Tran Huu Thung - Folk poet
(Baonghean)- 1. Poet Tran Huu Thung occasionally chews betel, and looks like a farmer. He is calm, cheerful, and always hides that he is a poet and Chairman of the Provincial Literature and Arts Association. On Sundays, he cycles from Vinh to Dien Chau to help his wife with all the chores. He also cycles along the national highway to the pine forest of Cam Mountain to collect fallen leaves for firewood. Just last week, on this same route, the traffic department invited the poet to talk about poetry.
But today, he was a “woodcutter” carrying a large sack of dry pine needles on the back of his bike. When passing through the traffic gate, he pedaled his bike with all his might, only worried that the people attending the talk the day before would… see him!
2. That year's Literature and Arts Congress, poet Tran Huu Thung's term as chairman ended. Unlike every other day, he was always chewing betel, excited and radiant. The Secretary of Nghe Tinh Provincial Party Committee at that time, Mr. Truong Kien, invited the poet to Cua Lo for a day to rest and discuss the personnel of the congress. The Secretary asked him to stay and take on the position of Chairman of the Association for another term, because the team of artists in the province needed him...
Poet Tran Huu Thung (before) and poet Nguyen Trong Tao
After a day of working with the Secretary, he still kept his decision to retire to have time to write.
Shortly after returning, he wrote the work "Memory of the Rice Fields" which won a high prize from the Literature and Arts Newspaper.
3. Tran Huu Thung returned to his hometown, and the members felt his absence. The atmosphere of literary activities was no longer as warm as before. I visited him one afternoon at the newly built house built by the Vietnam Writers Association.
His desk was cluttered with papers and manuscripts. His face became thoughtful, determined, and strong. Surely many plans would gradually take shape on the writing page. Every day, facing his workplace, he wrote the two words “Che no” (suppress anger) in Chinese characters to remind himself.
4. Hearing that Tran Huu Thung was hospitalized, I went to visit him with poet Phan Van Tu. He sat on the bed, his thin figure next to his wife. His deep eyes were now even deeper but still bright. The literary community respected him for his gentle, rustic, and approachable nature. He never had any ill will towards anyone. When someone came, he would be much happier. Occasionally, a coughing fit would force him to stop mid-story.
As we said goodbye, he said:
- If I were still alive, I would continue to discuss literature!
Phan Quoc Binh
