Poet To Huu's faithful wife throughout his life

In June 2011, during the Tố Hữu poetry night "Following in the Footsteps of Uncle Ho" commemorating the 100th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's departure to seek a path to national salvation, I and poet Phạm Xuân Đương - Secretary of the Thái Nguyên Provincial Party Committee - visited Mrs. Vũ Thị Thanh, the beloved wife of the revolutionary poet Tố Hữu...

During that encounter, with a gentle and affectionate smile, Mrs. Vu Thi Thanh shared with us many memories of her and her husband's time in Thai Nguyen – the capital of the resistance movement, "The capital of the vast mountains and winds." In those stories, we learned that the beloved wife of the poet To Huu not only later held the position of Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department, but during the resistance years was also an official of the Thai Nguyen Women's Union, having spent many years closely connected to her hometown of Thai Nguyen. It was from this position that, in 1952, she, along with Hero La Van Cau and many other heroes and emulation fighters, participated in the Vietnamese Youth Delegation to attend the World Youth and Student Festival held in Berlin (Germany).

"Part for poetry and part for you, my love..."

Returning to the love of poet Tố Hữu for his beloved wife. When he was the Secretary of the Thanh Hóa Provincial Party Committee during the early period of the resistance against French colonialism, Tố Hữu was only 27 years old and had never been in love before. So, a female comrade, the Chairwoman of the Provincial Women's Union, introduced him to her comrade: "This is Thanh, she studied at Đồng Khánh High School, she's very well-behaved and pretty, and very active in her work. Would you like her?" From that introduction, Tố Hữu met the girl from Thanh Hóa, also a young District Party Committee member, and later, they became husband and wife, walking together throughout their revolutionary journey and life...

The lifelong faithful wife of poet Tố Hữu

Poet Tố Hữu and his wife in Việt Bắc.

To Huu was a famous poet, but he rarely wrote love poems. Nevertheless, he did have many quite emotional verses dedicated to his beloved wife. Through these verses, we see his lover, wife, and comrade appearing truly beautiful and affectionate. His poems have touched the hearts of many generations of Vietnamese poetry lovers, especially the youth: "Rain falls on the palm leaves / Your hair is wet / Your cheeks are flushed red / I want to kiss you so much... but I won't..." And then: "And yet I say: 'My heart / Is truly divided into three bright red parts / I dedicate the largest part to the Party / A part to poetry and a part to you, my love...' / You blush: 'That's quite a lot, isn't it, my dear?' / Then the two of us kiss, two comrades / We walk hand in hand, until this morning / I bring you home, spring arrives in our arms..." and: "What suffering is more painful than / A heart that rubs salt in its own wounds of loneliness / My dear, listen... in the cold night / Tenderly beside you, a sound of a lute..."

That's how it is in poetry, and in real life, they also lived together beautifully and affectionately. Their happiness was intertwined with the happiness of the people, following the ups and downs of the revolution and the country. After the arduous journey of the resistance war, they were finally able to be close, reunite, have children like any other resistance family, and continue their contributions and dedication to the Party and the revolution. They spent their entire lives together.

In every step of the political career of To Huu, there was the encouragement and care of Mrs. Vu Thi Thanh. And in every verse of the poet To Huu, there was a heartbeat in sync. Throughout To Huu's turbulent years, she was always by his side, sharing, encouraging, and being his reliable shoulder to lean on... She was his great love, his closest comrade, his most emotional muse. And throughout her life, Mrs. Vu Thi Thanh also lived a revolutionary life, having been the youngest female District Party Committee member of Thanh Hoa in the early years of the resistance, a women's affairs cadre of the Central Committee and of Thai Nguyen, an Associate Professor of Economics, and Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department. But above all, she was the beloved and faithful wife of the politician and poet To Huu...

The lifelong faithful wife of poet Tố Hữu

"A gentle melody of music beside you"... (Poem by Tố Hữu)

Memories of those who remain

It is truly admirable that in the years since the passing of the poet To Huu, she has dedicated the rest of her life to doing many meaningful things for her beloved husband (and from the perspective of a former Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department, she considers these to be contributions to the Party and the country, because, according to her: "To Huu and To Huu's poetry have always belonged, and first and foremost, to the Party and the country."

This includes her work in collecting and publishing a complete anthology of Vietnamese poetry and literary theories from the years when poet Tố Hữu served as Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party in charge of the Party's propaganda work; the economic views and guiding principles of Tố Hữu throughout his many years as a member of the Politburo and Permanent Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers; the construction of the Tố Hữu Memorial House within the spacious Thăng Long International Village; and her collaboration with Party and State departments, the Vietnam Union of Literary and Artistic Associations, and the Vietnam Writers Association to organize scientific seminars and Tố Hữu poetry nights, reviving the majestic and emotional poetry of the poet at the Hanoi City Theater and in Huế City - the poet's hometown. In Ho Chi Minh City and Thai Nguyen, the capital of the resistance movement, swept by the winds of the mountains... It must be acknowledged that these were extremely monumental tasks, far beyond the capabilities of a woman over 80 years old. Only with an intense love, boundless affection, and immense willpower could she have accomplished such great responsibilities...

The lifelong faithful wife of poet Tố Hữu

Ms. Vu Thi Thanh on the day of the inauguration of the To Huu Memorial House.

And here, in my hands, is a memoir of over 300 pages titled "Memories of Those Who Remain," which she wrote with all the heart of a communist and the tears of longing for her beloved husband who has passed away... Speaking about this memoir, poet Huu Thinh, President of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations and President of the Vietnam Writers Association, noted: "The memoir is not long, only focusing on the most important events, but it is enough for readers to feel deeply and profoundly the beautiful, idealistic, and faithful love between Ms. Vu Thi Thanh and the poet To Huu. The seamless connection between love and career, shared and personal, creates a tender lyrical space, highlighting the life, strength, and dignity of an exemplary revolutionary family, and through it, people relive historical events and the life of the country during those unforgettable years..."

But it all came to an end exactly 12 years after the death of the poet To Huu. When her memoir, "Memories of Those Who Remain," reached readers, it was also the moment she peacefully departed to be with her beloved husband, continuing their eternal journey together as she had been when she was 20, and then accompanying him throughout their lives on the paths of resistance and revolution of the country...

Truong Nguyen Viet

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