A couple who bought a second-hand sofa from a friend decided to deep clean the furniture for the first time in 10 years – and they made a very unexpected discovery
Everyone adores relaxing on their sofa. Whether it’s for an extended lounging session or a brief five-minute break, countless people spend their leisure time at home doing precisely that.
This is certainly true for Tautari Sanders, who purchased a second-hand settee from a mate who was relocating overseas. During the decade he’s owned the piece of furniture, it has consistently served as a sanctuary of comfort and tranquillity. He spends considerable time there unwinding with his partner at their New Zealand residence.
Nevertheless, it was only when the pair recently decided to give the sofa a thorough clean that they stumbled upon something baffling concealed within it.
As they removed the covering, they spotted an odd message scrawled on the internal cushion, alongside a name inscribed on another section of the settee.
Tautari told Newsweek: “We thought that was kind of strange. We were worried it was going to be a cry for help for someone in poor working conditions.”
The pair knew the settee was produced in Vietnam but were finding it difficult to decipher the message despite using translation applications.
So, Tautari and his partner concluded the most sensible course of action would be to share a photograph of the text on Reddit.
He said: “We know its a great place to source information from a large number of people globally.”
It wasn’t long before they got a reply – and the significance of the writing was nothing like what they had anticipated. Rather than a desperate plea, the message turned out to be a poem, probably penned by someone who had been crafting the furniture.
Here is the translated version:
- That river still flows for thousand lives
- Because in adversity, I had to leave you
- I still miss you when you’re far away
- I miss your eyes and your smile
As another Reddit user proceeded to clarify, the poem belongs to a well-known type of Vietnamese verse called a “lc bát”. This translates to “six-eight” – the number of words on each line.
They continued: “This is actually a popular type of Vietnamese poem with rules and rhythm that is hard to translate. The sixth word of the six-line should rhyme with the sixth of the eight-line, and the eighth/last word of the eight-line should rhyme with the 6th/last word of the next six-line.”
Upon uncovering the real significance of the writing, Tautari was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
He continued: “We were relieved to find out it was some lovely poetry.”
Nevertheless, despite being reassured, the reasoning behind why the individual decided to inscribe the poem on a sofa remains puzzling.
Tautari speculated: “We have no idea why they have written such a personalised, heartfelt message on something that would ultimately end up not ever being seen.
“Maybe practicing some poetry before sending it to his or her lover? Perhaps we will never know.”
