The Tale of Kiều
by Nguyễn Du
Ch. 41: Bạc Bà’s Trap, Kiều Got Sold Again  
Translated by Vuong Thanh 

Chapter 41: Bạc Bà’s Trap, Kiều Got Sold Again 

Nearby lived a woman, surnamed Bạc

who used to go to the temple and gave offerings. 

The nun sent words to her, asking her to help,

by letting Kiều take refuge for a while at her place.

Glad to find so soon a haven,  

Kiều rushed in without further reflection.

She couldn’t have suspected that the woman was a master swindler.

Dame Bạc and Dame Tú are  from the same school of tricksters.

Upon seeing her beautiful face with coral-shaped lips,  

Dame Bạc was silently elated at making her business’s big profit. 

She concocted tales out of thin air to frighten Kiều into submission.

Disheartened, Kiều, quite a few times, shook with trepidation. 

Dame Bạc affected to kick her out of the house, 

and used threats to force her to marry  her nephew.

“Thousands of miles from home, you’re all alone,

but your bad name has spread near and far.

Our unlucky fate to be with you. You will wreck our home yet! 

Who else but us would dare to harbor you in our house?

You need to hurry to find a man and get married,

or you can fly and seek refuge in heaven.

Nearby places  are not convenient to arrange a marriage match.

Farther off, there’s no match to be found. 

Now, I have a nephew, named Bạc Hạnh. 

He’s my blood relation, not just any stranger.

He ran a shop in the Thai District.

He’s very honest and never break his words.

You must listen to me and marry him.

Once wedded, you can move back with him to Thai District.

There, no one will know of your past.

Your will be free to do as you wish,

like a fish in the river, a dolphin in the sea.

If you’re still determined not to agree,

then you’re going against my wish, and misfortune will upon you visit.”

Kiều’s face darkened with gloom, her brows furrowed. 

The more she heard, the more it hurts like blows.

Thinking that she’d stumbled and had nowhere to go,

Kiều, at last resort, uttered her resigned thoughts:

“I’m like a swallow, strayed from its flock.

Wounded by an arrow, it’s afraid of curved boughs.

Having no other way out, even if I want to marry,

I’d  know his  face, but how would I know his heart?

Just in case I fall into the hands of bad people,

one can’t be sure of anything when there are those 

who made a living trading bears and tigers, 

let anyone who wishes to marry me,

performs a solemn oath of trust and love.

Heaven and Earth will be the witnesses.

Then I wouldn’t mind crossing the sea with him.”

After getting Kiều’s compliance, the old woman left.

She told the news to her nephew. He immediately made wedding preparations.

The whole house was furnished and prepared for the occasion:

The courtyard swept, altar set up, vases cleaned, incense sticks lit. 

Bạc Sinh knelt down hastily before the altar.

After the usual prayers, he even lavished his prayers

 on the guardian spirits of the locality and the home. 

In the courtyard, they revealed their hearts to each other.  

The newlyweds, in their bedroom, performed red-silk-thread ritual…

After they’re married, they went down a boat.

With favorable wind, the boat moved quickly to the Thái District.

When the boat was just docked in the harbor,

Bạc Sinh left first and went to the place he usually frequented.

These shops had existed forever – they’re brothels.

Organized by those packs of people who buy and sell human flesh.   

They’d seen the person to be sold, and set the price.

The merchandise was sold at ten times the bought price.

Some men were hired to take the merchandise back on a carriage.

Bạc took his unfaithful face (bạc: unfaithful; silver) and ran far away.   

The carriage was placed in front of the flowery threshold.

Kiều saw an old woman came out of the house hastily.

She led Kiều to the family altar to perform the usual rites.

It was the same white-browed statue, the founding patron of the brothels.

Just one quick look was enough for Kiều to realize the situation.

Like a bird in a cage, she no longer lives free. 

“Damn this unlucky fate of a peach blossom.

Knot untied, then re-tied again, so easy, like god playing  a game. 

Thinking about my life, I find it so pitiful and tiresome.

What good are superior talents, when they make earth and heaven jealous!”

What a shame that the murky water is being cleaned 

but the mud, several times, were again thrown in. 

O! The Creator (hồng quân) and the pink-pant (hồng quần) girl.  *

You had spun her life that long and that much, 

and yet, you keep on doing it  and not let her go.

Since the unfortunate event forced me to leave home,

I had resigned myself and accepted whatever fate threw at me.

Young as I was, what crime had I committed

to bear the shame of a rose battered in the storm past my prime?

Knowing that I cannot escape Heaven’s reserved fate for me, 

I’ll abandon this painted face and body again in the spring of my life.

* there are many synonyms for the word Creator, and for the word “girl”. The poet however used “hồng quân” for creator and “hồng quần” for girl. hồng quần literally mean pink pant which means a girl/woman. A play of words to ridicule the Creator as the words are very similar, just a tiny bit different in term of accent marks and tones.