Truyen Kieu (Doan Truong Tan Thanh) — Nguyen Du

The Greatest Work of Vietnamese Literature

Truyen Kieu (The Tale of Kieu), originally titled Doan Truong Tan Thanh (A New Cry From a Broken Heart), is an epic poem of 3,254 verses written in luc bat (six-eight) meter by Nguyen Du (1765—1820). It is universally regarded as the most important work in Vietnamese literature — a national treasure that has shaped Vietnamese language, philosophy, and cultural identity for over two centuries.

The scholar Pham Quynh once declared: “Truyen Kieu con thi tieng ta con” — “As long as Truyen Kieu endures, our language endures.”

About the Author: Nguyen Du

Nguyen Du was born in 1765 in Tien Dien village, Nghi Xuan district, Ha Tinh province, into an aristocratic family. His father, Nguyen Nghiem, served as prime minister under the Le Dynasty. Orphaned by age 13, Nguyen Du grew up during one of the most tumultuous periods in Vietnamese history — the decline of the Le Dynasty, the civil wars between the Trinh lords in the north and Nguyen lords in the south, and the Tay Son rebellion that overthrew both.

When the Nguyen Dynasty was established under Emperor Gia Long in 1802, Nguyen Du was summoned to serve the new government. He did so reluctantly, his heart still loyal to the fallen Le Dynasty. This personal conflict — serving one master while longing for another — is mirrored in Kieu’s own story: a woman forced by fate to serve many masters while her heart belongs to her first love.

Nguyen Du adapted his poem from a 17th-century Chinese prose novel, Kim Van Kieu (by an anonymous author writing under the pseudonym Thanh Tam Tai Nhan). But where the Chinese original was a straightforward romance, Nguyen Du transformed it into a profound meditation on human suffering, fate, and moral resilience — infused with the political and social upheavals of his own era.

He died in 1820, leaving behind a work that would become the soul of Vietnamese literature.

Full Story Summary

Part I: Gặp Gỡ va Đính Ước (Meeting and Betrothal) — Verses 1-568

The poem opens with the famous philosophical prologue on the conflict between talent and fate.

During a spring outing on the Thanh Minh (Clear and Bright) festival, three siblings — Thuy Kieu, her younger sister Thuy Van, and brother Vuong Quan — visit the countryside. Kieu is a young woman of extraordinary beauty and talent: she excels in poetry, music, painting, and chess. Her beauty is described as capable of “overthrowing cities and kingdoms” (nghieng nuoc nghieng thanh).

While walking, Kieu discovers the neglected grave of Dam Tien, a courtesan who died young and was buried without proper rites. Moved to tears, Kieu composes a poem and weeps over the grave. This act of compassion triggers a spiritual encounter — Dam Tien’s ghost appears in Kieu’s dream that night, warning her that her own life will be full of suffering because she possesses both great beauty and great talent, and Heaven is jealous of such gifts.

Shortly after, Kieu meets Kim Trong, a handsome and refined young scholar. They fall deeply in love at first sight and secretly exchange vows of eternal faithfulness, symbolized by a hairpin, a poem, and a lute performance. Their love is pure and passionate — the happiest period of Kieu’s life.

Part II: Gia Biến va Lưu Lạc (Family Catastrophe and Wandering) — Verses 569-2738

Tragedy strikes without warning. Kieu’s father and brother are falsely accused and arrested by corrupt officials. The family’s property is confiscated. To save her father and brother, Kieu makes the most painful decision of her life: she sells herself into what she believes is an honorable marriage, using the money to ransom her family.

Before leaving, she performs the heartbreaking act of trao duyen (transferring her love): she begs her younger sister Thuy Van to marry Kim Trong in her place and fulfill the vow of love she can no longer keep.

Ma Giam Sinh — the man who “buys” Kieu — turns out to be a pimp working with Tu Ba, a ruthless brothel madam. After taking Kieu’s virginity, Ma Giam Sinh delivers her to Tu Ba’s brothel. When Kieu realizes she has been tricked, she attempts suicide with a knife but is revived.

Tu Ba uses a combination of threats, beatings, and manipulation to break Kieu’s will. Enter So Khanh, a seemingly sympathetic young man who promises to help Kieu escape. But So Khanh is Tu Ba’s accomplice — he lures Kieu into a fake escape attempt, then betrays her. She is caught, beaten savagely, and finally forced to serve clients as a prostitute. (So Khanh’s name has become a Vietnamese idiom for a deceitful, faithless man.)

