Vè

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Vè (Nom: 噅) or Đồng dao (Han: 童謠) is a traditional Vietnamese form of short poems and songs for children. It is playful and often funny, and is used to poke fun at people or situations as a gentle social commentary. Vè is usually performed with percussion.

A vè consists of rhyming couplets. The final syllable of every other line rhymes with the final syllable of the next line, creating a quick, catchy rhythm called nhịp đuổi.

The topics are everyday life, work, love, and playful mischief. The language is simple and full of sound games, making it easy to chant or sing. Many traditional vè verses are handed down through families and communities, sometimes written in older Vietnamese scripts.