Let's not forget the legacy of our ancestors!

QTO - Nearly four years have passed since Professor Tran Ich Nguyen (National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan), after extensive research, announced that the author of the "Collection of Poems on the Mission" was the renowned figure Nguyen The Truc (also known as Nguyen Viet Truc, a son of Loc An village, An Thuy commune, Le Thuy district, former Quang Binh province, now Le Thuy commune, Quang Tri province). Since then, alongside the book "Nguyen The Truc's Collection of Poems on the Mission and Family History" published by Professor Tran Ich Nguyen in Taiwan in 2024, the Nguyen The family has strived to release "The Renowned Figure Nguyen The Truc and the Collection of Poems on the Mission" in 2025. However, the journey to make Nguyen The Truc and his "Collection of Poems on the Mission" more widely known in his homeland still faces many challenges.

Book launch ceremony for "The renowned figure Nguyen The Truc and his poetic journey" - Photo: M. Nhan

A rare document from the Tay Son period.

Right from the introduction to the book "The Famous Figure Nguyen The Truc and His Poetry Collection on Diplomatic Missions," Associate Professor Dr. Tran Thi Bang Thanh stated: Literature during the Tay Son period also achieved some memorable accomplishments. Among them, the poetry of diplomatic missions is a noteworthy achievement of this poetic genre during the Tay Son era. In its 24 years of existence, the Tay Son dynasty sent official envoys to the Qing dynasty four times, in 1789, 1790, 1793, and 1795.

Politically , those four diplomatic missions accomplished crucial tasks: establishing friendly relations between the two dynasties, averting the threat of a "snowy war" with the Qing dynasty, and giving the Tay Son dynasty time to focus on restoring the country and rebuilding the kingdom. In terms of poetry written during these missions, the works of the envoys also achieved brilliant successes.

According to Professor Tran Ich Nguyen's statistics, the "Viet Nam Han Van Yen Hanh Van Hien Tap Thanh" (Collection of Poems Written by Vietnamese Officials on Missions) comprises 25 volumes, collecting poems written by Vietnamese envoys during the medieval period. Nine of these collections are from the Tay Son dynasty, featuring notable figures such as Phan Huy Ich and Ngo Thi Nham. It can be said that the poetry of Vietnamese envoys during the Tay Son period flourished, and the "Su Trinh Thi Tap" (Collection of Poems Written by Envoys) has a particularly significant history. Due to lingering doubts surrounding the authorship of this collection, research on it remains quite cautious.

It wasn't until Professor Tran Ich Nguyen resolved this issue, contributing a "new face" to the tradition of diplomatic poetry, that researchers could explore many aspects and study various issues in literature, history, society, and even the poetry collection itself (as Associate Professor Tran Thi Bang Thanh noted). The collection also contributed a unique poetic voice to the literary achievements of the Tay Son period, preserving data that contributed to the study of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China during the Tay Son era.

The book "The Famous Figure Nguyen The Truc and His Poetic Journey" - Photo: Provided by the author.

The renowned figure Nguyen The Truc was a remarkable individual, serving as an official throughout three eras: the Nguyen Lords, the Tay Son Dynasty, and the Nguyen Dynasty. It is rare to find someone so trusted and highly regarded, enjoying such a smooth and successful career spanning such conflicting periods. Under the Nguyen Lords, he was the District Magistrate of Le Thuy; under the Tay Son Dynasty, he was the Marquis of Truc Luong; then he became the Grand Officer of Vinh Loc, Minister of Justice; and during the reign of Emperor Gia Long, from the very first year of the dynasty, he served as the Deputy Minister of Justice and the Vice-Director of the National Academy.

In particular, according to the "Nguyen The Clan Genealogy," it can be said that the period of Nguyen The Truc's life as an official during the Tay Son dynasty was the most fulfilling time of his life. The village of Loc An still recounts the anecdote that, at the moment the Tay Son army disintegrated, Nguyen The Truc did not choose to grovel or flee, but instead sat alone in a hut by the Gianh River, calmly drinking wine and waiting for the Nguyen army to arrive. This act, this defiant spirit, moved Emperor Gia Long, who not only pardoned him from the death penalty but also highly valued him.

Not only was he an outstanding politician, military strategist, and diplomat, but he was also a renowned economist and poet. His collection of poems, "Sứ trình thi tập" (Collection of Poems on the Mission), was composed when he was chosen by King Cảnh Thịnh to accompany Ngô Thì Nhậm as an envoy to the Qing Dynasty in 1793 to report the death of King Quang Trung and request the investiture of King Cảnh Thịnh. This is a valuable literary work reflecting the diplomatic and literary exchanges between Vietnam and China in the late 18th century. Given the scarcity of historical records from the Tây Sơn period, "Sứ trình thi tập" is a rare source of information that will help future generations better understand this complex historical period.