After some time, Thuc Sinh, a wealthy married man, falls in love with Kieu and ransoms her from the brothel to be his second wife (concubine). For a brief period, Kieu experiences relative happiness. But Thuc Sinh’s first wife, Hoan Thu, is fiercely jealous and cunning. She orchestrates a scheme to kidnap Kieu and bring her to the household as a servant, humiliating and tormenting her daily. (Hoan Thu’s name has entered Vietnamese language as the archetype of the jealous wife.)

Kieu eventually escapes and takes refuge in a Buddhist temple under the protection of the nun Giac Duyen. But fate is not finished with her. Through a series of further misfortunes, she is sold to yet another brothel.

At her lowest point, Kieu meets Tu Hai, a powerful rebel warlord. Unlike the other men in her life, Tu Hai is genuinely heroic and recognizes Kieu’s worth. He marries her, liberates her, and helps her exact revenge on those who wronged her. For five years, they reign together over his rebel kingdom — the only period in Kieu’s wanderings where she holds real power and dignity.

But this too is destroyed. The imperial court sends the mandarin Ho Ton Hien to negotiate with Tu Hai. Kieu, longing for peace, convinces Tu Hai to accept the amnesty offer and surrender. It is a trap. Tu Hai is ambushed and killed — dying standing up, his body refusing to fall until Kieu touches him. (This image of Tu Hai dying on his feet has become iconic in Vietnamese culture.)

Ho Ton Hien then forces Kieu to become the wife of a tribal chieftain as a reward for his service. Overwhelmed by grief, guilt, and despair, Kieu throws herself into the Qiantang River.

Part III: Đoan Tụ (Reunion) — Verses 2739-3254

The nun Giac Duyen, who had foreseen Kieu’s fate through a consultation with the Taoist sage Tam Hop, is waiting at the river and rescues Kieu. Under Giac Duyen’s guidance, Kieu becomes a Buddhist nun, spending years in meditation and spiritual recovery.

Meanwhile, Kim Trong — faithful to Kieu even after marrying Thuy Van — has spent fifteen years searching for her. He finally locates Kieu through Giac Duyen. The entire family is reunited in an emotional scene.

Kim Trong wants to resume their marriage, but Kieu — scarred by her experiences — insists that their relationship remain platonic. She says she is no longer worthy of being his wife in the full sense. They agree to a spiritual bond: companions in heart and mind, but not in body. The poem ends with a meditation on karma, fate, and the supremacy of moral character (tam) over mere talent (tai).

Key Characters and Their Significance

Thuy Kieu (翠翹)

The protagonist — beautiful, talented, compassionate, and tragically fated. She embodies the Vietnamese ideal of filial piety (hieu), sacrificing everything for her family. Her suffering represents the suffering of all Vietnamese women — and by extension, all people — caught in the machinery of an unjust world. Her name has become synonymous with tragic beauty in Vietnamese culture.

Kim Trong (金重)

Kieu’s first and only true love. A refined scholar who represents constancy and fidelity. He waits fifteen years and never gives up searching for Kieu. His faithfulness contrasts with the betrayals Kieu suffers from other men.

Thuy Van (翠雲)

Kieu’s younger sister, described as having a gentle, understated beauty compared to Kieu’s striking radiance. She dutifully marries Kim Trong at Kieu’s request, fulfilling her sister’s promise. She represents quiet virtue and loyalty.

Tu Hai (從海)

A rebel warlord and the only man who treats Kieu as an equal. Bold, powerful, and honorable, he is the poem’s most heroic figure. His downfall comes from trusting Kieu’s advice to surrender — making his death partly a consequence of misplaced trust in the political system. His name symbolizes heroic rebellion against injustice.

Hoan Thu (浣秋)

The jealous first wife of Thuc Sinh. Clever, calculating, and cruel, she represents the dark side of Confucian social hierarchy — the way the system turns women against each other. Her name is used in modern Vietnamese to describe any intensely jealous wife: ghen nhu Hoan Thu (jealous like Hoan Thu).

Tu Ba (鴇兒)

The brothel madam. Cold, manipulative, and ruthless, she represents the commodification of women’s bodies. She is the face of systemic exploitation.

Ma Giam Sinh (馬監生)

The pimp who first purchases Kieu under the guise of marriage. He represents deception and the corruption of human transactions.

