The Tale of Kiều
by Nguyễn Du
Ch. 18: Kiều Fell Into Dame Tú’s Hands  
Translated by Vuong Thanh 

Chapter 18: Kiều Fell Into Dame Tú’s Hands 

Through many unknown mountains and streams, 

Lin-Tzu took one full month to arrive. 

As the carriage stopped before the entrance gate,

she saw a person immediately walked out.

At first glance, one would notice her skin’s pallid.

What does she feed on to be so bulky, so tall and big?

Before the coach, with wanton cheerfulness, she gave greetings.

At her bidding, Kiều meekly went inside the house.

On one side were some girls with finely trimmed eyebrows.

On the other were seated some playboys, about four or five.

In between was an altar, and above it

hanged a statue with white eyebrows.

By the customs of the brothels since ancient times, 

this profession has for patron this fellow.

Day and night, they worship him with incense and flowers.

When some jinxed gal has two few customers,

in front of him, she would take off her dress,

burns incense and mumbles some prayers.

She’d then take the altar flowers and put them under her mat.

Then butterflies would come all around her in swarms.

Confused, not aware of what it was,

Kieu knelt down as told; the bawd then prayed:

“May this shop’s business thrive with fortune’s blessings.

That each day and night is a festive celebration.  

May all men who see her love her, 

and come flocking like orioles and swallows. 

May love letters and appointments be aplenty.

To show one satisfied customer out the front door, 

and welcome a new one from the back.”

Strange words to Kieu’s ears, she did not understand.

She vaguely realized that something was very amiss.

After another ceremony of the ancestral altar,

Dame Tú installed herself cross-legged on the bed.

She ordered: “Kowtow to your mother here,

then go and kowtow to your uncle over there.”

Kiều said: “By misfortune, I’m living a drifting-duckweed life, separated from my kin.

With my humble lot, I am resigned to the role of a concubine.

For what reason is an oriole turned into a swallow?

I’m too young and inexperienced to know what my real status is.

All the usual marriage ceremonies were celebrated.

Bridal  presents, nuptial rites, wedding procession and all.

We live together and had shared intimacy between spouses.

But now, you have changed the roles and ranks.

Please allow me to ask you for a few words of clarification.

After hearing her words, the woman understood what’d happened.

She then flew into a furious rage:

“It’s so plainly obvious.

She took away my husband alive.

I told him to go and bring some lass back here,

And put her to work as a hostess to help us earn our bread.

But that unfaithful knave! That inhuman rogue! 

With his damn lust, he had to play with her first. 

Now that her virginity is no more,

It’s over! Over! The money that I’d put up had gone to hell!

You there had been sold to me.

In my house, you have to live by my rules.

When that old man tried to take you with his dirty trick,

why didn’t you slap his face, but listened to him instead.

Why did you so meekly lie there and submit to his lust?

A young chit, yet did you already have so early an itch to ply your trade?

I must teach you what my rules are!”

Grabbing a whip, she’s about to pounce and lash.