Abstract

Nguyen Trai (1380–1442) was a distinguished author of medieval Vietnamese literature as well as an eminent thinker, statesman, diplomat, and cultural figure. Drawing primarily on Uc Trai thi tap, this article examines the intellectual origins and ideological and aesthetic manifestations of patriotism, loyalty to the monarch, and filial piety in Nguyen Trai’s Classical Chinese poetry. The analysis demonstrates that these ideas extended beyond the conventional ethical categories of Confucianism and were adapted to the Vietnamese context through the principles of ensuring peace for the people, maintaining close ties with them, regarding them as the foundation of the state, and establishing social stability through virtuous governance. Patriotism, loyalty to the monarch, and filial piety thus constitute central elements of the Three Fundamental Bonds, the Five Constant Virtues, and Nguyen Trai’s ideal of active engagement in public life.

Keywords: Confucianism, Dai Viet Confucian scholar, filial piety, loyalty to the monarch, Nguyen Trai, patriotism, Uc Trai thi tap.