"Encompassing" the feelings of a loyal and filial child.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Tran Thi Bang Thanh, Nguyen The Truc's diplomatic mission with Ngo Thi Nham was very rushed and hurried, lasting only a little over half a year, yet he still managed to write a collection of poems, averaging almost daily output, on par with Ngo Thi Nham's "Hoang Hoa Do Pha". This demonstrates that Nguyen The Truc was a quick-witted, poetic person with a poetic soul.

Reading "The Poetry Collection of the Mission," one can picture him as a simple, optimistic, and serene man, free from worries, yet possessing unwavering resolve and a firm belief that unwavering loyalty would overcome all dangers and accomplish all difficult tasks. Therefore, despite the arduous and challenging journey, he remained calm, cheerful, and detached, observing, recognizing, and absorbing into his poetic vision the beauty of the mountains and rivers of his neighboring country. His greatest conviction was unwavering loyalty, and his deepest longing was for his homeland and family, hoping to fulfill his mission of "not disgracing the king's command," preserving national honor, and returning home as soon as possible.

Generations of the Nguyen The family in Loc An village are proud of the renowned figure Nguyen The Truc and his "Collection of Poems on the Mission" - Photo: M. Nhan

This is clearly evident in poems such as: "Passing through Hoanh Son," "Passing through Thanh Hoa coastal area," "Records of observations in Tuyen Hoa," etc. In particular, poem number 74 in the collection, "Sentiments on the Ancestor's Commemoration Day," depicts the moment when Nguyen The Truc was on a diplomatic mission to China. On the anniversary of his grandfather Nguyen The Truong's death (who was a high-ranking official during the Nguyen dynasty), he was unable to return and instead expressed his feelings through these verses.

" Nostalgia for my homeland brings sorrow and grief."

The ancestral name is Du Du, a single thought.

Seven years after the death of his son, he was separated from him by a great distance.

Even after traveling thousands of miles, one still cannot fully comprehend the truth.

My career and achievements are as fortunate as they are today.

A warm and welcoming home is built upon a foundation of tradition.

From ancient times, the people of this region have held their own positions.

"The emperor possesses both loyalty and filial piety; who is he to rely on? "

Translate the poem:

" Missing my homeland, my heart suddenly fills with sadness."

On the anniversary of his death, entertaining guests only makes the heart ache more.

Seven years have passed since the death of my son, yet we are still far apart.

The ancestral hall was far from empty, lacking vegetable porridge.

The careers that our descendants have achieved today...

The gratitude we feel towards our ancestors deepens with each passing moment.

I am a son, and my duties keep me busy traveling around.

"It's not easy to be both loyal and filial ."

(Translated by Nguyen The Duc)

Furthermore, as Associate Professor Dr. Tran Thi Bang Thanh noted, the poetry collection also preserves for China the appearance of some famous historical sites and temples that have now been altered even in their original locations, such as the Yellow Crane Tower and the Yueyang Tower from the Tang Dynasty, which later only have Qing Dynasty architecture remaining... These are poems like: "Climbing the Yellow Crane Tower," "Climbing the Yueyang Tower"... In addition, many historical sites and scenic spots of China are also gracefully and elegantly included in Nguyen The Truc's poetry, such as: "Recording the Scenic Spots of Xiaoxiang," "Looking at Jiuyi Mountain," "Crossing the Yellow River," "Traveling to Xuan Tian Mountain"...

With 150 poems in classical Chinese, "The Envoy's Poetry Collection" remains a "treasure trove of knowledge" awaiting research and exploration by scholars and researchers. As Professor Tran Ich Nguyen shared: "Regarding the role and position of Nguyen The Truc's 'Envoy's Poetry Collection' in the history of Vietnamese literature, as well as its important value in the study of the history and diplomacy of the Tay Son dynasty with the Qing dynasty of China, further exploration is still needed in the future." Bringing the renowned figure Nguyen The Truc and his works closer to the public requires even stronger attention to avoid forgetting the legacy of our ancestors and to ensure it is not merely a "private matter" of the Nguyen The family.

Dr. Nguyen The Hoan, head of the Nguyen The clan in Loc An village, said that recently, the clan donated the book "The Famous Figure Nguyen The Truc and His Poetic Journey" to the Provincial Library with the hope of continuing to spread the spirit of the famous figure to future generations of readers. The clan hopes to receive even more attention so that the famous figure Nguyen The Truc and his works will live on, a testament to the spirit, intellect, and courage of a son of Quang Tri province. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism is currently preparing documents to recognize the tombs of Nguyen The Truong and Nguyen The Truc as a provincial-level historical relic.

Mai Nhan

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa/202605/de-khong-lang-quen-di-san-tien-nhan-c3f4717/