Three meetings with Huu Loan

Poet Huu Loan during his lifetime. Photo: Archival material.

During Huu Loan's lifetime, I met him three times, and all three times left unforgettable impressions on me. The first time was in 1988, when I met Huu Loan in Quy Nhon, the capital of Nghia Binh province. Huu Loan had come down from Lam Dong to Quy Nhon, and he was very happy to see us. I saw this as an opportunity to organize a poetry reading for Huu Loan. I spoke to Mr. The Ky, who was then in charge of the Quy Nhon cultural center, and asked him to organize a poetry reading night since the poet Huu Loan was visiting Nghia Binh.

That poetry reading was truly moving. When people learned that Huu Loan would be reciting poetry, many in the audience, including passersby, rickshaw drivers, and bicycle taxi drivers, came to watch simply because they loved the name Huu Loan so much, even though they had never met him. Huu Loan and we were a resounding success at that poetry reading for the working people. Sitting with him, drinking a few glasses of Bau Da wine, I realized that Huu Loan was a man of hidden talents.

At first glance, it's difficult to gauge the inner strength of this man who possessed both the dignified bearing of a wise sage and the appearance of a mountain woodcutter. Indeed, Huu Loan had once done work heavier than that of a woodcutter: he hauled carts loaded with stones to earn a living and support his family during difficult times. But he was also a scholar during the French colonial era, well-versed in classical Chinese studies, and a poet of considerable stature. With just one poem, "The Purple of Sim Flowers," Huu Loan captivated generations of poetry readers, both in the North and the South of Vietnam.

Contributing to the promotion of that immortal poem were two songs set to it, one by Pham Duy and the other by Dung Chinh. Pham Duy's version seems more "scholarly," while Dung Chinh's is more popular (bolero). But both songs became very widely popular among the people.

The second time I met Huu Loan was in 1989, in Quang Ngai . At that time, Quang Ngai had just been divided into provinces, and my family had moved from Quy Nhon to Quang Ngai. Life was difficult, but meeting Huu Loan always brought joy, because our difficulties were nothing compared to the hardships Huu Loan had endured for so many years. I was so happy to see him that I took him along to read poetry at schools. Huu Loan's voice was so warm and deep, with a distinct Thanh Hoa accent. But reading poetry didn't seem to be his "profession"; it was just something he did when we were on the river. What I enjoyed most about spending time with Huu Loan was listening to him talk.

From distant matters to the immediate ones, from the I Ching to the poetry of Du Fu, this old poet possesses a vast storehouse of knowledge, constantly pondered and accumulated by him. This knowledge is the result of experience, not academic scholarship; it is deeply rooted in life. Huu Loan is composed and humble, his voice soft yet resonant.

The third time I met Huu Loan was at the 1995 Writers' Congress. It was his first official appearance at a Writers' Association congress after nearly 40 years of absence. There was a great atmosphere, with writers of all generations crowding around him. Huu Loan was constantly offered... beer. At that congress, there was always a stall outside the hall serving delicious draft beer to the writers. Sitting next to the poet My Da, Huu Loan looked very cheerful. His voice was still genuine and soft. When I asked him if he liked My Da, Huu Loan smiled shyly, very endearingly.

Now, whenever I think of and remember Huu Loan, I feel as if he's a thousand miles away, even though Thanh Hoa is right on National Highway 1. Because even when I was near Huu Loan, I still felt a sense of "Huu Loan being a thousand miles away." He was as distant as the image of an immortal, yet as close as a farmer who had just finished plowing. That thousand miles was so close, yet so within reach. It's been 15 years since I said goodbye to him, and I remember three times I met him; those were three fortunate encounters in my life.

THANH THAO

Source: https://baodanang.vn/channel/5433/202504/ba-lan-gap-huu-loan-4004800/