Poet Hoang Cat has passed away.

Hoang Cat studied at the Hanoi College of Electrical Engineering in 1960, worked as a technical officer at the Tran Hung Dao Mechanical Factory in 1963, and then fought in the Thua Thien-Hue battlefield. In 1971, he returned to the North due to injury, losing a leg, and continued writing poetry and prose from then until the end of his life.

Poet Hoang Cat (1942 - 2024)

He is the author of more than a dozen volumes of poetry and short stories, reflecting the many ups and downs of his life.

Nearly seven months ago, on December 11, 2023, the Hanoi Writers Association organized a seminar on the works of poet Hoang Cat, with contributions from many literary friends. Hoang Cat happily attended, arriving in his disabled veteran's vehicle loaded with his poetry anthology, "The Human Realm," a thousand-page volume printed in August 2023. He recited poems, gifted poems, and shared his experiences as a poet with readers and friends, recounting his arduous life.

In his youth, Hoang Cat was considered a very close sworn brother by the poet Xuan Dieu, who cared for and guided him into the world of poetry.

Many people know that the famous poem "The Sea" by the king of love poetry, Xuan Dieu, was written as a gift to Hoang Cat: " I am not worthy to be the blue sea/But I want you to be the white sandy shore/A long, flat, calm shore/Reflecting the crystal sunlight/A beautiful shore of golden sand/Gently sloping, rows of pine trees standing/As silently dreaming/For a thousand years beside the waves… " ( The Sea ). Then there is the poem Xuan Dieu wrote as a gift to Hoang Cat when she left to join the army, and later returned as a wounded soldier who lost a leg: "... Our love is like a thousand-mile thread/Bound our feet forever, though far apart/You promised to return later/To live with me again in passion/You sent your clothes and blankets for me to keep/I send with you my vows/Your heart is so deep/So that I will love you forever, how can I know/You are far away, my dear Cat/Don't be sad, listen! I remember, I love you… ".

Later, when recalling the late poet Xuan Dieu and his literary friends from his youth, poet Hoang Cat became emotional and shed tears as he expressed his gratitude to Xuan Dieu...

The memorial service for poet Hoang Cat will begin at 10:30 AM on July 4th at the Thanh Nhan Hospital Funeral Home, Hanoi; burial will take place at Quan Den Cemetery, Nhan Chinh, Hanoi.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nha-tho-hoang-cat-qua-doi-185240703080453775.htm