DVD 5 – Bird in cage, fish in the jar.

Kiều History 55

Le palais Cung Nga et la Lune.

The Tale of Kiêu 55 – The palace Cung Nga and the Moon :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOushJ-V9Dk&list=UURuamTfHI51hDifqPxXqQ8g

Cung Nga

CD-KVK511 - Từ 2221 câu dến câu 2264
Thơ : Nguyễn Du
Nhạc : Quách Vĩnh-Thiện
Paris, le 17 Août 2008

Ca Sĩ : Hương Giang

Bao giờ mười vạn tinh binh,
Tiếng chiêng dậy đất bóng tinh rợp đường,
Làm cho rõ mặt phi thường,
Bấy giờ ta sẽ rước nàng nghi gia,
Bằng nay bốn bể không nhà,
Theo càng thêm bận biết là đi đâu,
Đành lòng chờ đó ít lâu,
Chầy chăng là một năm sau vội gì,
Quyết lời dứt áo ra đi,
Gió đưa bằng tiện đã lìa dặm khơi,
Nàng thì chiếc bóng song mai,
Đêm thâu đằng đẵng nhặt cài then mây.
*
Sân rêu chẳng vẽ dấu giày,
Cỏ cao hơn thước liễu gầy vài phân,
Đoái thương muôn dặm tử phần,
Hồn quê theo ngọn mây Tần xa xa,
Xót thay huyên cỗi xuân già,
Tấm lòng thương nhớ biết là có nguôi,
Chốc đà mười mấy năm trời,
Còn ra khi đã da mồi tóc sương,
Tiếc thay chút nghĩa cũ càng,
Dẫu lìa ngó ý còn vương tơ lòng,
Duyên em dù nỗi chỉ hồng,
May ra khi đã tay bồng tay mang.
*

Tấc lòng cố quốc tha hương,
Đường kia nối nọ ngổn ngang bời bời,
Cánh hồng bay bổng tuyệt vời,
Đã mòn con mắt phương trời đăm đăm,
Đêm ngày luống những âm thầm,
Lửa binh đâu đã ầm ầm một phương,
Ngất trời sát khí mơ màng,
Đầy sông kình ngạc chật đường giáp binh,
Người quen kẻ thuộc chung quanh,
Nhủ nàng hãy tạm lánh mình một nơi.
*
Nàng rằng trước đã hẹn lời,
Dẫu trong nguy hiểm dám rời ước xưa,
Còn đang dùng dắng ngẩn ngơ,
Mái ngoài đã thấy bóng cờ tiếng loa,
Giáp binh kéo đến quanh nhà,
Đồng thanh cùng gửi nào là phu nhân,
Hai bên mười vị tướng quân,
Đặt gươm cối giáp trước sân khấu đầu,
Cung Nga thể nữ nối sau,
Rằng vâng lịnh chỉ rước chầu vu qui.

Chú giải :
Kình ngạc = Hai giống cá to, dữ để chỉ cảnh giặc giã.
Cung Nga = cung nữ trong cung đình.

Le palais Cung Nga et la Lune
( Cung Nga )
CD-KVK5-11, de vers 2221 à vers 2264.
Musique : Quach Vinh-Thien. Paris, le 17 Août 2008.
Traduction : Nguyen Van Vinh

