Seventy years of echoing Viet Bac poem

During the resistance war against France (1945 - 1954), Viet Bac was used to refer to a large area north of Hanoi, including 6 provinces. These are Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang . It is often shortened to Cao - Bac - Lang - Thai - Tuyen - Ha for easy remembering. However, Viet Bac in To Huu's poem is not only a land in Vietnam, but also the homeland of revolutionary children, considered the cradle of the Vietnamese revolution. With a special geographical location built into a revolutionary base, the six provinces in the Viet Bac base are strategically located in terms of politics and military. Because in this place, Uncle Ho and the Party Central Committee and the Resistance Government established the Viet Minh front, prepared armed forces for the successful August general uprising and later advanced to take over the capital, restoring peace in the North.

Major General Chu Van Tan, President Ho Chi Minh , General Vo Nguyen Giap at Viet Bac Base (February 1951)

In the atmosphere of victory and having to say goodbye to the people in the revolutionary base to return to the capital Hanoi, from the beginning to the end of the poem Viet Bac, poet To Huu took artistic inspiration from the country's major historical events such as the Geneva Agreement signed on July 21, 1954, the Agreement declared the end of colonialism, restored peace in the three Indochinese countries (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia); especially after the historic victory of Dien Bien Phu, which resounded throughout the world and shook the world, the North was completely liberated. In October 1954, our troops entered to take over the capital Hanoi. At the same time, the central government headed by leader Ho Chi Minh and the Party leadership said goodbye to the revolutionary base Viet Bac, said goodbye to the passionately patriotic and revolutionary people of Viet Bac to return to the capital Hanoi. At that time, Viet Bac was born as a necessity in the artistic creation journey of the great poet To Huu. That was a very proud and heroic period in the history of our country Vietnam. Therefore, the poem Viet Bac is considered an epic imbued with revolutionary lyricism to praise the country and people of the Viet Bac war zone with great contributions to the victorious resistance war against the French colonialists.

The birth of Viet Bac marked a golden page in history in the journey to glory of the People, the Communist Party and the Vietnamese Revolution, in which the people's feelings for the revolution and the revolutionary cadres' feelings for the people stood out. Right from the beginning of the poem, with only the first eight verses, To Huu fully expressed the nostalgia, the yearning, and longing of the Viet Bac people for the revolutionary cadres:

I go home, do you miss me?

Those fifteen years were passionate and sweet.

I'm back, will you remember?

Looking at the tree, remember the mountain, looking at the river, remember the source?

Whose voice is so passionate by the sandbank?

Feeling restless, walking away

Indigo shirt brings separation

Holding hands, what to say today...

“Those fifteen years” is a long period of time in the history of the resistance war against France, a period of close attachment between the revolutionary base, the revolutionary headquarters and the people of Viet Bac.

During the period of “those fifteen years”, the Vietnamese revolution and the people of Viet Bac were united in sharing joys and sorrows, “sharing a bowl of rice and a blanket”, fighting together, overcoming many difficulties and hardships. Recalling the days of “those fifteen years”, To Huu aimed to express his respect for the people of Viet Bac during the days in the revolutionary base. Through that, the author expressed his heart filled with affection between the revolution and the people and between the people and the revolution.

With lyrical verses, rich in melody and profound images, To Huu's Viet Bac affirmed: When returning to the capital Hanoi, living in a new situation, the resistance cadres always remembered the deep affection they had for the land and people of the Viet Bac resistance zone. The poem Viet Bac is therefore an expression of the loyal and close-knit feelings of the revolutionary cadres from the capital Hanoi remembering their compatriots in the resistance capital Viet Bac.

Viet Bac was born in a very special historical context, the time when the border between the war ended in half of the country and peace was coming. Therefore, the poem fully contained the sincere emotions and feelings of the author To Huu. And that is also the feeling of the revolutionaries, of the resistance fighters towards the beloved Viet Bac compatriots.

At the end of the poem Viet Bac , To Huu devoted heartfelt verses to praising the merits of President Ho Chi Minh, the Party, and the revolution for leading the country to successfully complete the resistance war against French invaders, and for showing the way for our people to glorious victory.

I go back to Uncle Ho on the way down

Please tell Viet Bac that we will never forget you.

Remembering the Old Man with Bright Eyes

Brown shirt with canvas pocket, incredibly beautiful!

Remembering you in the early morning

Leisurely riding on the stream

Remembering his footsteps walking up the pass

You go, the mountains and forests look after your shadow...

Our hearts are forever grateful to the Party

Back and forth, two faces one word parallel.

A thousand years ago, the Hong mountains and rivers

And here, the Party's grace will last forever.

It is the boundless pride that creates the heroic yet lyrical revolutionary quality of the poem Viet Bac . Therefore, over the past seventy years, Viet Bac has always maintained its position as one of To Huu's most outstanding poems. With its great value in content and art, the poem Viet Bac is regularly included in the 12th grade literature program and has been used to name an important collection of poems by To Huu, the collection Viet Bac along with his other typical collections of poems such as From That, Windy Wind, Going to Battle and Blood and Flowers.

Poet To Huu was born in 1920 and died in 2000, his birth name was Nguyen Kim Thanh, from Phu Lai village, now Quang Tho commune, Quang Dien district, Thua Thien-Hue province. He was born into a Confucian family in Hue and had a tradition of poetry and literature, but was enlightened early and followed the revolution. To Huu was an enthusiastic revolutionary, he was once imprisoned in French colonial prisons. Poet To Huu held many important positions in the leadership of the Party and the State. His artistic and poetic career was closely linked to his revolutionary career as an inseparable unity. Each of his works, including the poetry collection Viet Bac, marked a revolutionary stage for him and the country.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bay-muoi-nam-ngan-vang-bai-tho-viet-bac-185241018182546551.htm