The Movement and Development of Hmong Poetry is Closely Associated with the Process of Perceiving the World and People

Ethnic minorities in general and Hmong ethnic poetry in particular approach the modern poetry of the Vietnamese (Kinh) people.

Perceiving and searching for beauty in life and people in the mountainous region is a great issue and also a noble task of writers and poets of ethnic minorities. If in the past, poets from Nong Quoc Chan, Ban Tai Doan to Cam Bieu, Luong Qui Nhan, Vuong Trung, Vuong Anh... only tended to and stopped at feelings, emotional concepts that were still general and simple. For example: The homeland for Nong Quoc Chan in Tieng ca nguoi Viet Bac is a rich and beautiful place; for Cam Bieu, it is a lovely and precious place that is incomparable ( Remembering the old version )... or the mountainous people in the poems of Luong Qui Nhan, Vuong Anh, Vuong Trung... are brave people in production and combat [144]. The individuality and personality of the mountainous people as well as of the author have not been revealed, even though "compared to ethnic minority folk songs, modern ethnic minority poetry has made a leap forward in terms of ideological content and artistic expression" [114; p.59]. Perhaps it was not until the last decades of the 20th century that the poetry of ethnic minorities had a strong and comprehensive turning point. Poets breathed the breath of modern life into their poetry, with a unique writing style, an ability to express the soul and creative personality of each author. For example, writing about his poor homeland and the difficult life of his people, Duong Thuan had a rather new way of expressing: The homeland has no place to drop a coin/Three steps meet the mountain/Out of the door is climbing, is wading ( Homeland ); poet Y Phuong had a discovery that was both accurate and impressive: The short people/Going from the foot of the mountain to the top/Both feet are about to rot/To find food ( The short people ). The philosophical way of ethnic minority poets increasingly reveals the imprint of national identity and distinct personal imprint. Y Phuong wrote about his lover: You are the ink in the nib, the rice in the pot/You are the crowing rooster but also the chili pepper/Everything I have/All starts from you ( You-the shower-the fire ). Lo Ngan Sun has a very unique and special way of philosophizing about love: Happy when flowers bloom/ Play when flowers bloom/ Twice a day, rice with spring water/ Twice a day, rice with spring water/ Giving each other love at first sight/ Even if it melts into the earth, crumbles into mud, crumbles into sand/ We are still thirsty for love ( Love song of the hut )...

However, the thoughts, contemplations and philosophies of ethnic minority poets do not always achieve success. The issue of national identity seems to be opposed to the issue of modernity in poetry, which is a big challenge for many poets who love exploration and experimentation. Poet La Ngan Sun expressed his concerns: " When I follow the so-called nation and tradition, some people say it is loose, scattered, narrative, poetry without words, meaning poetry without poetry. And when I organize the marriage between the so-called nation and tradition with the so-called innovation and modernity, some people say: the nation is not the nation, the modernity is not the modernity... " [144; p.155]. This raises a question: How to preserve national identity in the integration period and before the requirement of innovation for poetry of ethnic minorities? That is the reason and also the goal for the Vietnam Association of Literature and Arts of Ethnic Minorities to organize the conference: Literature and Arts of Ethnic Minorities in the Renovation Period to discuss important issues related to the current situation and future of poetry of Vietnamese ethnic minorities. However, it seems that there is little interest in theoretical and theoretical issues that are both lofty and unfamiliar. For the Hmong poets today, the ultimate goal that they aim for and care about is the concerns, thoughts, and contemplations about the life and people of their community and their people, simple but no less profound. The young Hmong author Ma Ngan Ha quietly observed and experienced:

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Night with dad

The late night stars drip silently on the porch.

Father diligently reads the pages

The book pages are vast and long...

( Father - Ma Ngan Ha)

Poet Ma A Lenh has a special interest in seemingly simple, yet very great issues of his people: Discovering the beauty in the small silence of the Hmong people, the Hmong people, when traditional values are gradually fading away. It could be just the sound of wild chickens in the cassava fields/ The old, skinny jackfruit branches/ The lark innocently calls the morning/ On the pink grass branches/ The nightingale/ sings/ urging poetry to rise ( White Night in the Border Region ) [63; p.15]. That is also

is "a Ha Giang meal" with a dish of stewed mustard greens with silver music/ A dish of dried salted pork covered with soot/ And a bottle of wine with the strong aroma of corn , so that the poet is momentarily lost in thought, a feeling like returning to his family roots: I am absent-minded/ Meeting the familiar highlands again/ Meeting myself again/ Rough/ Rocky mountains/ The highlands ( Ha Giang Meal ) [63; p.28]. It could be the feeling of momentary loneliness every time the afternoon comes Looking at the red sun/ Also lonely, burning brightly? or the empty night Then looking at the twinkling stars/ That galaxy is anxiously fading away ( Happiness ) [63; p.34]. It is also the cold of the highlands that cannot be measured by a thermometer / Only measured by the red fire day and night ( Highlands ), or the old, slow but durable millstone, Slowly and steadily, The rhythm of the crum ( Back to the village ) ... Poet Hung Dinh Qui is troubled and worried about the social evils that are creeping into the lives of the Hmong people in the integration period. Those are the evils of alcohol and opium that are destroying the health and future of the very strong Hmong men ( Bitter alcohol, Harmful opium ...), the bad customs of the old society that still linger, persistently following the lives of the people like ghosts (Concubines, Ghosts and ignorance ); the blind and foolish belief in following the so-called "Golden Way" ( Don't be fooled) ... The poet warns his people with the attitude of a Hmong intellectual who always hopes for a bright future for his people, his nation ...