So Khanh (楚卿)

The false rescuer who betrays Kieu’s trust. His name has become a Vietnamese idiom: So Khanh = a man who seduces and abandons women.

Thuc Sinh (束生)

A well-meaning but weak man who genuinely cares for Kieu but cannot protect her from his jealous wife. He represents the failure of good intentions without strength.

Giac Duyen (覺緣)

A Buddhist nun who saves Kieu twice — once from the brothel and once from drowning. She represents spiritual salvation, karma, and the compassion of Buddhist faith.

Dam Tien (淡仙)

The dead courtesan whose grave Kieu visits at the beginning. She is the mirror of Kieu’s fate — a woman of talent destroyed by circumstance. Her appearance in Kieu’s dream foreshadows everything that follows.

Major Themes

1. So Phan (Fate/Destiny) — Talent vs. Fate

The central philosophical tension of Truyen Kieu is the conflict between tai (talent/beauty) and menh (fate/destiny). The poem argues that those blessed with exceptional gifts are cursed with exceptional suffering — Heaven itself is jealous of beauty and talent.

This is established in the very first lines and reinforced throughout: every time Kieu’s talents bring her admiration, they also bring her closer to destruction.

2. Hieu (Filial Piety)

Kieu’s decision to sell herself is the ultimate act of filial piety — the Confucian virtue of devotion to one’s parents. The poem asks: what happens when virtue itself leads to suffering? Kieu does the right thing and is punished for it. This paradox sits at the heart of the work’s moral complexity.

3. Tinh Yeu (Love)

Love in Truyen Kieu is both transcendent and insufficient. Kieu and Kim Trong’s love is pure and enduring, yet it cannot save her from fate. The poem suggests that love alone cannot overcome the forces of an unjust world — but it remains the one thing that gives life meaning.

4. Nghia (Loyalty and Righteousness)

The concept of nghia — moral obligation, loyalty, righteousness — runs through every relationship in the poem. Kieu’s loyalty to her family, Kim Trong’s loyalty to Kieu, Tu Hai’s loyalty to his principles. The tragedy is that loyalty often conflicts with circumstance.

5. Nghiep (Karma)

Buddhist karma operates as a cosmic framework throughout the poem. Kieu’s suffering is explained as payment for sins committed in a previous life. This is not fatalism — it is a moral logic that gives meaning to suffering. The poem ultimately argues that enduring suffering with a pure heart (tam) generates good karma that leads to redemption.

6. Suffering and Resilience

Kieu suffers every possible degradation: deception, prostitution, servitude, betrayal, the death of her beloved Tu Hai. Yet she never loses her fundamental humanity. She remains compassionate even to her enemies (she forgives Hoan Thu). Her resilience is not stoic endurance but active moral survival.

7. Redemption

The poem’s conclusion asserts that moral character (tam) ultimately matters more than talent (tai). Kieu is redeemed not because fate reverses itself, but because she never surrendered her inner goodness despite fifteen years of suffering.

Famous Quotes and Verses

1. The Opening Lines — On Talent and Fate

Tram nam trong coi nguoi ta, Chu tai chu menh kheo la ghet nhau.

Within the span of a hundred years of human existence, talent and destiny are apt to feud.

The most famous opening lines in Vietnamese literature. Every Vietnamese person knows these by heart. They establish the poem’s central thesis: that talent and fate are enemies.

2. The Suffering of Human Experience

Trai qua mot cuoc be dau, Nhung dieu trong thay ma dau don long.

Having witnessed a world where oceans turn to mulberry fields, what one sees is enough to break the heart.

“Be dau” (oceans becoming mulberry fields) is a Vietnamese idiom for the radical impermanence of all things.

3. Heaven’s Jealousy of Beauty

La gi bi sac tu phong, Troi xanh quen thoi ma hong danh ghen.

It is no surprise that beauty meets with harsh fate, Blue Heaven has a habit of tormenting rosy cheeks.

This verse personifies Heaven as a jealous force that punishes beautiful women — one of the poem’s most bitter observations.

4. The Spring Landscape

Co non xanh tan chan troi, Canh le trang diem mot vai bong hoa.

Young grass stretches green to the horizon, white pear blossoms dot the landscape with a few flowers.

One of the most celebrated descriptions of spring in Vietnamese poetry. Simple, luminous, perfect.

5. Kieu’s Extraordinary Beauty

Kieu cang sac sao man ma, So be tai sac lai la phan hon.

