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Mindfulness in the Face of the Thunderbolt of Love
On the day of Thanh Minh, the three sisters of Kieu visited the grave of Dam Tien and, for the first time, encountered Kim Trong—a young scholar from a noble and wealthy family, a schoolmate of Vuong Quan. The occasion of the festival, with its bustling fairs and temples, was a time when young men and women would “let their souls drift with the wind and moon” and meet each other. Kim Trong appeared, riding a white horse, dressed in blue, “loosely holding the reins,” making his way across the green fields. Two verses evoke the scene of his arrival:
- His embroidered shoes step lightly on the green path, his presence like a branch of jade or a sprig of orchid.
The author of The Tale of Kieu depicts Kim Trong’s talent, beauty, and demeanor through six points:
- He is of noble lineage,
- Born into wealth and renown,
- Gifted with both literary talent and natural intelligence,
- Of outstanding appearance and bearing,
- Refined within, elegant without,
- Surrounded by friends from all corners of the land.
From the moment they met, both fell into “love at first sight,” causing Kim Trong to be caught in a web of emotion, “who could untangle this silken thread?” Study and practice became powerless:
- In his study, the air was as cold as metal, the bamboo blinds drooped, the zither strings lay silent.
- As the moon waned and the oil lamp dimmed, face longed for face, heart yearned for heart.
Kim Trong became so lovesick that, upon hearing of Kieu’s misfortune, he was overwhelmed with sorrow:
- His body tossed in the wind, tears fell like rain, his soul lost and forlorn.
- Suffering to the point of collapse, fainting and reviving, waking only to weep, weeping until he lost consciousness again.