The Hmong are a people who love philosophy, " in Hmong poetry there is a very clear element of reason. The word "reason" is a word often seen in Hmong poetry. The Hmong are people who really want to know the reason, to distinguish right from wrong " [122]. Right from the folk source, that thoughtful, philosophical quality has been revealed. We often see in Hmong folk songs philosophies about life: Human life is like a radish drying in the sun , or: Human life is like a shadow slowly falling on the hill , or: Oh my dear!/ Life is suffering/ Death is broken [122]. Reflection and philosophy have become a characteristic of the Hmong people from tradition, and are the basis for creating a complex of contemplative inspiration in Hmong poetry in modern times. Each poet has his own way of thinking and contemplating about the world, life, and his own way of philosophizing is also very unique and distinctive. Poet Hung Dinh Qui is concerned with the traditional moral values and cultural quintessence of the Hmong people that have been preserved for generations. He advises the Hmong people to live faithfully and affectionately, and not to " fight over old chisels, use them, steal chipped knives, and look at them ". He affirms

establishes an eternal truth in the concept of life and death of the "Hmong people" (pez Hmong): If you die, die on a sharp blade/ Don't die behind a knife . He warns the Hmong people who have lost their way, who lack will, determination and faith in life: Only the toad cannot go all the way/ And return to die under his wife's feet. Ma A Lenh ponders the fate and future of his people, then contemplates and affirms: Where there is sky/ That is the Fatherland. He is satisfied and praises the choice of life as a unique feature of his people: The soft cradle is a rock in the middle of the mountains . Courage and will are the source of strength of the Hmong people. The image of a Hmong man with bare feet stepping on sharp rocks and a head of bare rock is a profound expression of that courage and will.

In short, Hmong poetry with its artistic inspiration polyphony has contributed to deeply and authentically revealing the people and life of the Hmong people in certain historical circumstances, like slices of the Hmong "soul melody" before the reality of life. The above mentioned inspiration polyphony does not exist independently but is interwoven and transformed on the journey from the past to the present. Each historical period has a dominant inspiration polyphony, but in general, the interweaving and combination of the above mentioned inspirations is the most complete and vivid depiction of the soul of the Hmong people, in its multifacetedness and with all its uniqueness and distinctiveness.

2.4. The movement and development of Hmong poetry is closely linked to the process of perceiving the world and people.

2.4.1. Concept of nature and the universe

Based on polytheism and a simple and innocent concept, Hmong folk poetry explains the origin of the universe in their own way. Unlike the Bible, which states that the universe and human beings were created by the great supreme being - God, the Hmong believe that the creation of the earth and the sky was the work of a specific person, Mr. Tray and Mrs. Tray:

Once upon a time, Ba Tray gave birth to the earth.

Mr. Tray created the sky... [122]

And that creation is a process, with an explanation that is consistent with the natural characteristics of the universe:

Mr. Tray told Mrs. Tray

I can make the vast earth, I can make the narrow sky.

We gather the earth to match our sky

Mrs. Tray just pushed the ground to match the sky, so the ground shrank into high mountains.

Newly sunk into seas, lakes, valleys ...[ 122]

The concept that the creator of the universe is a married couple is probably also a common concept of some other ethnic minorities. Mr. Tray and Mrs. Tray of the Hmong are similar to Mr. Pha and Mrs. Xo Cong Din of the Thai or Mr. Ket Do and Mrs. Ga Ghi of the Lo Lo, originating from the concept that human birth is taken as a model to explain the creation of the universe. However, it is somewhat different from the concept of the Dao people when explaining the origin of the universe as being born from a god. In the Dao people, it is Mr. Ban Co whose "head is the sky, feet are the earth". That is the concretization of the concept of "all things are one" - all things in the universe are born from one origin.

Thus, according to the Hmong people's concept, the creation of the earth and the sky is not due to the power of a single being, but the creation of this universe is the work of specific people, the result of a specific labor process. Not only the work of Mr. Tray and Mrs. Tray, but also the work of others: Gau A and Dau Au helped Mr. Tray and Mrs. Tray for a few years/The sky was full of enough/The earth was more full [122]. Such an explanation shows us one thing: Behind/inside the simple, innocent thoughts and perceptions of nature and the universe is a very positive perspective, affirming the great role of labor and community awareness in the process of creating nature and the universe. Because of that, nature and the universe become closer and more attached to people. That is not the infinite time of mythology but a finite time. Not the theory of a cataclysmic flood but a natural disaster causing drought to

test of human courage. Because when heaven and earth were born, there were nine suns and nine moons:

The sky is dry for seven months, the land is dry for seven years...

