

They gradually walk down the small stream

Surveying the scenery, there’s a subtle, calm feeling

The rhythm of the poem softens, the mood becomes heavy and sorrowful. The word “slowly” suggests the late afternoon and a more still, melancholic atmosphere. Every step seems weighed down as night approaches, and there’s a sense of sadness creeping into the heart. The feelings of the people seem to mingle with the landscape, making it feel desolate and barren.

In conclusion, whether the scenes in Nguyen Du's poem are joyful or sorrowful, they still carry his unique flavor. The excerpt from 'The Spring Day Scene' is a perfect example of this, as Nguyen Du masterfully captures the lively, bustling yet melancholic spring day through his sensitive perception and brilliant use of language.

Nguyen Du is a prominent national poet and a world-renowned cultural figure recognized by UNESCO. His contributions to literature are immense, with a vast collection of poetry and writings for the nation. Among his works, the poem 'The Tale of Kieu' stands out. 'The Tale of Kieu' is a narrative poem written in the traditional hexameter form, which tells the tragic story of women who suffer from misfortune, enduring humiliation and pain. It also criticizes selfish, petty individuals who care only for their own interests. The excerpt 'The Scene of Spring' is perhaps the most vivid portrayal of nature in his works. This passage appears at the beginning of 'The Tale of Kieu,' where the character Thuy Kieu, along with her sister, goes to visit their ancestors' graves during the Qingming Festival, and what unfolds before the reader is a beautiful landscape and the mood of those celebrating spring's arrival.

The opening lines of the poem present a clear, soft, and pristine picture of spring:

Spring day, the swallow flies swift

The spring light, soft yet vibrant, nearing sixty.

The green grass stretches to the horizon,

The pear branches, adorned with a few white blossoms.

The first two lines describe both the time and space of spring. The line 'Spring day, the swallow flies swift' evokes the vastness of the sky, with swallows soaring back and forth like the passing of time. The swift passage of time is likened to the rapid flight of swallows across the blue sky. Spring lasts for ninety days, yet sixty days have already passed, signaling the arrival of March. This passage fills the reader with a sense of nostalgia and regret that spring is almost over. 'Spring light' refers to the gentle, warm light of the season, not as harsh as summer's rays or as weak as winter's, but a nurturing glow that breathes life into all beings.

The next two lines masterfully depict nature using two colors: green and white. The word 'tận' (endless) opens up a vast, uninterrupted space, and the lush green grass extends to the horizon, setting the stage for the spring landscape. Against the clear blue sky, a few white pear blossoms appear. The word 'điểm' (dot) creates a sense of stillness while conveying the idea that nature has its own soul and knows how to beautify itself, much like a human. The delicate white blossoms bring the poem to life, making it feel as if the scene is unfolding before the reader's eyes. In just a few brushstrokes, the poet creates a vibrant, compelling picture, drawing the reader into the essence of spring.

If the first four lines are a picture of spring, then the next eight lines depict the festive atmosphere during the Qingming Festival:

'During the Qingming Festival in March

The ritual is to visit the graves, and the festival is to walk in the spring fields

From near and far, people eagerly gather

Sisters prepare to enjoy the spring stroll.'

Swirls of guests, young men, and women

Horses and carts flowing like water, clothes vibrant like the spring colors

Scattered heaps of ashes rising from the graves

Gold coins and ashes from paper offerings float through the air.'

Since ancient times, it has been a tradition in our culture to visit the graves of ancestors during the first days of the year, cleaning and honoring them, as well as enjoying the spring breeze in the countryside during the Qingming Festival. Words such as 'gathering, sisters, young men and women, horses and carts, clothes, preparations, and excitement' create an image of a crowded, lively spring festival, especially highlighting the young men and women who participate in the festivities. The atmosphere is one of joy, festivity, and renewal. The festival is not only a time for celebration but also an occasion for matchmaking for young couples still searching for their destiny.

Alongside the image of people celebrating spring, there are also images of the ashes next to the graves, created from the burning of paper offerings in remembrance of the deceased:

'Scattered heaps of ashes rising from the graves'

Gold coins and ashes from paper offerings float through the air.'

Both the living and the dead share the same prayer for happiness. The deceased, in their passing, wish for the well-being, health, and happiness of their descendants, while the living yearn for a prosperous future and pray for peace for those who lie beneath the graves.

As the saying goes, all festivals must eventually come to an end. Nothing lasts forever. When the festival concludes, Kieu and her sisters leave, reflecting a sense of melancholy as they journey back in the late afternoon:

The sun sets, casting long shadows to the west

The sisters walk slowly, hand in hand, heading home

Gradually they move along the small stream

The serene landscape unfolds with quiet beauty

The stream winds gently, flowing smoothly

At the end, a small bridge arches over the stream.

The lively, bustling atmosphere has faded as the day wears on, and now there is only the quiet, soft glow of the setting sun. The warm light is fading behind the mountains, leaving only the last rays of light. Words like 'serene, gentle, slow, and quiet' capture the mood of the landscape and also reflect the inner sadness of the characters. It feels as if nature itself shares in their melancholy, donning a sorrowful hue. Nguyen Du uses the artistic technique of 'describing the scenery to express feelings,' where the landscape mirrors the emotions of the people. The mood is one of wistfulness, as if pondering a deep thought or anticipating a change in the near future.

This can be seen as a magnificent depiction of nature, both scenic and emotional. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful natural scenes in 'The Tale of Kieu' by Nguyen Du. Through his carefully chosen words and masterful depiction of nature, using various techniques such as vivid imagery, selective language, and personification, the poet demonstrates his unparalleled talent.