Ngo Tat To was born in 1894 in Loc Ha village, Hoi Phu canton, Tu Son district, Bac Ninh province. His village lies by the Duong river, a land of rich cultural traditions. But prior to the August Revolution (1945), there existed bad customs and habits which resulted in numerous misfortunes befalling many poor peasant families. Those painful scenes were recorded in a true and vivid way in ‘Communal Affairs,’ a volume of his essays.

Early in his childhood, Ngo Tat To studied Chinese characters. In 1912 (the lunar year of the rat) he, with "a Tent and a Bamboo Bed," experienced his first degree examination at the provincial level. In 1915 (the lunar year of the cat), in the last round of examination in Bac Ninh, he rank first and, from then, he was named as 'To, the Top of the Country' in a friendly way.

One of the Confucian scholars of the last generation such as Nguyen Trong Thuat, Mai Dang De, Dat Cong Pham Que Lam, Tan Da, Nguyen Khac Hieu, etc, Ngo Tat To transcended his contemporaries in many aspects. He had an early apprehension of the new ideologies of the times. He was among the pioneers who advocated the combination of eastern and western medicines. A scholar, who had for years pursued an academic career at Confucian schools, he never followed the old way in a blind way, nor apprehended the teachings in one way. In some of his works and studies such as: ‘Criticism on Tran Trong Kim’s Confucianism’ (1938), ‘Mac Tu’ (1942), and others, he made a straightforward criticism on the then negative ideologies. In his novel ‘Tent and Bamboo Bed,’ he revived in a vivid way the mandarin examination system under the old feudal regime. With his vast and profound knowledge, and especially with his own experience, he described the tragic breakdown of the old scholar’s morale who saw examinations as the only way to progress up the social ladder, but finally ended in total despair. He was unhesitant in laying bare, in his books, the other side of the old society and the sinister and abject deeds in a section of the feudal scholars who claimed to be the golden criteria of ethics and manners, and the mainstay of society, but only indulged in seeking pleasure, wealth, position and fame without "perfecting themselves; managing their family, governing the State and keeping universal peace." It was their selfish ideal that turned them into vulgar, small and mean men. It can be said that if Nam Cao wrote on the petty bourgeois scholars in a real and critical way, then Ngo Tat To cut open and analysed the path of the scholar gentry and brought to light their limitations and vulgarity.

Throughout his career, Ngo Tat To led a life of a poor writer and teacher. In 1926, he went to Hanoi and worked for a newspaper and then, with Tan Da, he left Hanoi to Saigon. He came to the southern land with much hope and faith, but after almost 30 years in Saigon, he went back to Hanoi empty-handed. He earned his living by writing for Pho Thong (Universal), Tuong Lai (Future), Cong Dan (Citizen), Dong Phap Thoi Vu (Times of Indochina), Ha Noi Tan Van (Hanoi New Literature) and some other newspapers. This was the most enthusiastic and hectic time of his journalism. He wrote under a number of pen-names such as: Thuc Dieu, Loc Ha, Loc Dinh, Thon Dan, Pho Chi, Tue Nhon, Thuyet Hai, Xuan Trao, Hi Cu, etc. His articles dealt with the then burning topics, from the movement of the Democratic Front to the struggle of the journalist circle for the freedom of speech, and from public demonstrations to "welcoming" Godart, the then envoy of France’s popular government, in the cities in north Vietnam to the revolts by peasants to seize the landlords’ rice stores in Bac Lieu and Rach Gia. His sharp and combative style bravely laid bare and condemned the dignitaries in the then society such as governor Tolenche in Tonkin and governor Page in Cochinchina, the ministers of the feudal administration Pham Quynh, Vo Hien, Trong Phu and others. During 1936-1939, he continued to criticise the feudal mandarins, especially the corrupt ones.

