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

The contestant "skipped" the question, 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