In his revolutionary career, President Ho Chi Minh wrote many historic
documents and famous works, including a collection of poems called
“Prison diary”. The work is a self-portrait in poems, reflecting the
humane and optimistic soul of the profound communist and poet Ho Chi
Minh. Stay tuned for some insights from the Voice of Vietnam Radio.
To mark the 70th anniversary of “Prison diary”, a recent workshop in
Hanoi confirmed the artistic value, humanity, and vitality of the poem
collection, a high-profile work in Vietnam’s modern poetry. The workshop
was organized by the Party Central Committee’s Communication and
Education Commission, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and
the Union of Vietnam Arts and Literature Associations.
“Prison diary” consists of 133 poems written in Chinese Han script
from August 29, 1942, to September 10, 1943. The original edition is a
small notebook whose cover is illustrated with 4 verses and a sketch of
two hands in chains.
Ho Chi Minh was both the
author and a character who recorded and retold “stories in jail” in a
diary format. “Prison diary” can be seen as an autobiography in verse,
in which President Ho placed the revolution and the people in the
supreme position.
Literary critic Phuong Luu says
the work shows the greatness of a great personality, whose earnest
desire was “Independence for the nation and freedom for humans”: “It’s
noteworthy that the word ‘freedom’ is repeated again and again,
demonstrating Ho Chi Minh’s desire for freedom as a human being and a
poet. This also matches his thought as a leader. When establishing the
State, he named it the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. But this was not
enough. Vietnam was one of the rare countries that have added another
phrase to its official name: ‘Independence – Freedom – Happiness’,
meaning the nation was independent and the people had to a right to
freedom and happiness. This is what we are pursuing now.”
Ho Chi Minh’s “Prison dairy” depicts the revolutionary’s perseverance,
resilience and iron will to overcome all hardships with hope and
optimism for the future. Despite being in custody and enduring 18
prisons in 13 district of China’s Quangxi province, the author showed
dignity and unruffledness as a revolutionary prisoner.
To begin the collection, Ho Chi Minh wrote “I am not keen on reciting
poems, but what else can I do in jail; All day long I recite poems to
find solace; Reciting and waiting for the day I will be released”.
Enduring the harsh conditions of Chiang Kai-Shek’s prison, the prisoner
was firm in his belief in the rosy future of the revolution. “There is
neither wine nor flower in jail; It’s hard to resist tonight’s beauty; A
human being watches the moonlight via a window; The moon peeps at the
poet through the gap of the window”.
Literary
critic Professor Phong Le calls “Prison diary” the most honest and
in-depth self-portrait of Ho Chi Minh. He emerged in various postures: a
revolutionary who lost freedom, a miserable prisoner, a friend who was
sympathetic to all lower-class people and a poetic soul in favor of
nature. He was also a human being with extraordinary strong will and a
revolutionary optimism amid the most difficult circumstances.
Poet Vu Quan Phuong told VOV: “I wrote several studies about him,
including articles about his prison escape and how he merged into the
circle of prisoners, the bottom-of-society class. ‘My itchy body is
purplish-red as if covered an embroidered silk cloth; Rustling as if
playing a guitar. Wearing silk cloth, my prisoner friends are honored
guests. Playing music in jail voices friendship'”. (Poem Scabies)
“Prison dairy” was translated into Vietnamese in 1960 and since then
has been translated into English, Arabic, Portuguese, German, Korean,
Japanese, and Spanish. On October 1, 2012, the Prime Minister of Vietnam
signed a decision recognizing “Prison diary” as a national treasure.-VNA