Story – Laments from the Royal Harem

This series is inspired from the poem “Laments From the Royal Harem” written in the 18th century, by Nguyễn Gia Thiều.

The poet tells the destiny a woman of the royal harem which was similar to his own. First a favorite of the king, she had been abandoned, falling into an oblivion made of misery and bitterness.

As a metaphor but also a goddess, the moon is used to describe the inner sentiment of a fragile beauty. The concubine invokes it as her friend who can share her sadness.

The poem has about 15 occurrences of “Moon” which can be expressed with many words in Vietnamese: nguyệt, hằng, trăng.

Verse 17. “My perfume would captivate moon and flower,” (Hương trời đắm nguyệt say hoa)

Verse 33. “The fall moon yet unveiled its cool radiance;” (Nền đỉnh chung nguyệt gác mơ màng)

Verse 113. “I would be a friend of fresh wind and clear moon” (Lấy gió mát trăng thanh kết nghĩa)

Verse 141 “The feather gowns scintillated in the moon.” (Áo vũ kia lấp ló trong trăng)

About the iconography , some photos are also referring to the painting Ophelia done by British artist Sir John Everett Millais. It depicts Ophelia, a character from William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, singing before she drowns in a river.

This series has been done in the day of the longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century on Friday, July 27 – 2018 in the region of Hue.

In the calm and magnificent landscape of mountains and waters, it tells the transition from day to night, from twilight to moonlight evoking the fate of the princess as ineluctable.