"Giving it to the birds" is not wrong.

The Vietnamese Language King program requires students to complete the following text: “Alas, the ironwood tree sank/ Used as a fence post ... ... it climbed.”

The contestant confidently answered "For the morning glory." However, the host, finding the answer incorrect, hinted, "Two words, two words!" The contestant confidently replied, this time even more clearly, "Let the morning glory climb!" But the host continued to express disappointment, "No, no!", causing the contestant to look confused and stuck, before deciding to "skip." The program's correct answer was "bìm bìm" (Alas, the lim wood tree sank / Used as a fence post for the morning glory to climb).

So what's wrong with this situation?

1. "Giving birds" is not wrong at all.

The blank space in the text is indicated by two ellipses (... ...): “Use it as a fence post ... ... it climbs on”. The player's entry of the words “give it to the morning glory” is completely correct.

The version "let the morning glory climb" is recorded in books even more often than the version "the morning glory climbs". Specifically:

- The phrase "...let the cuckoo climb" (as presented by the player) contains 9 books (mostly compiled in Nom script and published before 1945) that record: 1- National Anthem Poetry (Anonymous); 2- National Customs Poetry (Author unknown - 1910); 3- Proverbs and Folk Songs (Pham Quynh - Hanoi 1932); 4- Thanh Hoa Official Customs (Vuong Duy Trinh - 1903); 5- Proverbs and Folk Songs (Nguyen Van Ngoc - 1928); 6- Great Nam National Treasure (Ngo Giap Dau - 1908); 7- Southern Music Events (Vu Cong Thanh - 1925); 8- An Nam Local Customs (compiled by Tran Tat Van); 9- Folk Songs of the Li Clan (Anonymous),...

- While the phrase "...bìm bìm nó leo" (as answered by the King of Vietnamese Language) was only found in two books: Nam Giao Co Kim Ly Hang Ca Dao Chu Giai (Anonymous - 1902-1905) and Hat Phuong Vai (Ninh Viet Giao - Culture Publishing House - 1961).

That alone is enough to confirm that the player was not wrong to answer "let the birds climb."

However, an interesting question arises here: why is the phrase "let the bindweed climb" more frequently documented in books than "the bindweed climbs"?

Idioms and proverbs are often concise, succinct, and profound, using few words but conveying much meaning. "Alas, the ironwood tree has fallen / Used as a fence post for the vines to climb" is essentially a proverb in the form of a folk song. The word "bìm" here is an abbreviation of "bìm bìm" (as in "When the fence falls, the vines climb" - proverb; "The vine has a small fate / Will the green mold be square or round?" - The Tale of Kieu).

The word "cho" (to give/give) in "cho bìm nó leo" (to let the morning glory climb) signifies creating an action in the object. Therefore, while "Đẻm giả giò bìm nó leo" (to make a fence post for the morning glory to climb) is merely accidental or coincidental, "Đẻm giả giò cho bìm nó leo" (to make a fence post for the morning glory to climb) implies deliberate intent and emphasizes the consequences. Thus, the phrase "cho bìm nó leo" carries a much stronger sense of regret, reproach, and condemnation. It's similar to the word "cho" in phrases like "Hoài cành mai cho cú đậu" (I regret giving a plum branch to an owl to perch on); "Hoài hồng ngâm cho chuột vồi" (I regret giving a preserved rose to a mouse to play with / Hoài hạt ngọc cho ngâu vậy" (I regret giving a pearl to a cow to wander around).

2. The answer is one thing, the hint is another.

As written above, the blank in the text, indicated by two ellipses, "Use it as a fence post... ...it climbs," means two words need to be filled in. The player correctly filled in the two words "for the morning glory." However, when the host noticed it didn't match the answer "bìm bìm," they suggested, "Two words, two words!" But "bìm bìm" is a single word, while "for the morning glory" is actually two words. Thus, due to a misunderstanding of the difference between a word and a phrase, the host gave a suggestion that was completely the opposite of the correct answer.

In short, "Alas, the teak tree sinks/ Used as a fence post for the morning glory to climb" and "Alas, the teak tree sinks/ Used as a fence post for the morning glory to climb" are two synonymous versions, with the former being the original and more popular than the latter.

Hoang Tuan Cong (Contributor)

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/cho-bim-khong-sai-269080.htm