Fruit trees and flowers are bare of buds. Grass trees and flowers are rotten of roots.

The human world cannot make a living...

Faced with that situation, people wanting to maintain life had to:

Go cut down the ironwood tree, use the roots to make a pot, use the top as an arrow.

Split the pole in half, use it to make a bow, assemble it into a crossbow, and shoot down eight suns.

Shoot down eight moons ...[122]

Leaving only "the youngest moon and sun peeking behind the mountain".

The desire to conquer nature is also the desire to live of human beings, it is instinctive but stronger and greater than ever:

Giang Dua girl and Giang Du boy immediately took the black hammer

Grab the hammer

Smash the stone door of heaven Smash the stone door of heaven [122]

and from there revive plants, animals, and humans.

In relation to the Kinh people and some other ethnic groups when explaining the origin of mankind, the Hmong people have their own, very unique interpretation. The Kinh people have the concept of "compatriots" born from the legend of the egg sac of mother Au Co; the Dao people believe that their ancestor was a dog named Ban Dai Ho, while the Hmong people firmly believe that their ancestors were born from a "meat sac". Each piece cut from that meat sac becomes a nation, a family: a piece of meat is

A piece of meat stuck on a peach branch turned into a person with the Thao family, a piece of meat stuck on a plum branch turned into a person with the Ly family, a piece of meat falling into a goat pen turned into a person with the Giang family, a piece falling into a horse pen turned into a person with the Ma family... This explanation is deeply ingrained in the Hmong people's consciousness and greatly influences their rituals, customs, and their spiritual life.

Besides the concept of the creation of the universe, the Hmong also have a concept of nature associated with the miracles of heroes. From the beginning, the universe had 9 suns and 9 moons, forcing humans to face destruction. "The sun shines on the barren earth up to 3 meters of black soil; shines on the barren earth up to 3 meters of yellow soil...". Faced with that situation, Giang Du men and Giang Dua women bravely fought to "break open the door of heaven", cut down ancient trees to make bows and arrows to shoot the sun and the moon. Then the universe went dark, later thanks to the rooster, the sun was called up... In general, in general, the Hmong concept is also close to the concept of many other ethnic groups about nature and the universe. For example, the legend of "fighting the sky" of the Hmong is associated with the heroic actions of specific Hmong people. The images of Do and Ri, Giang Du boys, Giang Dua girls... converge the strength of the Hmong community, becoming magnificently beautiful images, reflecting the Hmong people's struggle to conquer nature.

The image of Mr. Than Nong (Si Di) as the one who teaches the Hmong people how to do business (grow rice, corn, food crops...), make clothes (grow flax, weave cloth), cure diseases... is highly respected in the traditional consciousness of the Hmong people.

Hmong folk poetry, especially ritual songs such as Tang ca (khua ke), used to send the souls of the dead to their resting place, clearly shows the Hmong people's concept of heaven and earth. This religious belief has greatly influenced the lives of the Hmong people since their tradition. It contributes to influencing the consciousness and character of the people, creating a mentality of inferiority, resignation, and awareness of their small and dependent status.

2.4.2. Concept of life and death

Ethnic history and living conditions have positively impacted the formation of the aesthetic sense of the Hmong people. Folk poetry - the voice of the soul

The soul of the Hmong people deeply and vividly reflects that aesthetic sense. The Hmong have a system of pairs of aesthetic and human categories such as: life-death, love-hate, friend-enemy... pushed to the extremes to create a Hmong character . The Hmong have a strong vitality, surviving through migrations full of tears and blood, through years of nomadic life in search of a free life, in extremely harsh living conditions, facing poverty, even death, they still live innocently, diligently and tirelessly in labor to maintain and improve their lives. Labor is the medicine to bring them back to life. From labor, the Hmong sing songs, praising life:

A hen lays one egg a day, fifteen days fifteen eggs and then incubates one batch of buffalo for eighteen days.

Incubate a batch of horses for nineteen days

Hatching chicks chirping [122]

The life of the Hmong people is closely linked to labor, closely linked to the long migration journey throughout history to preserve the life of the race from the oppression, domination, and killing and destruction of the Han people. The life of the Hmong people is so threatened that, in their folklore, there is a story that for just three corn seeds, the Hmong had to exchange their very loyal and devoted wife.

The life of the Hmong people in the past always went hand in hand with suffering and bitterness. Hmong folk songs have sayings about life and death that sound so heartbreaking: Oh people! Life is suffering/Death is brokenness . However, that does not mean that the Hmong people do not know how to cherish their lives. In the Hmong's Tang ca (Kruoz cê), there are two opening songs with the purpose of checking whether the deceased is really dead or just clinically dead to avoid injustice. The heartfelt lyrics express the attitude

cherish and love life: Am I really dead or am I pretending to be dead?/ If I pretend to be dead, then wake up/Wake up, take the plow and go break the hilly land, to make food for your children and grandchildren/Wake up, take the hoe and break the sloping land, to make clothes for your children and grandchildren/Oh dead people, please wake up!

on velvet! [28].

Life is so lovely and precious, but that does not mean the Hmong do not dare to face death. Perhaps few ethnic groups talk much about death.

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