“Yem”
Le Hong An
First of all, I would like to make distinction between the Yem ( the former Vietnamese women’s brassier ) and the brassier presently worn by the modern women. Though similar, they are very different in many aspects. In a country of agriculture as Viet nam, yem can be considered as a singlet at home. It is varied in size and color. It was a sort of handy made produce . Traditionally, at the age of puberty, with the assistance of her mother, a Vietnamese girl should know how to make yem for herself.
Nowadays, a yem-wearing woman seems to be unfashionable in the eye of the modern women. It is only found available at showrooms of museums or at traditional music shows. And regrettably yem has become something of the past.
However, not long ago, yem played an important role in the spiritual life
of country women. The image of yem symbolized the love of the Vietnamese women, which is enshrined
in verses of folklore. In the past, the yem - wearing women beautifully performed music shows at the traditional festivals which were held in front yard of the
village communal house ( dinh lang), or
at religious ceremonies in the temples or pagodas. And on those occasions, yem was referred to as
a beauty that could conquer all male heart of whoever they are.
There ‘re three girls carrying rice to donate the pagoda
The charm of maidenin scarlet yem distracts the monk’s heart
( Ba co doi gao len chua/ Mot co yem tham bo bua cho su)
And, when the time to be in love was coming, the maiden in country should find a language suitable to speak for her secret feeling and desire. Impacted by the ideology of the feudal regime, a young girl who directly expressed her affection to the guy she loved, was regarded as to be unvirtuous . And, therefore, yem was smartly used to speak for her.
(I)Wish the river were one - span narrow
(I should) Build the bridge with the ribs ofyem, and invite you to be with me.
( Uoc gi song hep tay gang/Bac cau giai yem cho chang sang choi)
It is a bold and tender invitation. And it is also original. These beautiful verses also remind us of the image of an ill - fated woman as a starling from cadao (folklore. )
In fact, love and desire did not always match. So yem could be used as an argumentation for the questions, right or wrong, the former partners had to confront.
The man:
“The opening of yellow chrysanthemum turns out to be in purpleone
Damn all! Getting married with other, return yem to me”
( Hoa cuc vang no ra hoa cuc tim/ Em lay chong roi tra yem cho anh)
The woman:
“Let’s see the yellow chrysanthemum opening may be in green
I wear the yem of my own, now you have no right to claim ”
( Hoa cuc vang no ra hoa cuc xanh/ Yem em mac co gi anh, anh doi)
Shocked by the fact that his girl got married, he did a foolish thing by asking her of the sensitive gift. It is understandable. But his girl’s attitude is also understandable: forget the past. But the past with a lot of things shared by the couple will be unforgettable. Whenever she wears yem, that will obsess her. It is mysterious of love.
