Dinh Hung

Đinh Hùng (1920-1967) was a poet and fiction writer.

Winners of South Vietnam's National Literary Award, 1962. From left to right: poet Vương Đức Lệ, novelist Nhật Tiến, poet Đinh Hùng, scholar Lê Ngọc Trụ and poet Mai Trung Tĩnh.

He was born in Hà Đông (now called Hà Sơn Bình), went to Saigon in 1954, where he founded the newspaper Tự Do [Freedom]. He died there in 1967 of stomach cancer. He often relied on opium for inspiration and was influenced by the French symbolists. Often bizarre yet elegant, with titles like Nightmare and Savage Song, his poetry is admired by many, ridiculed by others.

In 1941, his mentor, Thế Lữ, inserted a Đinh Hùng poem, "Kỳ nữ", into a novella, Trại Bồ tùng linh. This poem caused a sensation, launching his reputation. He used the pen name Thần Đăng for satirical verses, and Hoài Điệp Thứ Lang for his novels. A few of his poems were put to music, such as the classic "Chiều Tím" ["Purple Evening"] by the composer Đan Thọ, and "Mộng Dưới Hoa" ["Dreaming Beneath Flowers"] by Phạm Đình Chương.

Linh Dinh started this entry.

Works

• Mê hồn ca, poetry (1954)
• Đường vào tình sử, poetry (1961), awarded South Vietnam's National Prize for 1962
• Ngày Ðó Có Em, poetry
• Ðốt Lò Hương Cũ, poetry
• Cô gái gò Ôn Khâu, historical novel
• Người đao phủ thành Đại La, novel
• Cánh tay hào kiệt, Phan Thanh Giản, drama

Đinh Hùng online

• His page on Đặc Trưng, with links to many poems
• Đinh Hùng page on Thư Quán, with 52 poems
• Radio Free Asia program on songs featuring Đinh Hùng's poems as lyrics, with accounts of the poet by musician and song writer Nguyễn Hiền
• Vũ trụ thơ, a book by Đặng Tiến on Nguyễn Du, Bà huyện Thanh Quan, Tản Đà, Hàn Mặc Tử and Đinh Hùng (Saigon: Giao Điểm, 1972).