Uncle Ho listens to the poem "Tonight Uncle does not sleep"
(Baonghean) -Mr. Vu Ky, secretary and someone who spent a lot of time close to President Ho Chi Minh, told poet Minh Hue (1927-2003) an interesting story.
The poem “Tonight Uncle Ho Doesn’t Sleep” was first published in 1951 and was widely disseminated through newspapers and radio; the people, cadres, and soldiers loved it so much that they memorized and passed it on as a touching and true story of resistance… After the Dien Bien Phu victory, Uncle Ho and his comrades, soldiers, and people returned to take over the capital Hanoi. One day, in the Presidential Palace, around 7 pm, the secretary went up to the stilt house to meet Uncle Ho. As usual, Mr. Vu Ky carefully left his wooden clogs behind and walked lightly up the stairs so as not to disturb him. As he reached the door, the transistor radio on Uncle Ho’s desk played the poem “Tonight Uncle Ho Doesn’t Sleep”. Mr. Vu Ky stood still, wanting to observe Uncle Ho’s facial expression and gestures at this moment. As a modest and tactful person, Uncle Ho rarely commented specifically on works written about him… But, who knows, maybe this time there will be something different?
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The poem had just ended, a minute later, as if he did not know anything, Mr. Vu Ky knocked on the door and asked Uncle Ho to let him in. At that time, he only saw his face looking happy... but Uncle Ho absolutely did not comment on the poem "Tonight I do not sleep" that had just been recited on the radio.
Poet Ming Hui
Minh Hue was also "revealed" this detail by Mr. Vu Ky: Another time later, when the transistor radio on the desk had just introduced the title of the poem "Tonight Uncle Ho does not sleep", Uncle Ho immediately turned the radio volume down very low...
That, I think, is understandable for President Ho Chi Minh. He expressed his unwillingness to hear a work praising him many times, even if that work was truthful. Later, when discussing Tran Dang Khoa's book of criticism, poet To Huu wrote: "Regarding literature and art, Uncle Ho was very cautious. When asked many times about this work or that work, he only said, in general, we need to ask the masses?". As for Minh Hue - when he finished telling this story, Mr. Vu Ky looked at the poet lovingly and concluded: Just with Uncle's smile and happy expression, it was enough to be a priceless reward for a lifetime of writing!
Kim Hung