#KIỀU

Описание: #KIỀU'S TALE (Part 2) | Poem by Nguyễn Du & Music by Thì Thầm

Vương Quan led the way, near and far,
People spoke of Đạm Tiên, once a famous singer.
Beauty and talent had made her illustrious for a time,
And before her door, the gallant swallows rustled endlessly.

Alas, the fate of the beautiful is fragile,
In mid-spring, the fragrant branch broke.
A traveler from a distant land,
Having heard of her fame, came seeking her.

No sooner had the boat of love touched the shore,
Than the pin broke, the vase fell forever.
The empty room was as cold as a white sheet,
The chariot tracks already covered with a greenish moss.

Tears alone were insufficient to express the sorrow,
Cruel irony of fate, was it her fault or mine?
If no bond was forged long ago,
Why even this faint hope of a future destiny?

A green shroud, a humble coffin drawn by oxen,
A grave barely covered, left to the grass and flowers.
Suns and moons have passed since,
It is a masterless grave, visited by no one.

Whose heart could bear such pity?
Suddenly Kiều felt her tears flow.
O infinite sorrow of women's fate!
To say "unhappy destiny" is a universal refrain.

Why, O Creator, such cruelty?
Youth fades, rosy cheeks wither.
Living, wife of all yet belonging to no one,
Dead, a solitary ghost without a husband.

Where are those who shared bed and pillow?
Where are those who sought her favors?
Since none remembers or regrets,
I will burn a few sticks of incense here.

Call it a meeting on the path,
Perhaps the soul beneath the golden springs will know.
Murmuring prayers in a low voice,
She knelt, prostrated herself, then rose again.

In the yellowing grass, the evening shadow spreads,
A light wind makes a few reeds shiver.
Removing the pin from her hair,
She carved four verses of three rhymes on the bark.

The more she thought, the more her mind became troubled,
The more she remained motionless, unable to leave.
The more the bloom of her face faded,
The sobs broke, the pearls of tears flowed.

Vân then said: “My sister, isn’t it strange
To shed so many tears for someone from long ago?”