TYLA: A Study of Nôm Literature by Authors of the Nguyen Family, Tien Dien, Ha Tinh

Author's name:Nguyen Thi Hoa Le

Thesis title:A study of Nôm literature by authors of the Nguyễn family from Tiên Điền, Hà Tĩnh

The field of study for this dissertation:Han Nom

Specialized:Han NomCode:62.22.01.04

Name of the postgraduate training unit: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

1. Purpose and scope of the thesis

ButResearch objectivesThis research topic focuses on the Nôm literature of the Nguyễn Tiên Điền family in Hà Tĩnh, aiming to clarify the creative force of the family, the state of their works, and the texts of those works. From there, it clarifies the role of the family's Nôm literature in relation to the system of Chinese-language literature. What is the connection between this and the scholarly and literary traditions of the Nguyễn Huy and Phan Huy families? Why do the Nôm literary works of this family occupy such an important role in literary history? Why does the literary legacy of the Nguyễn Tiên Điền family represent an innovation in art and aesthetic function, with valuable Nôm works, especially...The Tale of KieuWhat about Nguyen Du? On the other hand, how did family traditions (especially those of scholarly and mandarin families) and interrelationships (in marriage, education, etc.) influence the formation of the characteristics of Nguyen Tien Dien's Nôm literature? Furthermore, what role did Nôm literature, as a literary genre written in Vietnamese, play in the overall structure of literary works by bilingual authors in a Sino-Vietnamese bicultural environment?

ButResearch subjectsThe research subject of this dissertation is the system of Nôm texts and the system of works and writings written in Nôm script (Vietnamese) by authors of the Nguyễn Tiên Điền family. However, due to historical changes and other reasons, many Nôm texts have been lost, and only Latinized versions remain; these versions are also subject to research in this dissertation.

2. Research methods used

- Field research and data collection methods

- Research methods in Sino-Vietnamese textual studies

- Research methods in Sino-Vietnamese literature

- Methods of comparing and contrasting texts and languages.

- Statistical methods.

- Quantitative analysis, comparison, and contrast methods

- Methods of literary history research.

- A method of studying culture, specifically family culture.

- In addition, an interdisciplinary approach is also used.

3. Main results and conclusions

3.1. Main results

Based on an overview of the research situation on Nôm literature by authors of the Nguyễn Tiên Điền family, this thesis aims to identify what the academic and research community has achieved and what remains to be done, thereby contributing to clarifying the following points:

From a theoretical standpoint, research on the Nôm literature of the Nguyễn Tiên Điền family authors contributes to clarifying the concept of literary genres, as well as the Nguyễn Tiên Điền family literary genre as an object of study in literary history and social history.

- Research on Nôm literature by authors of the Nguyễn Tiên Điền family has contributed to the rediscovery of many Nôm texts of works that had been lost for a long time.

- Research on the Nôm literature of the authors of the Nguyễn Tiên Điền family contributes to clarifying the authorship of some works that have long been the subject of doubt and debate.

- Research on the Nôm literature of the Nguyễn Tiên Điền family contributes to an objective understanding of the content and form values, as well as the position of the Nguyễn Tiên Điền family's Nôm poetry and prose in comparison with the Chinese-language poetry and prose of the same family and the Nôm poetry and prose of other families of the time.

In practical terms: - The Nguyen Tien Dien family still has many authors whose works have not been accessed by the dissertation, and many of their works have been lost. Therefore, the research in this dissertation will serve as a basis for finding and rediscovering these authors and their works in the future.

- The research presented in this thesis initially suggests avenues for collecting and studying the authors and works of the family lineage, encompassing both works written in Chinese characters and Nôm script.

- With the author's teaching of basic Sino-Vietnamese studies and some subjects related to medieval literature at their workplace, the research presented in this dissertation contributes additional materials for students to study and research the field of Vietnamese literature written in the Nôm script.

