The Tale of Kiều
by Nguyễn Du
Ch. 31: Thúc and Hoạn Thư
Translated by Vuong Thanh 

Chapter 31: Thúc and Hoạn Thư

In the pink chamber, she’d passed the nights and days in quiet ease.

She talked and laughed merrily as if nothing had happened.

But anger simmered in her heart day and night.

In the meantime, her husband has just arrived.  

They spoke their joys of seeing each other after a long absence.

Their love became cozier, their ardor more passionate.

To celebrate his return, they drank many a cup together. 

But who could know the feelings in their hearts.   

He’d come home to find out his wife’s intent.

And was prepared to reveal the facts to her.

On several occasions, drunk or sober, she would talk and laugh

and not make a slightest allusion about his affair.

He thought that he had kept things hidden well so far. 

If no one interrogate, why should he confess?

But he continued to hesitate and remained undecided.

Afraid the revelation would cause a storm.

Sometimes when they were sharing some jokes,

she would make some vague, insinuating remark:

“In a world where pearls and stones, gold and bronze, lie mixed,”

said she, “we have gained an absolute trust in each other.

Praise be to those long tongues that spin the long yarns

to tell the tales of your love adventures.

If I had been persuaded and acted without thinking, 

I’d have become a laughingstock of the world.”

As she said all this in casual, teasing tones, 

he followed along to parry the thrusts and blows. 

They’d often laugh and tease each other. Sometimes under

the night lamp with their shadows blended together.

Sometimes under the moonlit night where they stand shoulder to shoulder.

He began to take a liking to this gentle country life.

In the wells, the golden leaves of plane trees had already fallen.

It reminded him of the world that he left behind 

where, for almost a year, he’d loved and lived.

He did not dare to tell her of his private feelings.

But the lady already guessed and insinuated to him:

“A year has gone by since you left your father.

Return to Lin-tzu to take care of him.”

Her words untied a knot within his chest, and relieved his heart.

He soon rode off on his horse across strange hills and streams.

He saw the blue sky reflected in the gleaming water,

and blue smoke rose on the distant ramparts, 

and mountain peaks covered with the sun’s yellow.