Vietnamese Proverbs, Folk Verses and Folk Songs

Vietnamese Proverbs, Folk Verses and Folk Songs (compiled by Vũ Ngọc Phan, 10th edition, 1997) combines scholarly study with an anthology of three genres of Vietnamese oral verse: proverbs (tục ngữ), folk verses (ca dao) and folk songs (dân ca). The author began gathering material in 1953, through his own collecting in different localities, recitations by fellow writers and artists, and selections from books and newspapers. First published in 1956, the book was revised and expanded in each later edition. Writing as a literary scholar, the author leaves aside melody and musical form and arranges the material by content for ease of reference. The book has six parts: the content and artistic form of proverbs, folk verses and folk songs; humans and nature; social relations, including verses from the resistance wars against the French and the Americans; folk songs; a selection of proverbs and folk verses of the upland ethnic peoples; and a conclusion. It remains a classic reference for the study of Vietnamese folk literature.