Voix : Huong Giang

Attendez donc que j’aie cent mille hommes de troupes d »élite.
Que le bruit de mes gongs soulève la terre et que mes drapeaux couvrent les chemins de leur ombre.
Que tout cela ait fait connaître à tous ma figure extraordinaire.
A ce moment là seulement je vous épouserai officiellement.
Aujourd’hui j’ai bien les quatre océans devant moi mais pas seulement une demeure.
En me suivant vous me gêneriez donc. Et nous ne saurions où aller.
Attendez-moi donc ici quelque temps.
Le plus tard ce sera dans un an. A quoi bon vous presser ?
Cela dit bien décidé, il s’arracha des mains qui tentaient de le retenir pour son habit et s’en alla.
Les vents étaient favorables à l’oiseau Bang qui sentait arriver le moment des grands voyages.
Kieu restée seule parmi ses rideaux ornés de fleurs d’abricotiers.
Durant les nuits interminables vivait derrière ses portes fermées dans le plus profond isolement.
La cour couverte de mousse ne portait plus de traces de chaussures.
Les herbes y poussaient hautes de plus d’une caudée et le saule semblait maigrir de quelques lignes.
Elle pensa tout à coup aux arbres familiers du village natal qui était à dix mille lieues.
Et son âme nostalgique alla vers les nuages qui couvraient là bas au loin de mont Tân.
C’était pour elle une douleur poignante de penser à sa vieille mère et à son vieux père.
Elle se demanda si la douleur que son départ leur avait causée avait pu s’atténuer avec le temps.
Le laps de temps avait duré dix et quelques années du ciel.
S’ils vivaient encore leur peau devait être aujourd’hui racornie et leurs cheveux blanchis par l’âge.
Quel regret amer quand elle pensait à cet amour ancien.
Si la tige des projets est rompue les fragments du sentiment restent encore liés par la soie.
Si ma petite sœur pensa-t-elle a consenti à renouer ce fil rouge brisé.
Il y a des chances pour qu’elle ait déjà de nombreux enfants.
Son petit cœur se reporta vers la patrie lointaine puis vers son état d’exilée.
Mille pensées l’assaillaient à la fois obsédantes et embrouillées.
Et de nouveau elle pensa au grand oiseau qui, d’un coup d’aile, devait être déjà tout au haut du ciel. Son regard fixe usait ses yeux à se diriger toujours vers le même coin de ciel où il était parti.
Elle y pensait nuit et jour avec constance.
Mais tout à coup des bruits de guerre retentirent dans la région.
Les tueries élevèrent jusqu’au ciel un air de mort comme dans un cauchemar.
Les fleuves furent envahis par des pirates et les routes encombrées de soldats cuirassés.
Des amis et connaissances des gens du voisinage.
Conseillèrent à Kieu de se réfugier quelque part. Elle leur dit : J’ai promis de l’attendre ici.
Le danger ne saurait me faire manquer à ma parole. Comme elle était cependant dans l’hésitation et la perplexité. Au dehors on vit apparaître des drapeaux et on entendit des commandements au porte-voix. Des soldats cuirassés arrivèrent en troupes autour de la maison.
Plusieurs voix demandèrent à l’unisson : Où est Madame ?
Sur deux rangs dix généraux.
Déposèrent leurs épées se défirent de leurs cuirasses et se prosternèrent dans la cour.
Des dames d’honneurs et des servantes vinrent après eux.
Qui dirent : Conformément à l’ordre de notre illustre maître nous venons prier Votre Majesté de se rendre auprès de son Auguste époux.

The Tale of Kiều.

55 – The palace Cung Nga and the Moon.

(Cung Nga)
Poem: Nguyễn Du (1766-1820)
Music: Quách Vĩnh Thiện
Kim Van Kieu ( CD-KVK5-11)
Verses: 2221-2264.
English Translation: Lê Xuân Thủy.

When I come back at the head of one hundred thousand warriors, making the ground vibrate at the sounds of gongs, and darkening the roads with the shades of my standards, and when I finally can show everyone my exceptional value, only at that moment shall I send for you to make you my wife. But at present surrounded by the four oceans, I have not the humblest place to live in as my own home. If you followed me, you would give me a lot of trouble. And where could I take you along then? Stay here and wait for me for some time, my dear. In one year at the latest, I’ll back for you. So why is so much in a hurry? Tu-Hai made up his mind and left for new adventures, like an eagle departing for long voyages when the time of favorable winds came. Behind the spring-roller blind with the picture of an apricot-tree painted on it, Kiêu spent long nights forlornly in her well-bolted room. Footprints were seen no more in the yard covered with moss. Grass had grown around, more than one foot high. The willows seemed to become a little thinner. Kiêu sorrowfully thought of the catalpas and the elms of her native village. How very far from her they were now. Homesickness seemed to carry her soul toward the forlorn Tsin clouds. She felt deeply grieved at the thought of her old father and mother. Had their sorrow caused by her departure subsided any as time went on? How far it was? It was almost ten years since then. If they still lived, maybe their skin been wrinkled and their hair had become gray like hoar-frost. And, how much to be regretted her short puppy love was? Like the lotus torn off from its stem though their scheme had been broken, the love she had conceived for him still remained in her heart. If how young sister, Kiêu murmured thoughtfully, had stuck the two ends of the rosy hymen threads together, surely she might have already had many children. Nostalgia, her present situation as an exile, her adventures her misfortunes seemed intermixed into thousands of entangled thoughts. And her hero still. Maybe, in this tis hour, the big bird had flown very high in the sky. Since his departure no news had come from him from the yonder horizon. Kiêu continued to live days and night in profound sorrow. Suddenly, the fire of war broke out in the region. The odors of massacres rose in the sky, spreading like a nightmare. How many pirates were seen along the rivers? All the roads were crowed with soldiers clad in armor. Some of her acquaintances and a few persons living around her house came and urged Kiêu to take refuge in a safer place for the time being. I have promised to wait for him here, she replied. No matter how the dangers may be, I’ll not fail him. Kiêu was still standing uncertain and confused, not knowing what to do when suddenly she saw the silhouettes of many banners appear on the outside. Then she heard clamors rise aloud from a loudspeaker. A group of soldiers clad in armor came swarming around the house. Many voices asked in unison. Where’s Miss? Then ten generals stepped in. They fell into two lines, laid down their swords took off their armor and prostrated themselves in the yard. Next to appear were the maids of honor and the ladies of the bedchambers. They also prostrated themselves before her and said, by the order of our Master, we respectfully invite Your Highness to her August Husband.