THƠ DU KÝ TRONG “HẢI NGOẠI KỶ SỰ” CỦA THÍCH ĐẠI SÁN

Abstract

“Hai ngoai ky su” (Records of Overseas Encounters) is a work by the Buddhist monk Thích Đại Sán from Guangdong, China, written during his journey from China to Đại Việt in 1695 at the invitation of Lord Nguyễn Phúc Chu. The work is composed in the form of a travel memoir, interspersed with numerous poems and prose pieces such as memorials, declarations, petitions, letters, prefaces, reports, and ceremonial texts. The poetry in Hai ngoai ky su records the hardships encountered during the journey, as well as historical events, landscapes, people, and customs of Đàng Trong (Southern Vietnam) in the late 17th century. It also reflects the author's inner thoughts and emotions. This paper employs statistical, synthetic-analytical, comparative, and historical methods to analyze the poetic elements embedded within Hai ngoai ky su. Through this analysis, the study outlines the characteristics of travel poetry and the role of poetry within this memoir.