The lyricist of "Hymn to heroes" is not a professional lyricist, why is he the only one?

2020 is the 70th anniversary of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and "Heroes and Children" filmed in the 1960s praised the Chinese bloody warriors on the Korean battlefield, and the "Hero's Hymn" sung by Wang Fang in the smoke of gunfire has also become a classic: "The wind and smoke billow and sing heroes, and the green mountains on all sides listen to each other, and listen to the ears." On a sunny day, thunder strikes a golden drum, and the sea waves make harmony. The people's fighters drive away the tigers and leopards, sacrificing their lives and forgetting death to preserve peace..." It was even called "a model of King Kong's angry-eyed works" by netizens.

In the autumn of 1963, Wu Zhaodi, then the choreographer of Changchun Film Studio, actor Tian Fang, and composer Liu Chi came to Gongmu's house together. These three and Gongmu are old acquaintances in Yan'an in the early years, and Wu Zhaodi bluntly said that they have just finished shooting a movie "Heroes and Children", and they want to ask Gongmu to write the theme song lyrics for the movie "Heroes and Children", and "it is none other than you".

The phrase "none other than you" is by no means a compliment, but because Wu Zhaodi understands the special features of Gongmu: First of all, Gongmu is not only a poet, but he has personally experienced the battlefield and is a revolutionary poet who grew up in the war. Poetry is a family, and poets who have had such experiences understand the feelings of warriors and the tragedy of war. In addition, Gongmu has many successful cases of lyrics, the most famous of which is the "March of the Eighth Route Army", which has been undertaking the mission of military songs since the anti-Japanese War period (composed in 1939, one of the "Eighth Route Army Chorus" suite, later renamed "March of the Chinese People's Liberation Army", and in 1988, deng Xiaoping personally signed the order to issue it as "Chinese People's Liberation Army Military Song"), and Gongmu also sorted out the "Dongfang Hong" suite, upgrading it from a folk song to an epic musical work.

Such a gongmu is naturally the best person to write the lyrics of the theme song of "Heroes and Children".

A revolutionary experience is poetry

Born in 1910, Gongmu was originally named Zhang Yongnian, also known as Zhang Songfu and Zhang Songru, who experienced several wars in his life and was a poet who grew up in the war.

Born in Shulu (present-day Xinji, Hebei Province), Gongmu loved to read from an early age, especially poetry books, and he also studied from time to time.

He attended zhengding provincial no. 7 middle school (now Zhengding middle school in Hebei), and was admitted to the Department of Chinese Literature of the First Normal College of Peking University (now Beijing Normal University).

The purpose of reading is not to become a weak scholar, but to save the country through knowledge. Seeing the weakness of the country and the incompetence of the government, Gongmu actively participated in the patriotic student movement and was arrested and imprisoned twice, one of which was with his teacher Fan Wenlan (1893-1969, historian, who wrote "Modern Chinese History", "Wenxin Carved Dragon Notes", etc.), and was imprisoned for more than a month before being released.

In January 1930, after Gongmu secretly joined the Chinese Communist Youth League, the poems he wrote were full of ambition to save the country.

In the winter of 1932, Gongmu and his classmates visited Mr. Lu Xun, one was to invite him to give a lecture at the school, and the other was to organize a draft for Mr. Lu Xun in the "Literary Magazine" organized. Lu Xun in Gongmu's impression is very humble in life, and he repeatedly does not let Gongmu and other students call for a car before and after the speech, but when he speaks, he is surging and excited, because there are too many students listening, and his speech is moved from the auditorium to the playground, with the theme of "On the Third Kind of Person Again". Lu Xun gave encouragement to the Literary Magazine and wrote a new work for the inaugural issue, "Listening to Dreams". This close dialogue with the master made Gongmu deeply inspired by the revolution.

In the spring of 1933, Gongmu, who was in physical education class, learned that the agent was coming to arrest him and had broken into the school, and hurried to jump off the wall with his classmates. Looking back years later, Gongmu still vividly remembers the thrilling scene. Unfortunately, unable to complete his studies, Gongmu joked many years later that he was a tyrannical student.

After a few days of hiding in Tibet, Gongmudong finally arrived in Ziyang, Shandong, and began a four-year career as a teacher, while continuing to engage in revolutionary activities and spread progressive ideas.

