Farewell to poet Le Thai Son
At 7:46 p.m. on August 24, I received a text message: “Poet Le Thai Son passed away at the Emergency Department - Bach Mai Hospital at 6:20 p.m. today, August 24, 2013. Nguyen Trong Tao announced”. It seemed unbelievable, until the daughter of the poet - journalist Le Trang texted me: “My father passed away, 6:20 p.m.” Then I truly believed that “the lark of Dong Thanh” (words used by writer Nguyen The Quang) had left us forever…
(Baonghean) -At 7:46 p.m. on August 24, I received a text message: “Poet Le Thai Son passed away at the Emergency Department - Bach Mai Hospital at 6:20 p.m. today, August 24, 2013. Nguyen Trong Tao announced”. It seemed unbelievable, until the daughter of the poet - journalist Le Trang texted me: “My father passed away, 6:20 p.m.” Then I truly believed that “the lark of Dong Thanh” (words used by writer Nguyen The Quang) had left us forever…
About 2 weeks ago, poet Le Thai Son called me to ask me to help him get a copy of Nghe An newspaper that had his poem printed on it. At that time, he was in a hospital in Hanoi. His voice was somewhat tired, but I could still hear his laughter clearly. He treasured every article that had his work printed on it, and asked me to send it so that he could hold it in his own hands. At the beginning of this year, he still came and read poetry at Vietnam Poetry Day, and last month he still attended the Provincial Literature and Arts Association Congress, even though the terrible cancer had spread to many parts of his body for more than 2 years. His gait was unsteady, his hair was falling out a lot after chemotherapy, but his smile and joy still radiated warmth from him and his poetry. Many people were surprised by his strong vitality, his optimism "standing outside of illness", his love of poetry and life that never tired. Writer Nguyen The Quang recounted: In early July, after his twelfth chemotherapy session, his poet friends from Nghe An came to Hanoi to pick him up. When passing through his hometown of Dien Chau, everyone understood his intention and slowed down the car so that he could “visit his homeland one more time”. The car was on a country road, on this side of the road was the streets of life, on the other side of the road was Con Vang cemetery “Where the souls of our ancestors are”, he calmly said: “It can be on this side or suddenly go to that side/ It doesn’t matter/ My homeland always has warm arms” (A glimpse of home).
Poet Le Thai Son was born on January 10, 1949 in Dong Phai village, Dien Hanh commune, Dien Chau district, Nghe An province. Graduated from the Faculty of Literature, Hanoi University in 1972. He is a member of the following associations: Vietnam Writers Association, Vietnam Folklore Arts Association, Vietnam Journalists Association. Former President of Nghe An Literature and Arts Association, former Editor-in-Chief of Song Lam Magazine, Member of the Presidium of the National Committee of Vietnam Literature and Arts Associations. Author of 8 poetry and prose collections, won 10 literary awards at the central and local levels. In early May 2013, the Writers Association Publishing House published the book “Le Thai Son – Selected Poetry and Literature”. |
In his last days on his sickbed, poet Le Thai Son still had time to write 20 new poems. There was no sadness or despair in his last poems, only the vibration with the beauty of life still burning forever. And to see the creativity, the love of poetry helped him overcome the most difficult years of his life. In his impressive legacy: 10 literary awards at the central and local levels, including the Poetry Award (collection Green January - 2000) and the B prize for prose (collection of stories Village Fairy Tales - 2004) awarded by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations; 3 times won the Third Prize in the Century Vision Poetry Contest organized by Tien Phong Newspaper 1999 - 2000; short stories in the Calling Future contest organized by Thieu Nien Tien Phong Newspaper 1998 - 1999; six-eight poetry organized by Education Times Newspaper 1997-1998; Nguyen Du Award (1987); Ho Xuan Huong Award (1987, 1997, 2002, 2005)... and finally, he said "To my children" the message: Gathering a lifetime of poetry/ The book becomes a tomb/ My children, each page/ Wraps up Dad's soul.
Farewell, I want to call you poet Le Thai Son because you are the embodiment of a strong, enduring love for poetry, helping me realize how wonderfully poetry has supported people.
TV
