W.Minh Tuan

Some people say this is not a legend, just a literary fiction love story.

But in this story, there is a girl named My Nuong, which is the name of the Hung King’s daughters, or the daughters of Lang mandarins during the Hung King’s time. And Lang mandarins are Hung Vuong King’ sons.

After the reign of Hung King, there was no daughter of any king or mandarin in Vietnam named My Nuong anymore.

Surely this story is based on traces of legends from the time of the Hung Kings.

This legend was popularized by musician Van Cao into the immortal song “Truong Chi“:

“-One afternoon, the moon and water had not yet become poetry,

-The depths of the new space vibrate into silk,

-Cold early morning wind lingering, waiting for flowers and bird,

-Oh, how long will the sound of bass singing last,,,”.

The love story Truong Chi-Mi Nuong we do not know what year it began during the reign of King Hung Vuong period.

The story says:

Once upon a time, there was a poor fisherman named Truong Chi, who was ugly, but played the flute very well.

Every day, Truong Chi often fishes and plays the flute along the river. Sometimes the sound of the flute is sad and mournful like a gloomy winter, other times the sound of the flute is cheerful like a spring full of cheerful flowers and butterflies.

Near the river, there is a prime minister’s house with a beautiful daughter named My Nuong.

Every day, the girl My Nuong heard the soaring sound of Truong Chi’s flute coming from the river, fell in love, secretly missed the flute player, but had never met him.

Then My Nuong fell ill with love and there was no medicine to cure her.

Many doctors were invited to treat the girl My Nuong, but all failed.

Finally, the best physician was invited to come and treat the patient.

Knowing that it was Truong Chi’s flute playing that was the cause of My Nuong’s illness, he asked the prime minister to invite Truong Chi coming to play the flute for Miss My Nuong listen.

Then the the ugly Truong Chi was invited to come, and plays the flute for My Nuong.

My Nuong recovered from her illness, but no longer thought about the poor, ugly flute player Truong Chi.

At this point, the poor fisherman Truong Chi in his turn fell ill with love with her, Mss. My Nuong, and passed away.

Truong Chi’s heart turned into a block of white jade. Someone used that jade heart to make a beautiful tea cup and offered it to the prime minister.

The girl My Nuong used that cup to drink tea, then she suddenly saw a picture of poor fisherman Truong Chi rowing a boat, playing the flute, and swimming around the rim of the cup.

My Nuong asked about this cup and was told by her family that the cup was made from the heart of Truong Chi, who came here to blow the flute to help My Nuong recover from her illness.

My Nuong missed the poor fisherman who played the flute in the past.

She was so moved to tears, and My Nuong’s eye tears fell onto the rim of the cup.

The cup then melted into water in My Nuong’s hand.

It seemed that Truong Chi’s heart was satisfied with My Nuong’s tears of sympathy.

It is rare to find a love story that is so romantic and beautiful, both tragic and humane, and especially, this love story originates from the period of the Hung Kings, from a society that was still ignorant of early life, mainly wearing loincloths, being naked, eating betel and areca, thousands of years ago.

Is it true that since ancient times, we Vietnamese people have had a passionate romantic soul like the love story Truong Chi-My Nuong?

We cannot blame My Nuong for not loving Truong Chi.

Because love is natural, a vibration of the heart, we cannot use reason to force the heart to vibrate.

Therefore, it is only natural that My Nuong does not love Mr. Truong Chi, who is both poor and ugly.

But since ancient times, Vietnamese people have been extremely benevolent and generous, allowing My Nuong to cry for Truong Chi’s poor condition. ///