After the "July 7 Incident" in 1937, he joined the anti-Japanese contingent with a pen, and was introduced by Lin Boqu to the Jinsui front and joined the guerrilla group behind enemy lines commanded by Cheng Zihua (1905-1991, proletarian revolutionary). In August 1938, he was assigned by the party organization to study at the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University in Yan'an and joined the Communist Party of China. Going to Yan'an was hard and dangerous, and Gongmu and his wife at that time had to entrust their young daughters under the age of 2 to the care of local Hui compatriots, separating flesh and bones, and cutting off liver and intestines. Fortunately, we were able to get together after 16 years.

After enlisting in the army, all experiences were in the middle of the march and became Gongmu's poems. During the war, Gongmu's thoughts and feelings exploded strongly, and he always said that he was a warrior first and a poet second.

In 1938, based on the real events in The local area of Gonglan, he created the famous long narrative poem "The Ballad of Gonglan" under the name of "Gongmu", which tells the tragic story of a fellow villager who first ate poisonous meals to make the Japanese army relax their vigilance in order to poison the Japanese ghosts who invaded the village, and finally died with the Japanese army.

"The Ballad of Gan Lan" touched every patriot, and the name "Gongmu" became a household name. Once in various shadows, in order to hide, Gongmu has used many pen names, Gongmu is only one of them, which is a decomposition of the word "pine" in his real name. Entering the anti-Japanese team that can write in a bright and upright way, he can finally use "Gongmu" as a fixed name and exert his emotions.

After Mr. Gongmu's death, most of his poems were included in the Gongmu Anthology.

Second, the "Eighth Route Army March" is on fire

Wu Zhaodi, who was also in Yan'an during the Anti-Japanese War, of course knew that the popular "Eighth Route Army March" came from Gongmu's pen.

In 1939, when Gongmu was serving as a current affairs and policy education officer in the Propaganda Department of the Political Department of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University in Yan'an, one day, the famous drum actor Lü Banxing rushed to bring a person and said to Gongmu: "Introduce you to a new comrade-in-arms- Zheng Lucheng." You write the lyrics, he composes the music, and the two of you can just be paired up as a 'couple'!"

Lu Ban brought in a North Korean music director who had just arrived in Yan'an, Jeong Lu-sung, who lived in a cave next door to Gongmu. Since then, the two have often visited the door to talk about music. Once, when Zheng Lucheng came to look for Gongmu, he saw a poem on the table, which was gongmu's "Ode to the Midnight Gang Soldiers" written by Gongmu with a sense of standing guard, and Zheng Lucheng saw it and felt very liked it, so he secretly took away the score and put it on. Two days later, Zheng Lucheng sang to Gongmu, and Gongmu was particularly happy.

Soon, the suite "Yellow River Chorus" composed by Guang Weiran and composed by Xian Xinghai caused a sensation throughout the country and sang all over Yan'an. Zheng Lucheng and Gongmu discussed, or should we write a "Eighth Route Army Chorus"? But what is the "Eighth Route Army Chorus"? This is neither a task under the leadership, nor is there anyone to guide how to write, Gongmu thought to himself: "The Eighth Route Army Chorus" must write eight songs.

Picking up the pen, the poet's emotions filled for a long time spewed out, and it took about a week for Gongmu to write the "Eighth Route Army Military Song", "The Eighth Route Army March", "Happy Eighth Route Army", "Cavalry Song", "Artillery Song", "Military and Civilian Family", "Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army", plus the previous "Ode to the Midnight Guard", a total of eight songs. Zheng Lucheng was particularly excited after getting the lyrics, and he also wanted to compose a song as soon as possible. However, the conditions in Yan'an were very harsh, not even an accordion, and Zheng Lucheng found the rhythm by knocking on the white stubble table, humming in his mouth, and sometimes going to the mountains to knock stones and face the fields to find inspiration. Once, Gongmu saw Zheng Lucheng returning from the mountain, and his knuckles were broken.

A few months later, Zheng Lucheng was transferred to the music department of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University, where he completed the "Eighth Route Army Chorus" suite.