Kieu was even more sharp and radiant, in both talent and beauty she surpassed all others.

6. Beauty That Topples Kingdoms

Mot hai nghieng nuoc nghieng thanh, Sac danh doi mot tai danh doi hai.

Her beauty could overthrow kingdoms and cities, in beauty she ranked first, in talent she ranked second to none.

The phrase nghieng nuoc nghieng thanh (toppling kingdoms) has become a standard Vietnamese idiom for overwhelming beauty.

7. The Description of Thuy Van

Van xem trang tron day dan, Hoa cuoi noc mat tuyet nhan mau da.

Van’s face was full like the harvest moon, her smile a flower, her brow like snow, her skin like jade.

8. Transferring Love (Trao Duyen)

Cay cung nay, cung cay nay, Dan xua nay doi nao tay nguoi nay.

This lute, this very lute, once played by these hands, now passed to other hands.

The painful moment when Kieu gives her lute — symbol of her love with Kim Trong — to her sister Thuy Van.

9. The Nature of Sadness

Canh nao canh chang deo sau, Nguoi buon canh co vui dau bao gio.

What landscape does not carry sorrow? When the person is sad, how can the scenery ever be happy?

One of the most quoted lines in Vietnamese culture — the idea that our emotions color everything we perceive. This is considered one of Nguyen Du’s most psychologically profound observations.

10. Four Scenes of Sadness (Buon Trong)

Buon trong cua bien gan hom, Thuyen ai thap thoang canh buom xa xa.

Sadly she gazes at the harbor near dusk, whose boat is that, flickering sails in the distance?

Buon trong ngon nuoc moi sa, Hoa troi man mac biet la ve dau.

Sadly she watches the flowing water, flowers drifting aimlessly — where will they end up?

Buon trong noi co dau dau, Chan may mat dat mot mau xanh xanh.

Sadly she gazes at the withered grass, horizon and earth blending into one pale green.

Buon trong gio cuon mat ganh, Om om tieng song ken canh bang ghe.

Sadly she watches the wind sweep the cliffs, the crashing waves close in with a threatening roar.

These four “buon trong” stanzas are among the most analyzed passages in Vietnamese literature. Each scene mirrors a different dimension of Kieu’s despair at Ngung Bich tower.

11. On the Plight of Women

Dau don thay phan dan ba, Loi rang bac menh cung la loi chung.

How painful is the fate of women! The words “ill-fated” are words that apply to all.

A universal cry of empathy for women’s suffering in feudal society.

12. Youth Fading Away

Ngay xanh mon moi ma hong phoi pha.

Green days wither away, rosy cheeks fade.

A devastating line about the passage of time and the loss of youth.

13. All Things Are Determined by Heaven

Ngam hay muon su tai troi, Troi kia da bat lam nguoi co than.

Reflect and you see that all things come from Heaven, Heaven has decreed that to be human is to have a body — and to suffer.

14. Heart Over Talent

Chu tam kia moi bang ba chu tai.

The word “heart” (tam) is worth three times the word “talent” (tai).

The poem’s moral conclusion and one of the most quoted lines in Vietnamese philosophy. Moral character outweighs talent, beauty, and intellect.

15. Red-Faced Beauty and Ill Fate

Hong nhan tu thuo xua, Cai dieu bac menh co chua ai dau.

Since ancient times, it has been so for beautiful women, the curse of ill fate has spared no one.

16. The Power of Kieu’s Music

Trong nhu tieng hac bay qua, Duc nhu nuoc suoi moi sa nua voi.

Clear as the cry of a crane soaring past, dense as mountain water cascading down a cliff.

17. The Thanh Minh Festival

Thanh minh trong tiet thang ba, Le la tap nap du la hoi dong.

In the Thanh Minh season of the third month, the festival of the dead is also a festival of spring.

18. Tu Hai’s Heroic Spirit

Anh hung tieng da ngan xa, Thua trang doi ai dap la vong mong.

His heroic fame had spread far and wide, in these troubled times, who would answer the call of ambition?

19. Kieu’s Self-Awareness

Bien bao doi doc dang cay, Den dieu can bac la day chang sai.

So many bitter journeys through the waters of fate, the prophecy of suffering was not wrong after all.

20. The Ocean of Suffering

Troi con la khi la con, Cu dem mat ke ma don long nguoi.

