"What a pity," not "what a shame."

The contestant "skipped" and the program's answer was "muddy water" (meaning muddy water is mixed with straw fire). It's worth noting that this idiom is inaccurate. The phrase "what a pity" was changed to "what a pity".

Literally, "pure white rice" should be washed with clean water, and cooked with appropriate firewood (it should be cooked with firewood and tossed with its own kind of fire/charcoal, not straw). Yet, this precious, delicious rice is washed with "muddy water," dirty water, and tossed with smoky, yellowish straw/charcoal. Folk wisdom alludes to good things, good things that are not used properly, falling into the hands of a crude person. This saying is often used to describe a beautiful girl marrying a worthless husband. What a waste! This waste should be expressed with the words "what a pity" rather than "what a shame."

A series of similar "what a pity" scenarios could be cited:

Alas, the fragrant rice grains, cooked in a copper pot, are then tossed with eggplant water; Alas, the brocade robe worn at night / Fresh salad eaten cold, a beautiful maiden's husband is lost; Alas, the clear water basin / Let duckweed and weeds drift into it; Alas, the gold-rimmed bowl / Used to measure bran, a girl's love is ruined; Alas, the pink silk cloth / A torn dress not mended, but patched instead with a tattered one; Alas, the submerged lim wood / Used as a fence post for morning glory to climb; Alas, the fair-skinned, long-haired girl / Her parents married her off to a fool; Alas, the cinnamon tree in the forest / Let the Mán and Mường people climb it...

All of the above phrases, if replaced with "what a pity," become awkward and meaningless. Even some synonymous versions like "I miss the plum branch for the owl to perch on"; "I miss the rose-colored wine for the mouse to play with / I miss the pearl-like seeds for the magpie to frolic in"; "If an owl were to perch on the plum branch / Then all the effort put into dressing up wouldn't be wasted, would it?",... here, "missing" is not "what a pity" but "what a waste," a waste!

So, in what situations are the words "what a pity" used?

When expressing sympathy for those who are unfortunate, struggling, humble, and miserable, the folk often begin with the phrase "how pitiful":

Pity the fate of the turtle / Carrying a crane on its back at the temple, bearing a stele at the pagoda; Pity the life of the sandpiper / Deep rivers and vast oceans, countless waves toss it; Pity the fate of the silkworm / Eating so little, then lying down to spin silk; Pity the tiny ants / Finding so little, then having to search for food; Pity the crane avoiding the clouds / When will its wings ever rest?; Pity the quail in the sky / Even if it cries until it bleeds, will anyone hear it?!

Therefore, in the case of the first line of the folk song, using the phrase "what a pity" is more accurate and better reflects the subtle meaning and nuances of folk language.

Hoang Trinh Son (Contributor)

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/tiec-thay-khong-phai-nbsp-thuong-thay-245300.htm