Spring poems by patriotic intellectuals from Nghe An province.

The patriotic intellectuals of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were educated in classical Chinese studies, participating in the imperial examinations, whether they passed or not, and with varying degrees of success. Later, many were exposed to and absorbed modern knowledge, but deep down they always maintained a sense of responsibility to their country, their people, and the progress of society. Before 1895, when the Can Vuong movement completely failed and monarchical ideology was not yet entirely ineffective, responsibility to the nation was linked to the duty of subjects to the king. After that, this concept shifted among them; patriotism did not necessarily mean "supporting the king," but rather reform to gain independence for the country, building a new nation under a new system, a constitutional monarchy or, more progressively, a bourgeois democratic system.

If Phan Đình Phùng was the leader at the end of the 19th century...Can Vuong movementLater, at the beginning of the 20th century, along with Phan Chu Trinh – the leader of the Duy Tan movement – ​​Phan Boi Chau was the banner of the Duy Tan Society, the Dong Du movement, and the Vietnam Restoration Society. For Phan Boi Chau, it was also a process of continuous ideological transformation, from monarchical thought to bourgeois democracy, and finally his embrace of socialism. His contemporaries, fellow scholars, and compatriots also largely "renewed" their thinking to fulfill their mission of saving the country.

As Confucian scholars and patriotic intellectuals from Nghe An province, they also possessed the qualities of poets. Throughout their arduous and sacrificial patriotic activities, they consistently upheld these qualities. Literature was always with them. They wrote poetry and prose to express their feelings for the country and its people, and to inspire patriotism among their compatriots. Each spring, their literary souls would burst forth, blossoming with the qualities of a patriotic intellectual.

Phan Dinh Phung(1843-1896), born in Dong Thai village, now Tung Anh commune, Duc Tho district (Ha Tinh province), passed the Imperial Examination with the highest rank of Doctor of Literature in the year Dinh Suu (1877). A man of integrity, while serving as a Censor, he submitted a petition denouncing the corrupt civil and military officials for their false accusations regarding the shooting competition at Thuan An Gate. In 1883, he opposed Ton That Thuyet in the imperial court regarding the dethroning of King Duc Duc. He was imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, then dismissed from his position and sent back to his hometown. In September 1885, King Ham Nghi fled to fight against the French, and Phan Dinh Phung led the Vu Quang uprising for 10 years (1885-1895).

Phan Đình Phùng (1843 - 1896). Photo: Archival material.

Phan Đình Phùng didn't write many poems. But during the Can Vuong resistance movement, he left behind a number of works brimming with patriotism and love for the people. During the Tet holiday of the year Mau Ty (1888), the uprising was progressing favorably, the spring was truly vibrant, but he was still filled with worry about the great cause and wrote the poem "Mau Ty Nguyen Nhat" (The First Day of Tet in the year Mau Ty):

"Outside, orioles soar and sing among the flowers."

The flowers announce the arrival of spring, but the pregnant woman has not yet returned.

Mount Ngu, for a hundred years, has been bathed in the dazzling sunlight.

Thousands of miles away, I gaze upon the clouds that obscure the view.

That family, with its traditional values, is all about loyalty and filial piety.

In a foreign land, the heart is not afraid of separation.

As Tet (Vietnamese New Year) approaches, everyone is happily celebrating it.

"As for me, I am filled with deep sorrow."

Nguyen Xuan On(1825-1889), a native of Quan Phuong village, now part of Dien Thai commune, Dien Chau district. He passed the doctoral examination and became an official, but "could not learn the ways of cowardice and flattery." He opposed the court's policy of appeasement with the French, so he was dismissed from his position and sent back to his hometown. In July 1885, when King Ham Nghi fled, he and other scholars from Yen Thanh and Dien Chau organized an uprising and were entrusted by King Ham Nghi with leading the Can Vuong army in Nghe An. He was wounded, then captured and imprisoned in Hue, and died in prison in 1889. On the first day of Tet in the year of Mau Ty (1888), he wrote two poems while imprisoned in Vinh Prison, one of which, "Mau Ty New Year's Day, Reflections," is full of the sorrow of a people who have lost their country, contained in the words of a defiant scholar who refused to submit to fate.

"The sound of horns and drums is deafening, but fireworks are rare."

As dusk fell, the city gates resounded with the sounds of Western trumpets.

When the good wine is all gone, there's no way to wish anyone a Happy New Year.

I keep reciting chaotic poems to get drunk.

The summer calendar has changed the dates from the old ones.

Where is Chu land on this map now?

The official's residence was reserved for him, where he had free time.

The peaceful sound of bamboo flutes drifted away again.

Phan Boi Chau(1867 - 1940), born in Dan Nhiem village, Nam Dan district, passed the imperial examination in 1900. A great patriot, he was also a great poet. For him, poetry was a weapon in the struggle for the ideal of saving the people and the country. Poetry also served as a diary of his arduous intellectual journey.

