Hoàng Cầm (poet)

1.1. Birth and Family

Hoàng Cầm, whose birth name was Bùi Tằng Việt, was born on February 22, 1922, in Phúc Tằng commune, which is now Tăng Tiến ward, Việt Yên town, in Bắc Giang province. His ancestral home was in Song Hồ ward, Thuận Thành town, Bắc Ninh province. He came from a long-standing scholarly family. His father, though unsuccessful in passing the imperial examinations, taught Chinese characters and practiced traditional medicine in Bắc Giang. Hoàng Cầm's birth name, Bùi Tằng Việt, was derived by combining elements from his hometowns: Phúc Tằng and Việt Yên.

1.2. Education

Hoàng Cầm received his primary and secondary education in Bắc Giang and Bắc Ninh provinces. In 1938, he moved to Hà Nội to attend Thăng Long High School. He successfully passed his `tú tài toàn phần` (full baccalaureate) in 1940, marking the completion of his formal education and the beginning of his literary pursuits.

2.1. Pen Name and Early Literary Endeavors

Upon embarking on his literary career in 1940, Hoàng Cầm began working as a writer and translator for the Tân dân xã publishing house, which was owned by Vũ Đình Long. It was during this period that he chose the pen name Hoàng Cầm, which is the Vietnamese name for `Scutellaria baicalensis`, a bitter herb commonly used in Traditional Chinese medicine. This choice of pen name reflected a symbolic connection to his father's background in traditional medicine. He also used other pen names throughout his career, including Bằng Việt, Lê Thái, Lê Kỳ Anh, and Bằng Phi.

2.2. Entry into the Literary Scene

Hoàng Cầm's early creative outputs included a range of prose works and adaptations. In 1940, he published Hận ngày xanh (The Hatred of Youth), an adaptation of works by Alphonse de Lamartine, and Bông sen trắng (The White Lotus), based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales. The following year, 1941, saw the release of Cây đèn thần (The Wonderful Lamp), an adaptation from the Arabian Nights, and Thoi mộng (Dream Shuttle), a novella. He also wrote Mắt thiên thu (Eyes of Eternity), a poetry collection whose manuscript was unfortunately lost, and the short story Hai lần chết (Two Deaths) in 1941. In 1942, he adapted another Arabian Nights tale, Tỉnh giấc mơ vua (Wakening from a King's Dream). Between 1939 and 1943, four of his short stories were published in the `Tiểu thuyết thứ Bảy` newspaper.

3.1. Việt Minh Participation

In 1944, amidst the escalating tensions of World War II, Hoàng Cầm returned to his ancestral home in Thuận Thành. There, he became actively involved in the `Thanh niên Cứu quốc` (National Salvation Youth) activities, a youth movement affiliated with the Việt Minh. His participation underscored his commitment to the national struggle for independence.

3.2. Military Cultural and Artistic Activities

Following the August Revolution in 1945, Hoàng Cầm returned to Hà Nội and established the `Đông Phương` (Eastern) theatre company. When the First Indochina War erupted, he and his troupe withdrew from Hà Nội, performing for a period in various regions including Bắc Ninh, Bắc Giang, Sơn Tây, and Thái Bình, before the troupe eventually disbanded.

In August 1947, Hoàng Cầm joined the `Vệ quốc quân` (National Guard) in war zone 12. Later that year, he founded the `Tuyên truyền văn nghệ` (Art and Propaganda team), which became the first cultural troupe of the Vietnamese People's Army. By 1952, he was appointed as the Head of the Public Performing Company (`Văn công`) of the General Department of Politics, where he organized and directed cultural activities and performances for both military personnel and civilians in the liberated zones, contributing significantly to various military campaigns. In October 1954, his cultural troupe returned to Hà Nội, and in early 1955, as the cultural troupe expanded to include more art forms, Hoàng Cầm was assigned the role of head of the drama troupe.

