Revered poet Nguyen Du’s hallmark “Truyen Kieu” (Kieu Tale) will be translated into Russian by an expat Vietnamese.

According to Ha Tinh’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the poetic masterpiece will be translated into Russian by Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, who is working at Moscow University in Russia.

Hoang Van Vinh, CEO of Zlolotoi Drakon Co. and chair of the Vietnamese Expats Association in  Xvetdlov province, Russia, will provide US$5,000 for the translation and publication of the work.

The translation is also to commemorate the eminent poet’s 250th birthday in 2015 and the UNESCO recognition of him as “L'homme de Culture” (Man of Culture).

“Truyen Kieu”, written in the Nom language (ancient Chinese-transcribed Vietnamese), is the first local novel which features over 3,200 lines in the Vietnamese 6/8 verse.

The masterpiece revolves around the tumultuous life of Thuy Kieu, the protagonist. An exceptionally beautiful, gifted girl, she has to offer herself to the brothel to rescue her father from imprisonment and break her vow with her lover. She then spends years in mental agony from her romance breakup and tearful life as a prostitute and concubine. On a bigger picture, the work depicts the pitiful fate of Vietnamese women in feudal times.

The masterpiece has been translated into different languages including English, French, Chinese, Hungarian and most recently Korean.

Nguyen Du, (1766-1820), who was recognized by the World Peace Council as one of the world’s cultural celebrities in 1965, was born to a noble mandarin family under the later Le dynasty and he himself became a mandarin. He was dedicated to listening to commoners’ voices and aiding and supporting them, under the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945).

Nguyen Du was equally outstanding in composing poems in Han (ancient Chinese characters) and Nom (Vietnamese characters adapted from ancient Chinese), and his poetry is pervaded with profound compassion for humans and rich in humanitarian values.