At the banquet hosting General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, US Vice President Joe Biden concluded with a quotation of Truyện Kiều:
“Gracious heaven has granted us this day,
To see the mist clear at the alley line and clouds part in mid-sky”
Naturally, I had a few stray thoughts following that. Written with plenty of speculation, so please be understanding, everyone.
The Vice President probably thought Vietnamese people are very proud of Truyện Kiều, so his staff found a way to quote Kiều to please Mr. Trong and the Vietnamese people. Yet how many Vietnamese people still know the story of Kiều? Is Truyện Kiều still a source of pride for Vietnamese people, especially for the younger generation? The number of young people today who mention Truyện Kiều and understand Truyện Kiều is probably extremely small, let alone being able to quote Kiều. Thus, bringing out Kiều to quote probably only makes the older generation happy and proud, but it is not certain that the kids even know it. Why has it come to this state? A dogmatic, rote-learning, rigid, and dry education system has turned the study of Kiều into a burden for children. Beautiful words and fine ideas are nowhere to be seen. One sees only forced awkwardness and fatigue when the children have to study Kiều. Who is responsible for this? Oh, Minister of Education!
(In any case, we must thank Mr. Biden. Thanks to him, hopefully over the next few days a few more hundreds or thousands of people will look back into Truyện Kiều. Who knows, there might even be a movement to learn how to quote Kiều)
Secondly, the ironic and bitter thing is that Truyện Kiều also originated from China. Master Nguyen Du adapted into Nôm script and (partially) Vietnamese-ized “The Tale of Kim Van Kieu” by Thanh Tam Tai Nhan in China to create a literary masterpiece for the Vietnamese people. Thus, on a day that could be called one of the most important days in recent Vietnamese history, when Vietnam moved closest to the US and closest to the West, there were still hints and shadows of China. No matter how much we struggle, we cannot escape the influence of China. Mr. Biden certainly did not intend that, but reflecting on it makes me feel pained. Chinese influence is like a ghost, constantly hovering over the mind and life of the Vietnamese people. Wanting to detach from China seems to still be very difficult. Therefore, upon knowing that Mr. Biden quoted Kiều, I also felt: “Great though it truly is; how bitter and painful it sounds upon hearing.”
The third thing, I do not know whether Mr. Biden and his staff knew that Truyện Kiều was written about the life of a “courtesan,” or to put it vulgarly, a “prostitute”? This makes me think of the fate of my country, Vietnam. It is no different from a prostitute. So miserable, so wretched. All its life having to please the big guys, yet unable to marry any of them. We have never been (able to be) faithful to anyone. Staying with China, we both hate and fear them. For thousands of years, we still cannot escape the shadow of the Celestial Empire. Fearing so much that we fear phantom fears, fearing every wind and shadow. Aligning with the Soviet Union/Russia was neither steadfast nor strong either. And Russia treated Vietnam like nothing. Ready to kick us in the rear and sell us out for their national interest.
Wanting to be close to Japan, we anxiously fear that China will be displeased. However much ODA aid money there is, people are intent on stealing, skimming, and demanding bribes; true friendship is minimal, while exploitation is high. Having an old close friend in a similar situation, India, yet deep down always considering them barbarians and inferior to ourselves, so we leave the press to write nothing good about India except for rape cases because men in the land of curry are always in heat. Really liking the US, but at the slightest provocation calling it the former enemy. Is there any important speech during Vietnamese leaders’ meetings with the US that does not mention the word “enemy”? From Mr. Phieu’s speech listing comparisons between little Emily, daughter of a man who self-immolated, and the high-born lady Chelsea Clinton, to the speech after 40 years where Mr. Trong also again mentioned the term “former enemy.” It seems the elders fear that if they do not mention “enemy,” there will be big trouble upon returning home?
There, is that any different from a “prostitute”? Getting close to everyone, sleeping with everyone, but unable to marry anyone. A person who is close to no one, acquainted with everyone, but not sincere, will surely have no close friends, and no one will risk life and death for them. A foreign policy that is always half-hearted and lacks tight commitments means that when trouble occurs, it is also difficult for any country to step up to protect us. I have never been able to understand the policy of “non-alignment, no military alliances” that the Vietnamese government always pursues.
And finally, this quotation from Kiều was taken from the ending section when Kiều, after 15 years of wandering, met Kim Trong again. These were the respectful words of Kim Trong defending her, stating his wish to reunite with Kiều no matter what her past had been like. This was nearly impossible in the ancient, archaic Chinese culture, so literary critics always say this ending was extremely forced. The meeting between the two leaders above also had a bit of suspicion and forced awkwardness like that.
But well, from the time Uncle Ho met the US OSS strategic intelligence group, writing letters sent to President Truman back in 1945–46 without success, to the happy reunion between the two highest leaders now, even if still awkward, let us hope this is one of the fine beginnings of a reunion between the Vietnamese girl and the American guy after so many years (40 years or 85 years?) of unfortunate wandering and drifting of this nation.
Nguyen Quoc Toan