- Through research on the Nôm literature of the authors of the Nguyễn Tiên Điền family, this thesis now has a collection of Nôm poems and prose by many authors from the family. Officials at the Nguyễn Du Memorial Site have expressed interest in providing this collection for printing and display at the Nguyễn Du Memorial Site – which was built on land belonging to the Nguyễn Tiên Điền family as a tribute to the family.

3.2. Conclusion

Based on the introduction and the four chapters of the thesis presented above, we have the following conclusions and observations:

1. The Nguyen Tien Dien family was a prestigious and distinguished lineage, renowned for its high academic achievements and scholarly tradition in medieval history, specifically during the late Le and early Nguyen dynasties of Vietnam. This family produced the great national poet Nguyen Du and many other literary figures. Their works are renowned for their immortality, uniqueness, and resounding influence.The Tale of KieuThe Nguyen Tien Dien clan – the family that gave birth to the great national poet – has been extensively studied and researched by academics and researchers. The clan's origins are traced back many generations, and its genealogy extends to numerous branches. The poetry and writings of its members have also received considerable attention, being discovered, introduced, and studied extensively. However, the late Le and early Nguyen dynasties were the most turbulent period in history, and many members of this clan participated in and sometimes served as pillars of several contemporary political regimes. Consequently, many authors from this clan suffered significant consequences from this "turmoil." The changes in rulers and the military conflicts of that era caused this once-noble clan to scatter in all directions. Consequently, many of their books and writings were also dispersed.

2. Through the survey conducted in this thesis across research works, books, magazines at the central and local levels, and in the collection of Sino-Vietnamese books, the following results were obtained:

- The Nguyen Tien Dien family has 10 authors who wrote poetry and prose in Nom script, of which 8 authors' works are still extant, and the works of 2 authors have been lost.

- The 8 authors' works comprise 26 units. Of these, 2 works were discovered by us, while 24 works were discovered and introduced by the academic and research community.

The findings introducing the works of authors surnamed Nguyen Tien Dien are mainly found in/on local publications, magazines, and books. Therefore, there may be other works by authors surnamed Nguyen Tien Dien discovered and introduced elsewhere that this thesis has not fully covered.

In general, the findings and introductions by academics and researchers regarding the works of authors with the surname Nguyen Tien Dien, except for...The Tale of KieuMost of the versions are Latinized Vietnamese transliterations, without accompanying Nôm script versions, and only a few include addresses of Nôm script texts.

There are doubts about the authorship of the Nôm works by authors of the Nguyễn Tiên Điền family (of the 26 discovered and introduced works, 6 have questionable authors).

3. Through the study of the texts of 26 works, we have drawn the following conclusions regarding the characteristics of the texts:

Regarding the number of authors with the surname NTD who still write in Nom script, there are still 8, including 1 female author. In terms of the number of works, there are still 25 works.

The thesis has gathered evidence to prove and confirm that the six works whose authors are still questionable are all works by authors surnamed NTD.

Of the 25 works, 7 are for which the text has not yet been found, 8 are unique copies, and 10 have variant versions.The Tale of KièuIt is the work with the most variations (50 variations), followed byMilitary opposition(3 copies)Confucius dreams of Duke Zhou.(3 copies), the rest are 2 copies each:King Khang, the founder of the dynasty.,In response to Trinh Sam's poem,Poetry by Nguyen Huy Oanh,A prayer for wandering souls, a respectful address to the ancestral spirits on their seventyth birthday.,Self-composed poem.

Except for variant versions of the workKing Khang, the founder of the dynasty.While the original versions are completely identical, other versions of the work show differences. These differences occur in many aspects, such as the number of sentences and dialogues in the work, and the vocabulary used in the sentences and dialogues. This demonstrates that ancient Confucian scholars, when copying, often arbitrarily modified, refined, and corrected the work, and in some cases, recorded the work from memory.

Furthermore, some works currently exist in multiple Latin transliterations. Comparing these Latin transliterations with each other or with the Nôm script version reveals significant discrepancies. This demonstrates that academics, researchers, and compilers may have modified the texts to suit their own purposes (and this is not an exception).

