Cover of the historical novel Nguyễn Du by writer Nguyễn Thế Quang (Tre Publishing House, 2014) – illustration by Vietnamese artist Tạ Huy Long.
Bói Kiều as Creative Prompt
Treat bói Kiều as a creative prompt: let a couplet, scene, or character spark a new work that speaks from your life.
Image: Cover of the historical novel Nguyễn Du by writer Nguyễn Thế Quang (Tre Publishing House, 2014) – illustration by Tạ Huy Long.
Bói Kiều is the tradition of opening The Tale of Kiều at random for guidance. For Tracing Kiều, treat it as a prompt, not an answer. Let a couplet, scene, or character spark a new work that speaks from your life.
Some ideas to get started. Adapt, combine, or discover your own path:
Literal bói: open the poem at random and let the first couplet inspire a short text, an image sequence, a sound sketch, or a movement study.
Script or storyboard: outline a brief scene inspired by a couplet or character; focus on mood, action, and one pivotal moment.
Photo–text: pair a verse with an object or place from your life; let image and text carry equal weight.
Duet / parallel columns: set two voices side by side – Kiều and you, generations, or languages – and allow them to echo or cross.
Site response: map or photograph a local site of departure or return, layering traces from the poem such as journeys or motifs.
Counter-portrait: inhabit the inner voice of a side figure like Hoạn Thư or Từ Hải, or an overlooked witness; add a single image if useful.
Kiều found me some 30 years ago in a bookshop, and followed me across continents since. Tracing Kiều is about opening that encounter to others – letting the poem find each of us in new ways today.
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