Spring Essence

Ho Xuan Houng was a Viet Namese concubine in the 15th century. What makes her poems so intense is the subtlety she addressed issues from sexism to negative political agendas. Using inuendo and beautiful poetic images she attacks a lot of the ideas common at that time. These poems were translated from a dialect of Viet Namese not spoken in centuries. John Balaban did such an incredible job this has to be one of my favorite books of poems.


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 leapt in your hands to have his way.