4. In addition, the Nôm literature of the Nguyễn Tiên Điền family also addresses other fundamental themes of Confucian ethics. The Nôm works all reflect the moral principles between husband and wife, and other family relationships such as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and ethical issues within the family such as filial piety. In one aspect, this theme contributes to the "family management" nature of Nôm literature.

A key characteristic of Nôm literature from the Nguyễn Tiên Điền dynasty is that its works are deeply imbued with the Confucian ideal of "literature as a vehicle for morality." Generally, Nôm literature is often perceived as "crude and unsophisticated," lacking official authority and legitimacy... However, some works, such as musical compositions,Dan Thu Thiet Khoan Phu,Confucius' Dream of Duke Zhou's Poem...shows that the authors of the Nguyen Tien Dien literary tradition were carrying out a change in the function and wording capabilities of the Nôm poetry genre.

Author:Nguyen Thi Hoa Le

Dissertation title:Studying Nom literature written by the members of the Nguyen family in Tien Dien, Ha Tinh

Scientific branch of the thesis:Han Nom

Major:Han NomCode:62.22.01.04

Name of graduate training institution:universityof Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi National University

1. Thesis's research purposes and scope

ButResearch purposes: This thesis is aimed at studying Nom literature written by the authors of the Nguyen family in Tien Dien, Ha Tinh to define that family's factors of writing as well as their work and texts. The thesis then goes further to define the position of this family's literary texts in comparison with the system of Sino literature as well as its relationship with the tradition of competition-examinations of the Nguyen Huy family and Phan Huy family also in Ha Tinh. The thesis points out the reasons why this Nguyen family's Nom writings played an important role in the history of literature as well as why this family's literary heritage brought about a renovation in arts and aesthetic significance presented in such Nom valuable works asDoan Truong Tan Thanhby Nguyen Du? At the same time, the thesis examines how the familial tradition, especially that of big families of tradition of competition-examinations and mandarinhood, and marital and educational relationship as well, influences the development of typical characteristics of Nom writings by the Nguyen family in Tien Dien. The thesis also points out the role of Nom literature in the whole structure of literary writings written bilingual author in the context of bilingual Sino-Nom culture.

ButResearch office: The thesis examines the system of Nom writings written by the members of the Nguyen family in Tien Dien. Caused by some historical reasons, many of these Nom writings in original form of script of Nom characters are no longer existing; instead, they are now existing in their Romanized versions. These Romanized versions are also of the thesis's research scope.

2. Research methods

- Field research methods and material collection.

- Textual approach in Sino-Nom studies

- Philological method in Sino-Nom studies

- Comparative method

- Statistic method

- Analytical method in quantity

- Method of historical literature

- Cultural studies approach, especially in the field of familial culture

- Interdisciplinary approach

3. Thesis's main findings and conclusions

3.1. Thesis's main findings

- In terms of theory:

+ Defining the concept of literary family and the Nguyen literary family in Tien Dien as a research object in the history of literature and history of society

+ Tracing out many Nom writings which have been lost.

+ Contributing to defining the authorship of some contestable authors.

+ Pointing out the values ​​of content and form as well as the position of Nom poetry and prose written by the Nguyen family in Tien Dien in comparing with Sino-writings written by itself and by its other contemporary families.

- In terms of practice:

+ The thesis has not been able to approach many authors of the Nguyen family in Tien Dien; At the same time, many of their writings were lost. Therefore, the thesis's findings can be the basic steps to go further in finding more other authors' own writings in the future.

+ The thesis's findings contribute to the job of collecting and researching texts written by authors of this family including both Sino and Nom writings.

+ The thesis contributes to the materials served to teaching and research Nom literature in colleges, especially in teaching such courses as “Sino-Nom basics“ and “Pre-modern Vietnamese literature“

- A collection of Nom prose and poetry written by the authors of the Nguyen family in Tien Dien was conducted through the course of doing this research. This collection is going to print out as a book archived at Nguyen Du memorial house, which was built in the land owned by this family, to pay homage to the family.

