1. In August 1945, poet and revolutionary To Huu - an outstanding son of his hometown Quang Tho - Quang Dien - Thua Thien Hue, just turned 25 years old, was assigned by the Party and Uncle Ho to return to his hometown to take on the role of Chairman of the Thua Thien Provincial Uprising Committee, to lead the Viet Minh province and the people to rise up to seize power, breaking the colonial-feudal shackles according to the plan of the Tan Trao National Congress.

Tens of thousands of people from Thua Thien Hue and the National Salvation Army marched to Hue Stadium in August 1945. Photo: Archive

As a famous poet and revolutionary activist from the 30s and 40s of the 20th century, with his passionate poems, awakening the conscience of many generations of people living under a brutal regime, truly reflecting the miserable life of people who lost their country: "The country is lost, the home is broken, life is so miserable/If you don't want to be a slave, stand up ", or "Oh my God, when will I stop/My body will be tortured by humiliation for five nights..." .

Right from the beginning of 1945, when the Vietnamese revolution faced a favorable opportunity, World War II was coming to an end, the poet predicted that a new opportunity would open up for the Vietnamese people through the poem Spring Comes , affirming the belief in certain victory: “Hey friend! Cheer up, At Dau/ It will be the year of uprising, the year of success!/ Today's sky is as gray as winter/ Who can stop the bright green spring/ Who can stop the flocks of birds determined to win/ Coming here to bask in the rosy spring sunshine?”…

That sensitivity and delicate poetic soul were right when, in mid-August 1945, the fascist axis was defeated all over the world, Japanese fascists surrendered to the Allies, opening up a great opportunity for the Vietnamese revolution to rise up in a General Uprising to seize power for the people under the leadership of the Party. What greater joy could there be! The joy of joy, the joy of reunion of change.

2. Seizing that favorable opportunity, in mid-August 1945, the Hue Uprising Committee was quickly established with poet To Huu as Chairman and comrade Hoang Anh as Vice Chairman. As Chairman of the Thua Thien Uprising Committee, he was born, grew up and worked in Hue, and was also the person who directly led and directed the people of Hue to rise up and seize power. At that time, with the surging emotions of a romantic revolutionary poet, poet To Huu could not ignore the emotional moments, the joy bursting out in the source of emotions to write the best, most truthful and vivid verses to reflect the reality that the poet and the whole nation had been waiting for. With the emotional state and awareness of a poet, a professional revolutionary, To Huu wrote a lifetime poem about the seething spirit of the August Revolution in 1945, which To Huu himself later affirmed: "Perhaps in the history of Thua Thien Hue, there has never been such a big and beautiful festival" . The poem was originally titled August 23, 1945 , and was first published in the Light Magazine (the Propaganda and Agitation Agency of the Marxist-Leninist Research Association, namely the Communist Party of Indochina in Hue), special issue, published on August 19, 1946 (Commemorating the first anniversary of the August Revolution). Later, the poet himself edited some words and renamed the poem Hue in August, and it was printed together in the collection From That.

The August Revolution broke out not only to usher in national independence, but also to end nearly 100 years of colonialism and imperialism and thousands of years of feudal monarchy. The revolutionary spirit of the people of Hue was burning, seething with anticipation of a victorious transformation, “ Raising the red flag, the scent of blood is fresh!”

Because on August 21, the Uprising Committee sent an ultimatum to King Bao Dai , forcing him to abdicate, hand over power to the revolutionary government, as well as ensure the lives and property of the royal family, the poet described " His Majesty the King tonight in the jade palace/Riding upstairs, looking up, feeling agitated/Thousands of stars... coldly permeating the royal robe/He shivered, thinking he was standing on the top of an island/The loneliness in the midst of the wind and the stormy sea "...

Immediately after that was the affirmation that the transfer of power between the Nguyen Dynasty and the revolutionary government was not an overthrow, but a historical inevitability, because it was in accordance with the will of the people: " A throne cannot conquer the country/ The hearts of the people are filled with hatred/ The blood of liberation has boiled in the hearts of humanity/ You must step down, tonight you are happy with defeat/ So that the whole people can win and keep the throne/ You must step down, so that the people can advance, the country will remain.../ You have decided not to be a slave king/ To step down to be a citizen of a completely independent country" .

And on the afternoon of August 23, 1945, at Hue Stadium, tens of thousands of people gathered neatly under the forest of revolutionary flags. Representing the Uprising Committee, poet To Huu read a speech declaring power in the hands of the People. To Huu was a new historical witness who deeply understood the great change that the people of the whole country had achieved after so many years of bloodshed and decapitation... so he joyfully shouted: " Now Hue, oh Hue! The old shackles have broken/ Fly up! Our mountains and rivers are now... " and " I fell into the torrent of people/ Oh paradise! My ears are filled with music/ From all directions, the footsteps pounded/ Vietnam, Vietnam! Long live Vietnam!".

Not only Hue in August , the earth-shaking revolution was vividly and truthfully described by poet To Huu, but the seething spirit of the people of Hue during the uprising days 79 years ago was also vividly portrayed by the poet in the poem Motherland , with a rising tide and pouring waterfall atmosphere "August rise up our Hue/Oh Quang Phong, Huong Thuy, Huong Tra/Phu Vang, Phu Loc, the ferry boat goes up to Hue/The river is red with bustling songs"... truly creating a heroic and indomitable Hue in August.

Nguyen Dinh Dung