4.1. Plays

Hoàng Cầm was a prolific playwright, known for his poetic dramas that often delved into historical and social themes. His notable plays include:

• Hận Nam Quan (The Hatred on the South Pass, a poetic play, 1944)
• Kiều Loan (a poetic play, 1945)
• Cô gái nước Tần (The Qin Girl, a poetic play, 1949, also listed as 1952)
• Viễn khách (The Distant Guest, a poetic play, 1952, also listed as 1942)
• Lên đường (On the Road, a poetic play, 1952)
• Ông cụ Liên (Mr. Liên, a spoken play, 1952)
• Đêm Lào Cai (Lào Cai Night, a 3-act spoken play, 1957)
• Trương Chi (a poetic play, published 1983)
• Tương lai (The Future, a poetic play, 1995)

4.2. Poems

Hoàng Cầm's individual poems are celebrated for their emotional depth and evocative imagery. Key poems include:

• Thoi mộng (Dream Shuttle, 1941)
• Bên kia sông Đuống (On the Other Side of the Đuống River, 1948)
• Lá diêu bông (The Diêu Bông Leaf, 1959, also known as Sao em nỡ vội lấy chồng - Why Did You Marry So Soon?)
• Những niềm tin (Beliefs, 1965, translated poetry of Bonalan Kanfa - Algeria)
• Men đá vàng (Golden Stone Yeast, a poetic narrative, written 1973, published 1989)

4.3. Poetry Collections

His collected works offer a broader view of his poetic development and thematic concerns:

• Tiếng hát quan họ (The Quan họ Melodies, an epic poem, published in the collection Cửa Biển, 1956)
• Mưa Thuận Thành (The Thuận Thành Rain, 1987, a collection of 19 poems)
• Về Kinh Bắc (Coming Back to Kinh Bắc, published 1994, includes 50 poems composed during 1959-1994, or 51 poems composed during 1959-1960 according to another source)
• 99 tình khúc (99 Love Poems, published 1995 or 1996, includes 98 poems composed during 1941-1995)
• Mắt thiên thu (Eyes of Eternity, 1941, manuscript lost)
• Về cõi em (To My Beloved's Realm, 1992, an unpublished poetry collection)

4.4. Prose and Adaptations

Beyond poetry and plays, Hoàng Cầm also contributed to prose and adapted various international literary works:

• Hận ngày xanh (The Hatred of Youth, an adaptation of Alphonse de Lamartine's works, 1940)
• Bông sen trắng (The White Lotus, an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, 1940)
• Cây đèn thần (The Wonderful Lamp, an adaptation of Arabian Nights, 1941)
• Thoi mộng (Dream Shuttle, a novella, 1941)
• Hai lần chết (Two Deaths, a short story, 1941)
• Tỉnh giấc mơ vua (Wakening from a King's Dream, an adaptation of Arabian Nights, 1942)
• Bốn truyện ngắn (Four Short Stories, published in `Tiểu thuyết thứ Bảy` from 1939 to 1943)
• Văn xuôi Hoàng Cầm (Hoàng Cầm's Prose, a prose collection, 1997)

4.5. Highlighted Major Works

Among his extensive body of work, Bên kia sông Đuống and Lá diêu bông stand out as his most iconic poems, while Hận Nam Quan and Kiều Loan are his most renowned plays. Bên kia sông Đuống, composed in 1948, is particularly significant for its poignant depiction of the devastation of his village during the anti-French resistance, a work so impactful that it has been included in the high school curriculum in Vietnam. Lá diêu bông, written in 1959, is celebrated for its mysterious and romantic imagery, exploring themes of elusive love and longing. These works, along with his poetic plays, cemented his reputation as a master of language and emotion, leaving a lasting imprint on Vietnamese literature.