3.2.Revisions

1. The Nguyen family in Tien Dien was a famous family of nobility, reputable mandarinhood, and literary fame in premodern Vietnam, especially in the period of the late Le dynasty and the early Nguyen dynasty. Nguyen Du, among others, is the most famous author born in this line. With such fame and contributions in the history, the genealogy of this family has been well studied. Its origin has also been traced back through many generations and branches. Literary works written by the authors from this family have been discovered, introduced, and well examined. There were many members of this line participating in the political life and sometimes even played central roles in the contemporary governments in the period of the late Le dynasty and the early Nguyen dynasty, a period characterized by many conflicts and troubles. Consequently, many of them have been judged by biased opinions when the political situation changed. After the changes of dynasties and regimes as well as warfare conflicts, this big noble family got scattered. Their writings and books, accordingly, have been lost much.

2. Through the examination of multiple sources, in this thesis, I point out that:

- The Nguyen family in Tien Dien consists of ten authors who wrote Nom poetry and prose. There are eight out of them whose texts are still existent. The other two's works are lost.

- The number of works written by those eight authors is 26 of which we found out 2. The other 24 were found and introduced by other scholars, mainly in regional journals, magazines, and newspapers. Therefore, there may be other texts written by the family going beyond the list the thesis mentions.

In general, the scholars' findings and introductions related to the texts written by the Nguyen family in Tien Dien, exceptThe Tale of Kieu, have been mainly about Romanized versions of the original Nom texts. There are a few of them noted about the address of their Nom original texts.

The texts written by the Nguyen family in Tien Dien are still contestable in some aspects. 6 out of the 26 authors are contestable in terms of authorship.

3. Based on examining the texts of 26 works, I points out the textual matter as the following:

The number of Nom-writing authors from the Nguyen family in Tien Dien is still 8 including one female author. The works written by them are 25.

6 out of those 25 have been contestable in terms of authorship. In this thesis, I have found out the evidence to document that those works were written by the authors from the Nguyen family in Tien Dien.

The texts of 7 works out of the 25 have been lost. 8 out of them were in the form of single text. 10 out of them were in form of variant texts;The Tale of Kieuamong them is the work with the most variant texts (50 variants). The next steps areMilitarycentralOh(3 variants)KongDeath Dream of Duke Zhou(3). The following ones have 2 variants for each:King Khang, the founder of the dynasty.,In response to Trinh Sam's poem,Poetry by Nguyen Huy Oanh,A prayer for wandering souls, a respectful address to the ancestral spirits on their seventyth birthday.,Self-composed poem.

Except for two variant texts ofChieuKing Khang's ancestor, which are the complete same, the variant texts of the other cases consist of differences expressed in such aspects as the number of sentences and dialogues; the characters in sentences. This suggests that the Confucianist scholars usually themselves revised and added some details the texts when they duplicated them. Even in some cases, they duplicated some texts with their memory.

In addition, some of works among them are existent in the form of many Roman-transcribed versions. When comparing those Roman-transcribed versions either to each other or to the Nom original texts, I find many differences. This suggests that when working on those texts, the scholars should have changed them with some reasons.

4.In addition, this family's Nom writings are also about other Confucianist moral themes. They present the morality of wife-husband relation as well as other familial ones such as mother and daughter-in-law relation, and other moral stories as well. To some extent, those themes contributed to the development of the feature of “household management” in Nom literature.

One very important characteristic of Nom literature written by the Nguyen family in Tien Dien is that their works are full of Confucianist conception of “morality-conveyed literature”. In general, Nom literature was conventionally thought to be informal and unofficial. However, some of Nom literature, including some music-literary texts, such asDan Thu Thiet Khoan Phu,Confucius wished for the master's skill., … present that their authors from the Nguyen family in Tien Dien were making some changes in genre function as well as the literary ability of Nom rhyme prose (Phu Nom).