Nam quốc sơn hà

Nam quốc sơn hà (chữ Hán: 南國山河, lit. 'Mountains and Rivers of the Southern Country') is a famous 10th- to 11th-century Vietnamese patriotic poem. Dubbed "Vietnam's first Declaration of Independence",^[1] it asserts the sovereignty of Vietnam's rulers over its lands. The poem was first dictated to be read aloud before and during battles to boost army morale and nationalism when Vietnam, under Lê Đại Hành, fought against the Song dynasty's invasion in 981 and later, under Lý Thánh Tông and Lý Thường Kiệt, fought against another Song invasion in 1075–1076. The poem would become became an emblematic hymn in the early independence wars.^[2] The poem is one of the best-known pieces of Vietnamese literature.^[3]

The poem's exact authorship, origin, and style of writing are still controversial. According to K.W. Taylor, the account of the poem comes from the 14th-century Buddhist scripture Thiền uyển tập anh and if the story of the poem is true, then the poem could not have been sung in the form it currently exists today. The poem is written in Classical Chinese in the form of an oracle following Tang-style rules that would have been unintelligible for Viet soldiers. It would also be the only literary work known to have been written by Lý Thường Kiệt, who was not a literary man. The story of singing in temples to boost military morale prior to battle is plausible, but whether or not it was this specific poem that was sung cannot be answered. It is possible that it was written after the event.^[4][5]