As long as Heaven retains its strange ways, it will use the eyes of one to test the heart of another.

21. The Final Reunion

Troi con de dao the thuong, Tan tho van hoa tu duong cung nha.

Heaven still preserves the way of constancy, after all the scattering, the flowers return to bloom at home.

22. On Karma and Previous Lives

Kieu rang: “Can qua da diu dang, Chut dau dui duoi buc ngon cuoi con.”

Kieu said: “The roots of karma have now softened, the last embers of suffering still glow faintly.”

23. The Impermanence of Beauty

Nhan hua bao que co tan, Xuan xanh xuong dang tro tang nhu khong.

How fragile is human beauty, it must eventually fade, green springs descend into emptiness as if they never were.

24. Obama’s Quote from Truyen Kieu

When President Barack Obama visited Vietnam in 2016, he quoted these lines:

Rang tram nam cung tu day, Cua may da rang ngo may da quang.

From this day forward, for a hundred years, the gate of fog has cleared; the path of clouds has opened.

This moment demonstrated the global reach of Truyen Kieu and deeply moved the Vietnamese public.

Truyen Kieu and Vietnamese Philosophy

The Buddhist Framework: Karma and Impermanence

Truyen Kieu is deeply rooted in Buddhist thought. The concept of nghiep (karma) provides the poem’s moral logic: Kieu’s suffering is not random but the result of karmic debts from a previous life. This does not diminish the tragedy — it deepens it, because it means suffering has meaning and purpose.

The Buddhist concept of vo thuong (impermanence) permeates the poem. Everything beautiful is temporary. Spring gives way to winter. Youth fades. Love is separated. Kingdoms fall. But impermanence also means that suffering itself is temporary — which is the source of hope.

The Confucian values of hieu (filial piety), trung (loyalty), nghia (righteousness), and le (propriety) structure the characters’ moral choices. Kieu sells herself because filial piety demands it. Kim Trong waits because loyalty demands it. The poem does not reject these values — but it shows how they can be weaponized by an unjust society.

The Taoist Framework: Acceptance and Flow

There is a Taoist undercurrent in the poem’s acceptance of fate’s workings. The image of water — flowing, adapting, enduring — recurs throughout. Kieu, like water, flows through every obstacle without losing her essential nature.

Vietnamese Philosophy: The Synthesis

What makes Truyen Kieu uniquely Vietnamese is the synthesis of these three traditions into something greater. Vietnamese philosophy does not choose between Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism — it holds all three simultaneously. Kieu is filial (Confucian), she endures through karma (Buddhist), and she flows with circumstances (Taoist). Her resilience is the resilience of the Vietnamese people themselves — a people who have survived invasion, colonization, war, and division by holding onto their moral center while adapting to impossible circumstances.

The phrase “so phan” (fate) in Vietnamese carries a weight that is difficult to translate. It means not just “what happens to you” but “the portion of existence assigned to you” — your karmic lot. Vietnamese people do not simply accept so phan; they endure it, learn from it, and transform it through moral action. This is Kieu’s journey, and it is Vietnam’s journey.

Cultural Impact: How Vietnamese People Live with Kieu

Boi Kieu — Fortune-Telling with Kieu

One of the most remarkable cultural practices inspired by Truyen Kieu is boi Kieu (Kieu fortune-telling). For centuries, Vietnamese people have used the poem as an oracle. The practice works as follows: a person concentrates on a question about their life, then randomly opens a copy of Truyen Kieu and points to a verse. That verse is interpreted as an answer to their question.

In many Vietnamese households, a dedicated copy of Truyen Kieu is kept on the family altar, absorbing incense smoke over the years, gaining an aura of sanctity. Some of these books are passed down through generations. The practice reflects the Vietnamese belief that Nguyen Du captured something so true about human experience that his words can illuminate any life situation.

Lam Tho Kieu — Composing Poems from Kieu

Vietnamese people also play lam tho Kieu — a literary game where participants take turns reciting verses from Kieu or composing new poems using Kieu’s language and imagery. This was a popular social activity in traditional Vietnam and continues in cultural gatherings today.