In the winter of 1939, the "Eighth Route Army Chorus" premiered in the Central Auditorium of Yan'an. The lyrics of the eight songs are catchy, the tune is enthusiastic and heroic, both the fearless spirit of the revolution, but also full of hope for the future, once performed, it will quickly spread throughout the anti-Japanese base areas, of which "Eighth Route Army Military Song" and "Eighth Route Army March" are the positive energy songs of the year: "The iron current is twenty-five thousand miles, straight to a firm direction..." "Forward forward!" Our team faces the sun, our feet step on the land of the motherland, and we carry the hope of the nation, and we are an invincible force. ”

In the summer of the following year, xiao Xiangrong, the propaganda minister of the General Political Department, invited Gongmu and Zheng Lucheng to eat a meal of braised pork and three non-sticks at the Yan'an Youth Canteen, and encouraged them to "write more and write more about the Eighth Route Army." In May 1942, at the "Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art," when Comrade Zhou Yang introduced Gongmu to Chairman Mao as the lyricist of the "Eighth Route Army Chorus," Chairman Mao cordially held out his hand, clasped Gongmu's hand tightly, and said: "It is good to write soldiers and sing soldiers." To write about the Eighth Route Army, we must sing about the Eighth Route Army. I hope you write more in the future. ”

Because the song "Eighth Route Army March" is too good, it has undertaken the mission of military song since its birth. In 1949, it was also listed as a repertoire of the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China, played in front of Tiananmen Square. After several name changes, the song was finally titled "March of the Chinese People's Liberation Army", which was signed by Deng Xiaoping himself in 1988 and promulgated as "Chinese People's Liberation Army Military Song". When the news was delivered to Gongmu, he was particularly excited and excited, unfortunately because of his health, he could not personally participate in the ceremony of awarding the medals for military songs, and could only let his daughter receive the medals on his behalf. Later, Gongmu held a medal, dressed formally, and solemnly took a photo in front of the bookshelf at home.

Gongmu has a deep affection for the troops, and every year around the August 1st Founding Day, Gongmu will visit the soldiers in the troops and listen to the soldiers sing "Chinese people's Liberation Army Military Song" and "Hero Praise", which was his happiest moment.

Another successful case of Gongmu is that in 1945, the northern Shaanxi folk song "Migration Song" was rewritten and filled in into the world-famous "Dongfang Hong". However, due to the large number of original authors of "Immigration Song" and the controversy, Gongmu never emphasized his own credit, and even did not sign for many years.

When asked about small talk with his granddaughter Zhang Ling'er, he only said lightly that as long as everyone likes the song, it doesn't matter who wrote it.

3. "Hero's Hymn" honors the loyal soul

Director Wu Zhaodi pulled Gongmu to the small white building of Changchun Film Studio and arranged for him to stay for one night, watching the unedited movie "Heroes and Children".

The story of the movie is like this: During the period of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, a certain regiment of the Volunteer Army fought bravely in the battle to hold the nameless highlands. Wang Cheng, a soldier who had just returned from the hospital to the army, asked to join the battle, and took out a letter from his father encouraging him to kill the enemy and make meritorious contributions to the leaders, and the political commissar Wang Wenqing knew that Wang Cheng was the son of his old comrade-in-arms Wang Fubiao, and this old comrade-in-arms had also adopted Wang Wenqing's daughter in danger. In the battle, Wang Cheng fought bravely and sacrificed heroically. After Wang Cheng's sacrifice, his sister Wang Fang, a member of the Cultural and Labor Corps, persisted in fighting with the help of Wang Wenqing, undertook the task of publicizing heroes and singing heroes, and boosted the morale of the soldiers on the front line with her songs. In the end, Wang Fang, his adoptive father Wang Fubiao, and his biological father Wang Wenqing were reunited on the Korean battlefield.

The song that Gongmu wants to write is the song that Wang Fang encouraged the soldiers on the front line.

This movie made Gongmu's blood boil, and his thoughts instantly returned to the front line of the war he had personally experienced. He had fought with the troops commanded by Cheng Zihua, and the resolute faces of the soldiers in the smoke of gunfire were engraved in his mind, and each one was Wang Cheng.

Gongmu once said that he wrote this song with a sincere affection for the soldiers and the troops. It is his mission to praise the hero and praise the hero. He remembered a poem he had written in the early fifties of the last century, "Praise for martyrs", that is, his most heartfelt and enthusiastic praise for heroes, which led to the title of the song "Hero Praise".

