It took a year of “conception” to complete the song< /p>
In the 80s of the last century, countless mothers, wives, soldiers… cried every time they heard the late artist Ngoc Tan sing: ” My country’s slender drops of dan bau soothe the mother’s pain. Three times she sent her child away, she cried silently, but the brothers did not return alone. My country, my country, my country…” on the radio speak Vietnam. In 1988, this song caused a strong sensation at the Music Festival in Hanoi organized by the Ministry Culture – Organizational information when Meritorious Artist Quang Ly performed.
And from there The song became more popular with the public and became a familiar song on occasions of gratitude to heroic martyrs, wounded and sick soldiers and heroic Vietnamese mothers. Following the two previous artists, singers Bich Viet and Trong Tan are also those who have successfully sung this song.
Musician Pham Minh Tuan in a music exchange session. Photo: Hoa Binh.
It can be said that among the songs written about the image of a heroic Vietnamese mother, “Country” is composed of music. Poet Pham Minh Tuan popularized Ta Huu Yen’s poetry, which not only has beautiful melodies and lyrics, but also deeply touches the listener’s mind.
Poet An Dinh once exclaimed: “How many times have I wondered if there is any land in this world where every inch of land is soaked in the blood and bones of our predecessors as much as our country?” And is there any country with as many mothers with noble sacrifices as my country Vietnam? I don’t know and I can’t answer. But one thing I am sure of is that there is no song that makes the word “country” understood with its full sacred meaning like “Country” by Pham Minh Tuan, a poem by Ta Huu Yen. Empathy made me catch up immediately when I first listened to the lyrics in this song. The sound of silk and the sound of my heart trembled with each melody: “My country, my country… Shines forever” and asked to be praised like that a thousand times. I had tears in my eyes when I saw the all too familiar image of a Vietnamese mother sending her child away three times, crying silently, the brothers did not come back alone, the mother remained silent…
Composer Pham Minh Tuan is the author of a series of familiar revolutionary songs that have entered the hearts of many generations such as: “Unforgettable Song” Country of Spring Desire from oil wells White Night Starfish “Footprints Ahead”… His real name is Pham Van Thanh, his father’s hometown is in Nam Dinh and his mother’s hometown is in Hung Yen. In the 30s of the last century, his parents went to Cambodia to do business and give birth to him there. In 1960, following the call of the National Liberation Front of the South, he returned home to join the revolution at the age of 18. When the country was at peace, musician Pham Minh Tuan studied at the Department of Composition at Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music, course 1976-1981, and from then on, a series of songs carrying his new breath of life were born.
About the circumstances of the birth of the song “Country” musician Pham Minh Tuan said in 1984 when he reading newspaper Saigon Liberation saw the poem “My Country” by poet Ta Huu Yen printed in the newspaper. The poems are simple but rich in images and human meaning. The image of the Vietnamese mother embedded in the shape of the country is described by the poet with: “drops of monochord” “voice of folk songs” “village bamboo piles” “strawberry beach” “water wharf” “chants” “flute sound” … has haunted the musician Pham forever.
Especially the episode “Three times seeing my child go, twice crying silently, don’t you guys?” About me, my mother was silent…” as if engraved in his heart a torment that was hard to name. He thought of the sacrifices of Vietnamese mothers from folk songs to real life. And think a lot about the debt of the living to the mothers whose children passed away and remained forever on the battlefield. Those sobs made him unable to help but skip setting this poem to music.
Mother Nguyen Thi Thu – symbol of the image of a heroic Vietnamese mother at the dinner table on the anniversary of her husband and children’s death. Photo: TL.
However, it took a year of “conception” for musician Pham to complete the song “Country. Musician Pham Minh Tuan shared: “The topic of revolutionary war always inspires me to compose. Memories of a time of smoke and fire and the work of building and protecting the homeland often bring me beautiful melodies! ( …) When I came across a poem by poet Ta Huu Yen titled “My Country”, I saw many unique lyrical ideas but also very heroic. It goes into emotional aspects with a narrative quality The country talks about the heroic mother of Vietnam.
I wrote passionately but after editing it again and again, it still didn’t feel right. I decided to put it in the closet decided to put it away because not only could it not compare to the songs written about the homeland that had come out before, but it also was not as good as the songs I had written. One year after the song “Country”. It was only then that I decided to introduce my brainchild to the public. Luckily it was loved and accepted by the audience.”
“Three times I sent my child away, I cried silently twice!”
Over 30 years of the song “Country ” has literally “lived” in the hearts of every Vietnamese person. Every time the song sings, the echo from the past returns to a very painful but no less heroic and tragic past. It is a reminder for those living to be grateful for the silent sacrifices of Vietnamese mothers over many generations. That reminder is gentle but profound. It’s sincere but also very passionate and intense.
Some people say that when they listen to this song, they see the silhouette of heroic Vietnamese mother Nguyen Thi Thu (Dien Thang Dien Ban Quang Nam) had 9 sons, 1 son-in-law and 2 grandchildren who died in the resistance war against the French and Americans to save the country. They thought of the times Thu’s mother sat up in shock at night calling out the names of her husband, children and grandchildren. Mother called and then sat quietly in the dark with blurred eyes looking into the distance and unknown. Some people said they saw the life of a heroic Vietnamese mother in Vinh Long who, within just half a month, had to receive news that her three sons had sacrificed the other son and was seriously injured.
Others see the figure of a heroic Vietnamese mother in Dong Thap whose husband and five sons are martyrs but still continues her revolutionary path to raise a secret. ministry and food supplies for the revolutionaries to fight the enemy. Until people asked her mother, she said: “There is nothing like sadness, but I think the hatred for the enemy is greater than this pain, so I have to stand up and continue going for the Party, the Country and for my children.” me” is just like the song “For several seasons without sleep. Preventing the enemy from the South and the North, the mother’s shoulders are thin, carrying the rice to feed her children…”.
The photo “Mother sees her children off to gather” is kept in the photo album of the family of Major General Huynh Dac Huong (Quang Nam). Photo: Vo Van Truong.
One special thing is that in the song there is a detail that many people have questioned but still There is no exact answer yet. That is the detail “Three times I sent my child away, I cried silently twice”. According to common sense, if you send your child off three times, you must cry silently three times to be logical.
Some people speculate that sending your child off three times is the author’s intention. I want to talk about the two wars against France and the US and the 1979 border war that the country had to go through. However, two children died while one has no whereabouts. Some people think that the lyrics are only general and not specific to a specific mother. The author uses the image of a Vietnamese mother to talk about the silent sacrifice of a mother who created this “country”.
Musician Pham Minh Tuan once shared that besides his mother, there are many Vietnamese mothers who endured sacrifices to send their husbands and children to save the country. And we all cannot forget the merits of mothers, especially mothers whose children sacrifice for their country. “Talking about mothers is talking about the greatest things, the deepest feelings for their vocation, mothers have made extremely noble sacrifices for the country. Therefore, no matter how beautiful the melodies are, they cannot fully express a mother’s love. The mother in the song “Country” has therefore become a big image… not just any specific mother,” the musician said.
< strong>Ha Tung Long
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