His attitude and deeds bought him the hostility from the colonialists. He was closely followed by police agents and attempts were made to buy him over. In 1935, the chief of the police in Hanoi met with and tried to seduce him, but to no avail. He was banned from writing on a number of occasions and expelled from Hanoi, Haiphong and Nam Dinh. In 1939, the colonial rule ordered the ban on his novel ‘Fading Lamp.’ Police agents went to Bac Ninh, inspected his house and detained him for four months in Hanoi. However, these acts failed to prevent him from writing. Under any circumstances, he always took the national interests and those of the poor and oppressed masses as a firm basis for his creative work.

Ngo Tat To used many forms, short story, novel, essay, etc. But whenever his name is mentioned it is usually linked with his novel ‘Fading Lamp’ Understandably enough, this is his most outstanding work. In fact, prior to ‘Fading Lamp’ he described the lives of the peasants behind the bamboo hedges of the village in a number of his articles and his volume of essays ‘Communal Affairs.’ However, ‘Fading Lamp’ was seen to be his greatest success. It was believed that the work had brought about a new, distinctive style of observation, description and expression for arts and differentiated him from other contemporary writers. He dealt not only with current topics during the period of the Democratic Front such as the peasantry, taxation, etc, but also successfully built an image of a strong and optimistic peasant woman with good properties. In writing ‘Fading Lamp,’ he resorted to his sharp observation, his broad knowledge of country life and, most importantly, to his deep and close sentiment towards and love for the peasants. Reading his pages about the miserable lives that were cornered at an impasse, we feel our tears mix with those of the characters. It can be put like this, with ‘Fading Lamp,’ ‘Communal Affairs’ and others works, Ngo Tat To became a trustworthy friend of the poor peasants prior to the August Revolution.

After the success of the August Revolution, together with his colleagues, Ngo Tat To continued to express his sincere emotion, confidence and optimism in the new life. In 1946, "at a meal with the presence of almost all artists from the north and central Vietnam, in closing the first Congress of the Cultural Association for National Salvation in Hanoi, an old grey-haired man in a long dress and with a scarf round his head, who had bravely laid bare the inequalities of the feudal and colonial regime in newspaper columns, stood up and, in a slightly-drunken voice, shyly read some verses to congratulate the success of the revolution."

The nationwide war of resistance broke out. Despite his advanced age and poor health, Ngo Tat To made a hearty dedication to the service of the revolution. Simple, in brown clothes as ever, he merged himself in the life of the resistance of the people. He participated in cultural activities, attended the nationwide congress of emulation fighters in agriculture and engaged in agricultural taxation activities. At the first nationwide Cultural Congress in 1948, he was elected to the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Cultural Association.

His activities during the years of resistance against the French colonialists kept him away from creating major literary works as he devoted most of his time to writing national folk verses, ballads, short stories and popular opera such as ‘Vinh Thuy Ballad’, ‘Gifts of the Lunar New Year to Soldiers,’ ‘Midland Marketplace,’ ‘The Young Loc,’ etc so as to render timely service to the revolutionary tasks. Characteristic of this time was his major contribution to translation work. He was the translator of a number of major Soviet and Chinese literary works. Among the awards given to artists in 1951-1952, he was presented two prizes for his translations of two books, ‘At Dawn’ by Wang Li and ‘In Front of Battle Fire’ by Liu Bai Wu, and a consolation prize for his ten-act popular opera ‘Quach Thi Tuoc’ which was later renamed as 'Woman Soldier Bui Thi Phac.’

In April 1954, Ngo Tat To passed away. He was never able to witness the day of victory of the nation which he had dreamt of since 1949:

"The image of victory is brightening when the spring comes
Our river and mountain will be the place we meet again
And we clap our hands on the land of Thang Long."

Despite his death before the day of victory, Ngo Tat To had experienced one of the most heroic moments in the nation’s history and seen the revival of the poor peasants who were standing up to master their own lives and the destiny of the country.

More than thirty years of a writing career as a journalist, novelist, literary critic and translator, Ngo Tat To made a large contribution to the revolutionary and literary cause. In acknowledging his large contribution, the State Council has posthumously conferred him the honorary Ho Chi Minh Prize. He will worthily be a great writer and researcher and a man of culture of our nation forever.

By HA VAN DUC