So this term I’m studying a course on Thai poetry, something that I am excited about, but that should be rather challenging due to the amount of vocabulary I’ll have to learn. Classical Thai poetry is very regimented, the form dictates the number of syllables and often the tone (high, middle, falling, low, rising) of the words which can be used. This, combined with the fact that a lot of what we are going to study was written a few hundred years ago means that I will get to learn lots of new vocabulary …. Probably have to brush up on history too in order to understand what many of them are about.
I’m going to do my best to translate many of them here, as it should be a good way to learn them. I’ll write more on the accepted forms once I learn it.
เจ้าอย่าย้ายคิ้วช่ำ มเลืองมาอย่าม่ายเมียงหางตา ล่อเหล้นจะมาก็มารา เทอญแม่ มาแม่ครั้นพี่มาอย่าเร้น เรียกเจ้าจงมาโดยมหาราชเชียงใหม่
- เจ้า you
- อย่า don’t
- ย้าย move (raise)
- คิ้ว eyebrows
- ช่ำมเลืองมา
Basically he’s saying “no need to be bashful”.
- อย่า don’t
- ม่ายเมียง glance at
- หางตา from the corners of your eyes
- ล่อเหล้น They mean ล่อเล่น which means to tease or play with (not necessarily in a negative manner) but they have to write it this way to maintain the form required by the poem
Similar to the first stanza, he’s telling her not to use her eyes to tease him.
- จะ will
- มา come
- ก็ then
- มา come
- รา
- เทอญ particle used to add emphasis
- แม่ mom
- มา comes
- แม่ mom
“If you’re going to come, then come”. He calls her mom here, but that is just a playful way of addressing her.
- ครั้น when, at that time
- พี่ I (speaker is older than listener)
- มา come
- อย่า don’t
- เร้น hide
- เรียก call
- เจ้า you
- จง must
- มา come
“When I call you, just come”.
Some of my translations might seem like they sound a bit direct, but the aren’t in the original Thai. Basically he’s telling the girl that he digs her and if she digs him that she should tell him and not beat around the bush.
Thanks to Ben Wiboonsin, for helping me understand part of this.
Wow, this sounds really interesting, and REALLY hard. I hope you can post more about this course. I’d also like to hear more about the poetry structure rules. Are you saying the rules are like haiku — 5-7-5 (or whatever)? And what kind of tone rules (patterns) do the poems have to follow? I am guessing that rhyming is not part of the game…
Comment by Stuart — June 22, 2010 @ 18:17
Awesome stuff Luke – hope there will be more!
Comment by Jay — June 22, 2010 @ 20:57
There will be for sure … it’s the only way that I can understand them:)
Comment by Luke Cassady-Dorion — June 23, 2010 @ 07:33
Rhyming is a major part of it … but that being said, I don’t know enough of the rules to make them clear yet. Keep on eye on this site ….
Comment by Luke Cassady-Dorion — June 23, 2010 @ 07:34