After establishing the Duy Tan Society (1904), in early 1905, he wrote the song "Celebrating Spring" in the spoken-word style:

"The army does not see the South, Spring has always had many famous scholars."

When enjoying the spring festivities, don't worry about anything else.

When humming a jumble of ancient and modern times

The eight realms' scriptures were thrown into a bag.

The poem says:

The land of Hong Lac will remain here forever.

How could a hero's face be so humiliated?

The land still paints the face of a man.

In life, one must adapt to the circumstances.

Phung Xuan Hoi, maybe it'll be easy.

The Earth is just a tiny little thing.

Shattering the two gates of the universe

Bringing spring back to life in our homeland.

Bearing the burden of the nation on both shoulders.

"Let's finish playing, oh wow, spring!"

Phan Bội Châu (1867 - 1940). Photo: Archival material.

When he wrote this poem, he and the Duy Tan Society were preparing forces for the armed struggle for independence. He and the Duy Tan Society advocated the following principles...Dong Du movementSending young people to Japan for study. "Celebrating Spring" is a poem intended to awaken the patriotic spirit of the people, especially the youth.

After the failure of the Đông Du movement, he temporarily sought refuge in China for a short time before going to Siam to continue his activities. Following the success of the Xinhai Revolution (1911), he returned to China and founded the Vietnam Restoration Society with the aim of restoring Vietnam and establishing the "Republic of Vietnam".

On December 24, 1913, he was arrested by the French colonial authorities at the behest of Chinese warlords; in 1917, he was released from prison and continued his search for a way to save the country; in mid-1924, he reorganized the Vietnam Restoration Society into the Vietnam National Party. On June 30, 1925, Phan Boi Chau was abducted by the French colonial authorities in Shanghai and brought back to Vietnam, where he was tried at the Hanoi Criminal Court. Faced with widespread protests throughout the country, the French colonial authorities had to declare his acquittal, but placed him under house arrest in Hue.

Despite being confined to a cage, he continued to write poetry and prose to denounce the colonial and feudal regime and to awaken the patriotic spirit of his compatriots.

On January 29, 1927, before the Lunar New Year, high school students in Hue asked Mr. Vo Liem Son, a patriotic intellectual and teacher at the National School, to compose a <i>ca trù</i> (traditional Vietnamese folk song) to celebrate his birthday. He responded with the poem "A New Year's Greeting Song for Young People":

Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! A rooster crows beside the altar. Birds in the trees immediately greet it: "Oh Spring, Spring, do you know?/ Sadness with the river, shame with the mountains, sorrow with the moon/ Twenty years have passed, filled with bitterness and pain/ Heaven and earth, I am fortunate to still be alive/ Days and months bring solace to the young generation/ To the young ladies and gentlemen, and to the brothers/ Life has changed, and people should change even more/ Open your eyes and clearly see the new opportunity/ Shoulder the burden of the old land/ Walk smoothly, stand firm, and be courageous/ The unity will surely bring about a new era/ Those with wisdom from now on, please strive/ Shed the old cloak and cultivate your spirit/ No more playing, no more dressing, no more eating/ Forge hearts of iron to move mountains and fill oceans/ Pour hot blood to wash away the stain of slavery/ This is what is truly new, my lords/ The saying goes, 'Every day is new, and then again, new.'"

"The New Year's Song for the Youth" is Phan Boi Chau's heartfelt message to the younger generation after nearly 30 years of wandering to save the country, yet his cause remained unfulfilled. He awakened them from the delusion of the long night of national slavery."Oh spring, do you know? Ashamed before the river, saddened before the mountains, grieved before the moon, for twenty years I have endured bitterness and sorrow."He was speaking to Xuan, but in reality, he was speaking to himself and the youth about the pain and humiliation of losing their country and their duty to save it and its people. In particular, he not only called on young people to be patriotic and committed, but also to innovate in order to succeed.“Life has changed, so people should change too/Open your eyes and clearly see the new opportunities/Lend a shoulder to shoulder the burden of the old land/Walk smoothly, stand firm, and be courageous/The bonds of unity will surely lead to a new era of success…”Perhaps Phan Boi Chau was the first to call for reform. Young people must reform their perspective, thinking, ideology, and methods of action.

Dang Thuc Hua(1870-1931), a native of Luong Dien village, now Thanh Xuan commune, Thanh Chuong district; he passed the Baccalaureate examination, hence he was called Tu Hua. In the early 20th century, he participated in the Duy Tan Society and the Dong Du movement. In 1908, he went abroad to Japan. When the Dong Du movement failed, he returned to China, and then went to Siam with a number of comrades to establish the Ban Tham farming camp as part of the "ten years of living and gathering, ten years of teaching" plan to prepare forces for the long-term resistance against the French. In 1912, when Phan Boi Chau returned to China to establish the Vietnam Restoration Society, he stayed in Siam to receive young people from Vietnam to study, train, or send them to China.

Dang Thuc Hua (1870 - 1931).

