Truyền kỳ mạn lục

The Truyền kỳ mạn lục (傳奇漫錄, "Casual Records of Transmitted Strange Tales") is a 16th-century Vietnamese historical text, in part a collection of legends, by Nguyễn Dữ (阮嶼) composed in Classical Chinese.

The preface of Tân biên Truyền kỳ mạn lục tăng bổ giải âm tập chú (chữ Hán: 新編傳奇漫錄增補解音集註) was written by Hà Thiện Hán (何善漢) and edited by Nguyễn Lập Phu (阮立夫), 其錄乃洪州之嘉福人。阮嶼所著。公前朝進士翔縹之長子也。[a]少劬于學。博覧彊記。欲以文章世其家。粵領鄉薦。累中會試場。宰于清泉縣。纔得一稔。辭邑養母。以全孝道。足不踏城市。凡幾餘霜。於是筆斯錄以寓意焉。觀其文辭不出宗吉藩籬之外。[b]然有警戒者。有規箴焉。其有關於世教。豈小補云。峕[c] 永定初年[d] 秋七月穀日。大安何善漢謹誌。 後學松州阮立夫編。 Kỳ lục nãi Hồng Châu chi Gia Phúc nhân.

Quan kỳ văn từ bất xuất Tông Cát phiên ly chi ngoại.

After obtaining his provincial examination qualification, he passed the metropolitan exams several times and was appointed as a magistrate in Thanh Tuyền county.

However, after only one season, he resigned to care for his mother, fulfilling his filial duties, and he avoided setting foot in the city for several years.

Observing his writings, one sees that they do not stray beyond the confines of the ancestral teachings of Confucius, yet they offer warnings and admonitions.

Recorded on an auspicious day in the seventh month of autumn, in the early years of Vĩnh Định, respectfully inscribed by Hà Thiện Hán of Đại An.