Nguyen Du and his homeland of Hong-Lam

(Baonghean) - Nguyen Du was born in Thang Long, spent many years of his childhood there, but he only considered Thang Long as a place where he once lived. When he left, he rarely thought about it, and if he had the chance to meet again, it would only evoke a few memories. All his affection for his homeland was reserved for Hong Linh, Lam Giang...

His hometown of Tien Dien is located south of the Lam River, also known as the Long Vi River. Just crossing that river and setting foot on the northern bank gave him the feeling of being a stranger in a foreign land; so how could he not miss his homeland when living at the ends of the earth? Nguyen Du began writing poems about his longing for his homeland during the ten years of hardship he endured living in his wife's hometown of Quynh Hai, Thai Binh, starting in 1786. 1786 was a year of great family upheaval, a turning point in Nguyen Du's life: In one year, both his brothers, Nguyen Khan and Nguyen Dieu, died, leaving him without a place to live. Out of necessity, Nguyen Du had to return to his wife's hometown.

Giang Dinh Wharf (Nghi Xuan, Ha Tinh). Photo: Sy Nhiep

During those ten years of hardship, he realized he had achieved nothing of fame, his body had weakened, his hair had turned gray in the evening breeze, his former refined demeanor had vanished, and his body was now withered like a phoenix trapped in a cage (Sinh bình văn thái tàn lung phượng). He had to accept the longing for his homeland from afar, "dao ức gia hương thiên lý ngoại," unable to return because "Hồng Lĩnh vô gia huynh đệ tán," meaning there was no home left in Hồng Lĩnh, his brothers had scattered, each going their own way; where would he live, who would he be with? He had no choice but to live with his wife's family. In that situation of being far from home, most of the poems he wrote were sad, not only in poems with melancholic titles like *Khất thực* (Begging for Food), *Bất mị* (Unable to Sleep), *Tự thán* (Self-Lament), *Bát muộn* (Chasing Sadness)... but even poems about spring and the Lantern Festival were sad, all reflecting the sorrow of being far from home. During those 10 years, the desire to return to his hometown was always present in his heart, and it would surface whenever he had an excuse.

In 1796, after the death of his wife, Ms. Doan, Nguyen Du left Quynh Hai and returned to his hometown with his son, Nguyen Tu. Nguyen Tu was Nguyen Du's fourth child with his first wife, but his three older children had all died young, indicating that Nguyen Tu was only a few years old when the two left Thai Binh. Where did Nguyen Du stay in Tien Dien? In a poem he sent to a friend, Nguyen Du wrote:

From afar, we will find our way together.

Family in Hongshan First Village

(If you're coming from far away, remember the way to find my house; it's in the first village of the Hong Linh mountain range.) The first village that Nguyen Du mentioned to his friend was Tien Giap hamlet (later renamed Tien My), next to the present-day primary school. Recently, visitors can only recognize the plot of land, the orientation of the house, and two dead banyan trees. Nguyen Du lived there continuously for six years, from 1796 to 1802. He wrote many poems about this house.

Interestingly, in most of his poems about his illness, Nguyen Du doesn't mention being in Hong Mountain but rather on the banks of the Lam River, seemingly reserving Hong Mountain as his place of rest and pleasure.

Yellow Dog Pursues Joy Down Hongling Mountain

White Cloud Outer Disease, Que Giang Border

Or:

Many illnesses, much sorrow, and a disordered constitution.

Ten years of hardship in the Guijiang residence.

Nguyen Du only wrote one poem directly about the Lam River, titled Lam Giang, but he wasn't praising the river's beauty; instead, he described the Lam River during the flood season, filled with dread.

The poem "Giang Dinh Huu Cam" (Sentiments at Giang Dinh Wharf) doesn't describe the beauty of Giang Dinh Wharf at all, but is full of nostalgia and longing for a bygone golden age. We know that in 1771, Nguyen Nghiem requested to retire to his hometown, was promoted to Grand Minister, and was granted a triumphant return by the Lord. Nguyen Du, then 6 years old, accompanied his mother, Tran Thi Tan, back to his hometown. Nearly thirty years later, sitting on Giang Dinh Wharf, Nguyen Du recalled the palanquins, horses, and carriages of those days:

The accumulated resentment of the old man Ta...

Drifting aimlessly along the riverbank

Immortal boat strikes water, divine dragon battle

The talisman does not carry the auspicious crane.

The approximate translation is:

My father retired back then.

The horse-drawn carriage has passed this stop.

The boat splashes water like a dragon coiled around it.

The canopy, shaped like a crane, heralds good fortune in the sky.