Throughout his 20 years of patriotic activity, he rose through the ranks from the Duy Tan Society to the Vietnam Restoration Society and then the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth League. Finally, he joined the Communist Party of Vietnam in Siam. He died in Siam in 1931. He left behind a number of poems and writings, including the poem "Spring Feelings," written in Chinese characters, a spontaneous expression of his feelings while in a foreign land, remembering his homeland and lamenting the plight of his people still under French colonial rule.

I've been in a foreign land for so long.

Winter passes, spring returns, and my heart aches.

In this vast expanse of the world, where can I see my home?

In this vast, desolate land, where is the country to be found?

For several weeks, the news of the flamingo's disappearance has been silent.

Five watches of rain and wind, the guest suffers from durian.

That heinous revenge remains unfulfilled.

Time flies by, and we soon grow old.

Dang Thai Than(1874 - 1910), pen name Ngư Hải, from Hải Côn village, now Nghi Hải commune (Cửa Lò town). A student of Phan Bội Châu, he became a close confidant of Phan Bội Châu in the Duy Tân Society. In 1905, when Phan Bội Châu emigrated to Japan, he was assigned to stay behind and manage the affairs of the Duy Tân Society. On February 2, 1910, he was surrounded and arrested by French secret police near Nghệ An Citadel. He resisted, killed two of them, and then committed suicide with his gun.

He left behind several poems and couplets, which Phan Bội Châu transcribed in "Viet Nam Nghia Liet Su" and "Thi Tu Tung Thoai". His poetry expresses the patriotic sentiments and spirit of a patriotic scholar. "Inspiration" is a poem he wrote in 1905, expressing his longing for his country, his remembrance of his teachers and friends when spring arrives. "The poem has few words but its meaning is naturally profound" - Huynh Thuc Khang.

At night, I hear the sound of waves a couple of times.

I just found out that the eastern region has a vast ocean.

I'm borrowing the spring breeze to send you my message, my friend.

Personally, I'm terrified to the core.

Tran Dong Phong(1887-1908), born into a wealthy family in Thanh Chuong district. Tran Dong Phong joined the Duy Tan Society and was arrested in 1907. He later escaped and went abroad as a student in Japan in 1908. In Japan, witnessing the hardships and deprivations of the students of the Dong Du movement, and feeling saddened and ashamed that his parents did not send money to support the movement (because their letters were intercepted without his knowledge!), he committed suicide on May 2, 1908, at Tohoji Temple (Tokyo).

During his lifetime, he composed several poems, including "A Springtime Reflection," which captured his feelings of homesickness upon seeing Japanese girls shopping for the Lunar New Year amidst the vibrant cherry blossoms. Despite the overwhelming sadness, he still believed in a bright future for his homeland.

"Cherry blossoms are beautiful to everyone..."

Cherry blossoms are not beautiful to those who are far from home!

After the opening two sentences, he continued:

Already sad… and now even sadder with the arrival of spring.

What a bitter and heartbreaking adventure in a foreign land!

Mount Fuji is not shrouded in clouds over Tan Linh mountain.

Cherry blossoms do not turn into willows of Hongshan.

How many more waves of suffering will the South endure?

The mournful rain continues to fall in the East Sea for several days.

Every day, the two rivers sing of self-reliance.

The entire Hồng Lạc district welcomes the arrival of spring.

Nguyen Dinh Kien(1879 - 1942), born in Xa Lang village, now Son Tan commune, Huong Son district (Ha Tinh province); he passed the Baccalaureate examination, hence he was called Tu Kien. He participated in the Vu Quang uprising, the Duy Tan movement to request tax exemptions and resist taxes, and cut his hair short during the years 1905 - 1908.

Ngan Pho River, Huong Son commune, Ha Tinh province. Photo: VnExpress

Arrested and exiled to Con Dao Island in 1910, he escaped and returned to the mainland, then went to China to join the Vietnam Restoration Society; he was arrested again in Shanghai and brought back to Vietnam, exiled again to Con Dao Island. In 1925, he was released and participated in the founding of the Hung Nam/Tan Viet Party. In 1929, he was arrested again and imprisoned in Saigon. Released in 1933, he continued his revolutionary activities in his homeland. He died in 1942. During his patriotic and revolutionary activities, he wrote quite a lot of poetry and prose. "Celebrating Spring" is a poem he wrote in prison in 1933.

Firecrackers are being set off everywhere to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

I lament my fate as a lazy and uninteresting person.

My frail body has been imprisoned a couple of times.

Thoughts encompass the vast expanse of the sky.

North and South, two paths, pity those who...

The nation is a heavy burden throughout life.

As long as six different kinds of people share the same market,

The Lunar New Year was finally a time for relaxation.

The careers of these patriots were not successful, but their patriotism, their will to save the country, and their literary works shine brightly in the history of the nation. For them, literature and life were one. Poetry was the vessel carrying detailed emotions, the wing spreading ideas. Love for their country and people was the first and greatest inspiration in their poetry; overflowing with love and a strong spirit, just like the men themselves.