5.1. Nhân Văn-Giai Phẩm Affair and Withdrawal from Writers' Association

In late 1955, Hoàng Cầm began working at the Vietnam Writers' Association, focusing on publishing. In April 1957, he was a co-founder of the Vietnam Writers' Association and was elected to its Executive Committee. However, his involvement in the Nhân Văn affair (Nhân Văn-Giai Phẩm movement), a period of intellectual and artistic dissent in the late 1950s, led to severe repercussions. This movement advocated for greater artistic freedom and criticized certain aspects of government policy, which was met with a harsh crackdown by the authorities. As a consequence of his association with this affair, Hoàng Cầm was forced to withdraw from the Vietnam Writers' Association in 1958. He subsequently retired in 1970 at the age of 48. This episode highlights the suppression of artistic freedom during that era and the personal sacrifices made by intellectuals like Hoàng Cầm.

5.2. Imprisonment

The repercussions of his literary and political activities continued years later. In 1982, Hoàng Cầm was arrested and imprisoned in Hỏa Lò Prison in Hà Nội. The charge was related to his poetry collection Về Kinh Bắc, which he had composed between 1959 and 1960. He was accused of "anti-Party" sentiments through his works. He was held until 1983, when he was released without ever facing a formal trial. This traumatic experience had a profound impact on his health, causing him to suffer from depression. His imprisonment serves as a stark example of the challenges faced by artists and writers who dared to express dissenting views or explore themes deemed sensitive by the authorities, underscoring the struggle for intellectual freedom in Vietnam.

6.1. National Prize for Literature and Art

In early 2007, the Vietnamese government formally acknowledged Hoàng Cầm's significant contributions to literature and art. He was awarded the National Prize for Literature and Art, a prestigious honor signed by the President of Vietnam. This award was particularly significant as it came decades after he had faced political persecution and withdrawal from official literary circles due to his involvement in the Nhân Văn-Giai Phẩm affair. It marked a belated but important recognition of his enduring artistic merit and his profound impact on Vietnamese culture, signaling a shift in official perception towards his work.

6.2. Literary Standing and Legacy

Hoàng Cầm holds a distinguished position in Vietnamese literary history, widely regarded as one of the nation's most important poets and playwrights of the 20th century. His works, particularly Bên kia sông Đuống and Lá diêu bông, are celebrated for their unique blend of traditional Vietnamese aesthetics and modern poetic sensibilities. The enduring power of his poetry is encapsulated in the sentiment that "Vietnam's resistance could not have succeeded without Văn Cao's music and Hoàng Cầm's poetry," highlighting his crucial role in the cultural and spiritual fabric of the nation during tumultuous times. Despite periods of official disapproval and personal hardship, his literary voice remained authentic and influential, continuing to resonate with readers and inspiring subsequent generations of Vietnamese writers.

8.1. Influence on Later Generations

Hoàng Cầm's legacy continues to influence subsequent generations of Vietnamese writers and artists. His poem Bên kia sông Đuống, in particular, remains a staple of the high school curriculum, ensuring that his powerful narrative and poetic style are introduced to young minds. Despite the controversies and suppression he faced, his works have endured, serving as a testament to the resilience of artistic freedom and the lasting power of literature to reflect and shape national identity. His ability to weave personal experiences with broader historical and cultural themes continues to inspire writers to explore the complexities of Vietnamese society and human emotion.

8.2. Contributions to Specific Literary Fields

Hoàng Cầm's contributions to Vietnamese literature are multifaceted. In poetry, he enriched the genre with his unique blend of traditional forms and modern themes, producing epic poems like Tiếng hát quan họ and deeply personal love poems compiled in collections like 99 tình khúc. His poetic narratives, such as Men đá vàng, further expanded the scope of Vietnamese verse. In drama, he was a pioneer of poetic plays, with works like Hận Nam Quan and Kiều Loan pushing the boundaries of theatrical expression and exploring historical narratives with lyrical depth. His prose works and adaptations of international classics also demonstrated his versatility and his role in introducing diverse literary styles to Vietnamese readers. Through his extensive and varied body of work, Hoàng Cầm significantly advanced the development of poetry, drama, and prose in Vietnam.