That's the past, but as for the present:

Since the fashion trends went out of style.

Smoke rises from the grass, a melancholy feeling on the riverbank.

A hundred years, so many heartbreaking stories.

The Trang An of the past is now gone!

The poem returns to the familiar melancholic tone of the great poet.

But living in his homeland, Nguyen Du not only experienced illness and sadness, but also joy. Joy because of the beautiful scenery of his homeland, Lam Hong. In a letter to a friend, Nguyen Du wrote:

Do not grieve in this desolate place without a guest.

Blue water, Red mountain, a poem

(Don't worry about me being in a remote place without good friends. The Lam River and Hong Mountain have many beautiful sights for me to contemplate.)

In Lam Hong, Nguyen Du also had another hobby: hunting. Some researchers say that Nguyen Du hunted to make a living, but I don't believe that, because Nguyen Du himself said: "To explain human nature, peace lies in hunting" (Hunting is for the sake of peace of mind, not for catching many animals). In many poems about hunting, Nguyen Du not only talks about hunting but also expresses his worldview.

In 1802, Nguyen Du entered official service under the Nguyen dynasty. Many believed this was a major turning point in his life and would surely lead to a significant change in his poetry. However, Nguyen Du had no interest in officialdom; he only served as an agent to make a living. Despite this, he was promoted very quickly. Upon entering official service, he was appointed District Magistrate of Phu Dung in Khoai Chau, and three months later was promoted to Prefect of Thuong Tin, then sent to receive the Qing envoy at Nam Quan. Yet, in the autumn of 1804, he resigned and returned to his hometown, citing illness. Nguyen Du's unexpected resignation surprised many, including Nguyen Hanh, his nephew six years younger than him and also a renowned poet of the time. Nguyen Hanh exclaimed, "In these peaceful times, why would you resign and return home?… You have already held a high position in the kingdom; you should uphold the good reputation of our family…" After spending a few months in his hometown, he was summoned (or perhaps forced?) by the king to Phu Xuan and promoted to the position of Dong Cac Scholar. However, he remained sad and homesick. It's unclear how much a high-ranking official like Nguyen Du earned at that time, but through his poetry, we can see the dire situation of his wife and children back home. He wrote about his hometown:

The countryside is suffering from a severe drought, resulting in a complete crop failure.

Ten starving, pale-faced creatures.

Or:

Ten hungry birds squealed in the Hồng River.

A sick man lay in the eastern part of the imperial city.

Ten children is a way of rounding the number for simplicity; in reality, Nguyen Du had 18 children, not counting those who died young! His second wife, from the Doan family in Thai Binh province, had only one child, Nguyen Tu; his second wife, also from his hometown, had only one child, Nguyen Ngu; and his third wife, also from his hometown, had 16 children (10 boys and 6 girls). Perhaps having many children and living in poverty in his homeland was one reason why, when far from home, the poet always longed for his homeland, readily giving up his "lowly official position" to return to his hometown whenever possible.

While away from home, he wrote countless poems about his longing for his homeland, among which the poem "Nễ Giang khẩu hương vọng," meaning "Looking towards my homeland from the mouth of the Nễ Giang River (Ròn River)," which he wrote during his years as a district administrator in Quảng Bình, is a fairly typical example of this theme.

Longing for my homeland from the horizon

Hoành Sơn is only one mountain away from the mountain peak.

The path to the destination only takes three days.

The storm of fragrant hearts has lasted four years.

(Temporary translation)

My homeland looks like the sun from afar.

Just one mountain away from Hoanh Son.

The journey back took three days on foot.

My heart has been longing for my hometown for the past four years.

Could it be that during his four years as an official in Quang Binh, Nguyen Du never once returned to his hometown, even though the journey would only take three days on foot? Or was it because of his overwhelming longing for home that the poet uttered those words, even though he had visited a few times, his homesickness never lessened?

Nguyen Du passed away in Hue in the autumn of 1820. Less than four years later, in the summer of 1824, his son, Nguyen Ngu, brought his father's remains back to his former garden. And 104 years later, in 1928, the great poet's tomb was relocated to its current position. Although there is no record in the family genealogy or other documents of the great poet instructing his descendants to bring his remains back to his homeland, this was a sacred wish. For him, having his tomb in a foreign land was regrettable, just as he had grieved over the tomb of the poet Du Fu, which was also located in a foreign land!

PoetWang Zhong

(Hanoi)

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The verses quoted in this article are taken from the collection "COMPLETE WORKS OF NGUYEN DU'S CHINESE POEMS", translated by Vuong Trong and published in 2008.