In the “Lullaby at the communal house gate” modality,Nguyễn Công Trứ created the singing style intertwined between the seven feet eight sentences verses and the six-eight feet verses...

Vietnamese people were proud of their countryman the honest mandarin named Nguyễn Công Trứ. He was an always victorious army chef and also a pioneer mandarin, the land clearer and then the founder of two great districts Kim Sơn (in Ninh Bình province) and Tiền Hải (in Thái Bình province). He was worshipped in temples when he still was alive. Nonetheless this man remains liberal as a good lute player and as a great poet with several contributions to ca trù.  He created a lot of high value “rap” songs. Characteristic detail related to his love to ca trù: even in war time, he brought ả đào with him for his own musical entertainments.

In the “Lullaby at the communal house gate” modality,Nguyễn Công Trứ created the singing style intertwined between the seven feet eight sentences verses and the six-eight feet verses.

In the seven feet eight sentences verses part, it was the story of the wedding of miss Thị Kính and Thiện Sĩ. One day, seeing a unwanted hair growing in the face of his drowsy husband, Thị Kính who was close by mending old clothes has made use of her knife intending to dig it out. Just at that moment, the husband was woken and thought that his wife has wanted to kill him. Having none means for self justification, then driven out from the family, she entered a pagoda to join the monkshood disguised as a young man with Kính Tâm as name. Over there, this monk has to submit to a new injustice. Thinking this handsome monk is truly a man, Thị Mầu a debauched young woman tried by any means to seduce “him”. This “love” obviously didn’t  bring any result. Anyway, another “love” from Thị Mầu with her manservant has brought a true result: a baby which finally after many communal judiciary proceedings, the monk Kính Tâm, in fact the nun Thị Kính! Kính Tâm had to receive and to bring up the baby for a time before drowned herself in the river. During the funeral, people got the truth about Kính Tâm, and justice was rendered… after a too unjust death.

Tiểu Kính Tâm lấy chồng Thiện Sĩ
Tỉa râu chồng mang tiếng bội phu
Giở về nhà thế phát đi tu
Phận là gái oan tình phải trái

Sách có chữ tâm bất quản ngại
Oan thời oan, nàng chẳng nói làm sao
Miệng ru con, tay gõ mõ đào

Ngồi tụng niệm rù rì tiếng đọc
Như tay chuông tay mõ rù rì
Khi thì tụng niệm khi thì ru con

Ta ru hời, ru hỡi, ru hỡi hời là ru.


The six-eight feet verse part, which is a lullaby, was a song to pay tribute to the eternal love, to conjugal fidelity. Having affinities with the folkloric style, this modality was easy to common people comprehension.

Đố ai quét sạch lá rừng
Để tôi khuyên gió, gió đừng rung cây

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