The Tale of Kiều 20 - Ma Giam Sinh - Poem: Nguyen Du (1766-1820).
Nguyền - Poem: Nguyen Du (1766-1820).
Realization and Music : Vinh-Thien Quach.
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The Tale of Kiều
20 – Mr Ma Giam Sinh.
(Mr Mã Giám Sinh)
Poem: Nguyễn Du (1766-1820)
Music: Quách Vĩnh Thiện
Kim Van Kieu ( CD-KVK2-02 )
Verses: 769-808.
English Translation: Lê Xuân Thủy

Who has separated the black-mustard-seed from the amber? Who has caused the needle to fall? Who is at fault for leaving the duckweed to float downstream and the cloud to sink? My dear daughter, all the pressing words that you have repeated to me will be carried out. The steles can be worn out but I’ll never fail to comply with the wishes of your golden heart.
Kiêu humbly approached her father and prostrated herself before him. My dear father, she said, thanks to you, I shall be able to pay my debt to the man I love. No matter how lowly the fate of this servant will be, I won’t mind even if I shall have to leave my bones to whiten in a foreign country. How could one depict the sorrows of this maiden? A rushing roll of drum sounds echoed from the South watchtower, announcing the end of the watch. Outside, a flowery palanquin, coming from nowhere, stopped right in front of the house. Sounds of violins and flutes rose as though urging separation.
How could one depict the grief of those who stayed behind and those who were leaving? Stones were soaked with their tears and pain broke their hearts live exhausted worms emptied of their silk. By the end of the day, defiling heavy clouds covered the sky completely, spreading their dark mantle over the earth. The grass displayed its withering points which shivered gloomily under damp boughs of trees. The bride’s procession arrived finally at a tavern. She was left there, forlorn within four walls of spring, ashamed of her green innocence and anxious concerning her beauty. The more Kiêu retraced the phases of her love, the more painful was her suffering.
I thought that my person was worthy of an immortal life, she murmured dolefully and here I am in the hands of a villain. How useless all my pains were in keeping my body intact from the sun and rain for him. I would rather have offered the pistil of my peach-flower to my sweetheart had I known that I should to this downfall. Ah, who has kept both of us from enjoying the West wind? Departing is painful but staying behind would be of equal sorrow to me. If ever I had a chance to meet him some day, my body would have been stained and there would be nothing left to hope for.
Destined for an uncertain life, how could I continue to live a pure life of a rosy-cheeked girl? Her glance caught at random a knife lying on the desk. She furtively took it and rolled it up in a corner of her scarf. This knife, Kiêu said to herself, might be of good use in setting my fate in case of dishonor. The night lagged along and time continued to run by Kiêu was still sitting on her bed, deeply absorbed in her thoughts, as though plunged into a state of half-consciousness. Who was Ma Giam Sinh, in reality? This man to whom she was married was but a depraved wretch.
Leading a rollicking life, he had been once in bad trouble. So, to get out of this bad situation, he had resorted to one of his old procedures: running after riches in gallant surroundings.

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