Thân em thời trắng phận em tròn, Bảy nổi ba chìm mấy nước non. Rắn nát mặc dầu tay kẻ nặn, Nhưng em vẫn giữ tấm lòng son.
I was born pure and beautiful, Yet my life's full of struggles. My fate is in entirely in the hands of the elites, the powerful, Yet I will never lose faith.
(literally, “My body's pasty, my fate well-rounded, I've been adrift in all this water. Whether I remain solid or become mushy, it's up to my maker, Nevertheless, my heart will forever be blood-red.”)