Choking up listening to 'the poems that shaped the country'

One August night, the audience choked up listening to the 'poems that shaped the country' by Nguyen Dinh Thi, Nguyen Khoa Diem, Chinh Huu, Le Anh Xuan, Nguyen Duc Mau... of a special era.

General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defense attended the program Poems that shape the country - Photo: Organizing Committee

Amidst the extremely bustling 'national concerts' of these days celebrating the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day, September 2, artists in military uniform also have their own way of celebrating, not grand but majestic and profound, like the way poetry often quietly accompanies people.

That is the art program Poems that shape the country, organized by the Army Literature and Arts magazine in collaboration with the People's Army Publishing House, the Army Music and Dance Theater and the Army Radio and Television Center on the evening of August 14 in Hanoi .

General Phan Van Giang - Minister of National Defense - attended the program with many military artists, soldiers and poetry lovers.

Many performances were elaborately staged - Photo: T.DIEU

Poems that shape the country

Listening to the program, the audience was moved to realize that the country's shape was not only built up by the blood and bones of soldiers; by "mothers who wear shirts instead of rice grains and potatoes, persistently raising their husbands and children to fight"; by "beautiful girls and boys like roses, hard as steel, not shedding tears when apart, saving their tears for the day they meet again"...

The image of the country is also drawn by verses distilled from the passionate patriotism of Vietnamese people in a special era, especially poets in soldier uniforms.

From left to right: poets Vuong Trong, Nguyen Khoa Diem, Pham Sy Sau interact in the program - Photo: T.DIEU

According to the organizers, over the past 80 years, military artists in general and poets in soldier uniforms in particular have been present in all parts of the country, from difficult border areas to fierce battlefields, to write immortal epics about soldiers, the Fatherland, and the people.

Carrying sincere emotions and noble ideals, they have portrayed the image of the country through each verse that is both authentic, heroic, profound, and sacred, creating an indelible mark in the hearts of readers through many generations.

As poet Nguyen Khoa Diem shared in the program, from 1964 he went to the South to fight until the day the country was reunified . During those years, he did not think he would write poetry.

His and his comrades' first and highest goal was to fight for peace and unity. But writing poetry was also a fight for peace and territorial integrity, so he and many of his comrades took up writing.

Thanks to that, the Vietnamese language and the Vietnamese people have extremely passionate and heroic poems about their country, such as the poem "Country" written by soldier Nguyen Khoa Diem, which today our children still recite with pride and sacred emotion.

The program brings many emotions to viewers - Photo: T.DIEU

Forever resounding verses of steel and love

In addition to Nguyen Khoa Diem's Country , in the program, People's Artist Van Chuong, People's Artist Ta Tuan Minh, People's Artist Vuong Ha, Meritorious Artist Khuat Quynh Hoa, People's Artist Hong Hanh, singer Viet Danh... brought poems and songs that have stood the test of time.

The audience choked up listening to Uncle Ho's immense love, music and lyrics by Thuan Yen; the suite " The Party's Shape" embedded in the country's shape, excerpts from poems by authors Che Lan Vien, To Huu, Nguyen Dinh Thi, Xuan Dieu; "Comrade" by Chinh Huu, "Hoan Ho Chinh Si Dien Bien" by To Huu;

A soldier talks about his generation by Thanh Thao; Vietnam's posture by Le Anh Xuan; Vam Co Dong by Hoai Vu, We fight for you to live forever, Vietnam, by Nam Ha, Meeting you again by Nguyen Dinh Chien, When the rainy season passes by Pham Sy Sau, excerpt from the poem Fatherland seen from the sea by Nguyen Viet Chien.

Until Mother in the Field by Vuong Trong, Love of Young Children by Ngoc Son, music by Huy Du; Red Flower Color by Nguyen Duc Mau, music by Thuan Yen; Vietnam on the Road We Go, poetry by Xuan Sach, music by Huy Du...

Program praising the country and soldiers - Photo: T.DIEU

The poems and songs selected for the program depict a historical flow from the time Uncle Ho left to find a way to save the country, to the wars against France and America, then to the border war, protecting the sea and islands...

The program blends poetry and music, with poetry reading, recitation, singing and dancing. Some of the performances are elaborately choreographed, but more importantly, the artists put their heart into each performance.

People's Artist Ta Tuan Minh, who performed very movingly the poems "Country" by Nguyen Khoa Diem, "Meeting again with you" by Nguyen Dinh Chien... said that the "verses that shape the country" that he performed today are the verses he has known by heart since childhood, have followed him until now and nurtured his soul and the souls of many others.

So it's no surprise that he puts a lot of emotion into his performances.

Excerpt of People's Artist Ta Tuan Minh reading the poem "Meeting You Again" by poet Nguyen Dinh Chien - Video: T.DIEU

Because of the affection of many people for "the poems that shape the country", even though the program ended, the steely and emotional verses like in the poem "Meeting Again, My Children" by poet Nguyen Dinh Chien still resonate in the hearts of the audience:

"This is our land, not anyone else's/ We must charge forward to defend it! The children's voices calling to each other in the smoky trenches/ Still burn in the hearts of many volunteer soldiers…"

In addition to Hanoi, the program Poems that shape the country also took place in Dak Lak (Tuy Hoa) and Ho Chi Minh City (Con Dao) on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nghen-ngao-nghe-lai-nhung-cau-tho-viet-nen-hinh-dat-nuoc-20250815082523912.htm