The theme of the song is that the warrior glorifies Venus, which also comes from the last two verses of "Martyrs' Praise": "When you pick up the explosive canister / Crush with the enemy / The enemy will forever turn into sludge under your feet / You will become a brilliant Venus / You shine in the sky / You shine above the warrior's head / You shine on the flag that shades us / You shine in the hearts of the people." These poems were later translated into "Heroes' Hymns" in which "hands clutch the explosive canister, and the eyes are angry and fiery." Enemies rot into dirt, warriors glorify Venus. ”

The structure of the lyrics is divided into four parts: one sings the hero and the justice of the war, the second sings the heroic and majestic posture of Wang Cheng, the third sings the heroic sacrifice of Wang Cheng, and the fourth sings the praise of the heroes and martyrs. That is, the first three paragraphs are tightly tied to the storyline of the movie, and the last paragraph is an emotional sublimation with universal significance, rising from the individual to the whole, from the praise of the king into a person to praise all the martyrs.

After the first draft of "Hero Hymn" matured in his heart, it took only one night for Gongmu to write the lyrics of the song.

Seeing such wonderful lyrics, choreographer Wu Zhaodi and composer Liu Chi were particularly excited. After the three of them jointly discussed, Gongmu made some changes. For example, "Hymn to heroes" became three paragraphs, and the fourth paragraph was changed to "harmony words", which was called chorus in modern music theory, placed after each of the first three paragraphs, and sung three times repeatedly. This kind of repetitive performance method is very common in the "Poetry Classic, National Wind", repeatedly circulating, swinging the intestines, and deepening the emotion of praise. At the same time, Gongmu compressed the paragraph changed to "Hezi" from the original six sentences to four sentences, and changed to a louder rhyme, so that it was more spiritual and courageous. The second sentence of each of the first three paragraphs repeats three words, such as "listening to the side of the ear", "cracking the long sky", and "heaven and earth collapse" are added according to the needs of the composer.

In this way, a lyric full of masculinity and grandeur was finalized:

The wind and smoke billow and sing the hero, and the green mountains on all sides listen and listen to the side ears. On a sunny day, thunder strikes a golden drum, and the sea waves make harmony. The people's fighters drive away the tigers and leopards, sacrificing their lives and forgetting their deaths to preserve peace. Why is the battle flag so picturesque? The hero's blood stained it red. Why is spring always there? The life of a hero blossoms.

The hero jumped out of the trench, and an electric light cracked the long sky, cracking the long sky. The ground sank into the single body, and the sky fell down with only one hand. His feet roared with fire and shone with rainbows. Why is the battle flag so picturesque? The hero's blood stained it red. Why is spring always there? The life of a hero blossoms.

A roar of cannons roared, overturning the river, overturning the sea and collapsing the heavens and the earth, and the heavens and the earth collapsed. Clutching the blaster with both hands, his eyes spurting with rage. Enemies rot into dirt, warriors glorify Venus. Why is the battle flag so picturesque? The hero's blood stained it red. Why is spring always there? The life of a hero blossoms.

After Liu Chi completed the composition, after scoring and singing, Changchun Film Studio remade the relevant shots, so that a shocking and touching song "Hero Praise" was completely presented in front of the audience and accompanied by the film in people's hearts. It's also interesting to say, over time, probably to conform or to match the format of the name of the movie "Heroes and Children", the song was called "Hero Hymn".

Memories of Grandpa

After the 1960s, Mr. Gongmu died on October 30, 1998 as the head of the department of Chinese, the dean of the Faculty of Letters, and the vice president of Jilin University.

His granddaughter, Zhang Ling'er, said that when she watched movies or listened to "Hero's Hymn" on the radio when she was a child, she didn't know it was a word written by her grandfather until a school teacher told her. The grandfather in Zhang Ling'er's eyes is always very low-key, just like he doesn't care whether the author of "Dongfang Hong" signs his name or not, as long as everyone likes it.

In fact, there is another detail, Zhang Ling'er did not have time to ask her grandfather, did he feel the plot of finding a lost daughter in the film? How similar to his experience of leaving his daughter at his hometown when he went to Yan'an! Zhang Ling'er thought that grandpa should be very touched, after all, it was also a bitter experience of his own. But the old man did not mention it, perhaps because when he wrote this song, his daughter had found it, which calmed his heart a little. In fact, the walker who chooses to put family affection behind him for the sake of revolution is not a hero?

Today, the time-honored "Hymn of heroes" has become a classic, never diminished by the passage of time, but more and more empowering the listener, and at the same time, it reminds us of the hard-won peace. The years are quiet, not as they were, but with the lives of countless heroes, and we should always remember and recite them.