Kieu in Daily Speech

Lines from Truyen Kieu have entered everyday Vietnamese speech as proverbs and idioms:

“Nguoi buon canh co vui dau bao gio” — used when someone’s mood colors their perception of everything.
“Chu tam kia moi bang ba chu tai” — used to emphasize character over ability.
“Co non xanh tan chan troi” — used to describe a beautiful spring day.
“Ghen nhu Hoan Thu” — used to describe extreme jealousy.
“So Khanh” — used to describe a faithless, deceitful man.
“Nghieng nuoc nghieng thanh” — used to describe stunning beauty.
“Ma hong” (rosy cheeks) and “hong nhan bac menh” (beautiful face, bitter fate) — used to discuss women’s lives and destinies.

Kieu in Education

Truyen Kieu is mandatory reading in Vietnamese schools. Students memorize passages, analyze themes, and write essays about the work throughout their education. It is not merely a literary exercise — it is a formation in Vietnamese identity and values.

Kieu in Music and Performance

The poem has been adapted into ca tru (ceremonial singing), cheo (traditional opera), cai luong (reformed opera), films, and animated versions. The Tarot Kieu project created a tarot deck based on scenes from the poem, blending traditional divination with literary art.

International Recognition

Truyen Kieu has been translated into over 20 languages, including English, French, Japanese, Korean, and Russian. Notable English translations include Huynh Sanh Thong’s bilingual edition (Yale University Press, 1983) and Tim Allen’s The Song of Kieu (Penguin Classics). UNESCO commemorated Nguyen Du’s contributions to world literature.

Doan Truong — The Vietnamese Concept of Heartbreak

The original title of Truyen Kieu is Doan Truong Tan Thanh — literally “A New Sound of Severed Intestines.” The phrase doan truong (severed intestines) is the Vietnamese expression for the deepest possible heartbreak — grief so intense it feels like your insides are being torn apart.

This is not merely a literary metaphor. In Vietnamese culture, doan truong represents a specific kind of suffering:

It is suffering that comes from love, not from hatred.
It is suffering that ennobles rather than degrades.
It is suffering that deepens understanding and compassion.
It is suffering that connects one person’s pain to the pain of all humanity.

When Nguyen Du titled his poem “A New Cry of Severed Intestines,” he was saying: this is a story about the deepest kind of human pain, but it is also a new cry — meaning it speaks to every generation, not just the past.

The concept of doan truong permeates Vietnamese culture:

In music: Vietnamese traditional music (nhac co truyen) and modern ballads are rich with doan truong themes. The Vietnamese aesthetic values beautiful sadness (buon dep) — sorrow that is expressed with grace and dignity.
In daily life: Vietnamese people use doan truong to describe any situation of deep emotional pain — a mother separated from her child, a lover torn from their beloved, a patriot watching their country suffer.
In philosophy: Doan truong is connected to the Buddhist understanding that attachment (chap) inevitably leads to suffering (kho). But Vietnamese culture does not see this as a reason to avoid attachment — rather, it sees the willingness to love despite knowing the pain it will bring as the highest expression of humanity.

Kieu’s story is the ultimate doan truong: she loves deeply, and she suffers deeply because of it. But she never stops loving. She never becomes bitter or cruel. She forgives her tormentors. She retains her compassion. And in the end, she is redeemed — not by escaping suffering, but by having endured it with her heart intact.

This is the Vietnamese message of Truyen Kieu: suffering does not destroy you if your heart remains true. The intestines may be severed, but the heart endures. And that endurance — that refusal to let suffering extinguish compassion — is what makes a person truly human.

Conclusion

Truyen Kieu is not merely a poem. It is Vietnam’s mirror — reflecting the nation’s values, struggles, and philosophical depth back to itself across centuries. In Kieu’s suffering, Vietnamese people see their own history of invasion, colonization, and war. In her resilience, they see their own capacity to endure. In her compassion, they see the moral ideal they aspire to. And in the final triumph of tam (heart) over tai (talent), they find the quiet assurance that goodness — not power, not beauty, not cleverness — is what ultimately matters.

As Nguyen Du wrote in the poem’s final moral:

Chu tam kia moi bang ba chu tai.

The word “heart” is worth three times the word “talent.”

Two hundred years later, these words remain the beating heart of Vietnamese civilization.

Sources: Wikipedia — The Tale of Kieu; Britannica — Nguyen Du; Asia Society — Tale of Kieu; diaCRITICS — Truyen Kieu: The Heirloom of Dissidence; Vietnam.vn — The Stature of Truyen Kieu in Vietnamese Culture; Vietcetera — Vietnamese Fortune-Telling Traditions; Huynh Sanh Thong (translator) — The Tale of Kieu, Yale University Press.