The Tale of Kiều
by Nguyễn Du
Ch. 61: Giác Duyên Brought Happy News
Translated by Vuong Thanh 

Chapter 61: Giác Duyên Brought Happy News   

How strange the workings of Fortune can sometimes be.

The nun Giác Duyên somehow happened to pass by.

Startled at seeing the tablet with Kiều’s name on the altar, 

she asked: “Where are you from, my friends?

“Are you Kieu’s family or her relatives?

She’s alive, so why the mourning rites?

Hearing the news, they were all astounded.

Gathered around the nun, they talked away, and asked questions:

“This’s her husband, those are her parents, 

and this’s her blood sister, and that’s her sister-in-law.

From reliable sources, we heard of her death,

but now you tell us this extraordinary news.”

The nun said, “Karma brought us together.

At Lin-tzu earlier, then at Chien Tang river later.

When she jumped into the waters,

I  was waiting for the event, and found her, then brought her home.  

We take shelter within Buddha’s gate.

Our shrine cottage’s not far from here.

In Buddha’s shade, our days passed by calmly.

But her mind’s fixed on her home -  she missed it so much.”

Hearing this revelation, their faces brightened.

What joy could surpass this joy?

Since the leaf parted from the forest, 

they had searched for her in vain in many places under the vast sky.

It was plain that the flower had fallen, its fragrance gone.

Maybe in the next life, they would see her, but in this life, 

there was no hope. The world of shadows, the world of the living, 

two separate paths, for sure.

A miracle it was to see the person from the Nine Springs

in this world of dust and daylight. 

They all prostrated themselves before Giác Duyên and thanked her.

Then together on foot, they followed the nun to her cottage.

They cut and cleared their way through the reeds and tall grass.

To be so close to their beloved, they still have some doubt. 

Following the riverbank with several twists and turns,

they left the forest of reeds to arrive 

at the courtyard of Budda’s shrine.

Giác Duyên raised her voice to call Kiều.

From an inner room, Kiều rushed out.