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                                                   SEVEN POEMS

                                          Translations from the THAI

Contest: Lady Sri Chulalak and the Poet

        (Sri Prat)

From Lines Written Near the Statue
of the Buddha of Prathom

        (Sunthorn Poo)

From The Epic Of Excellency Lor

        (Anon)

Little Star

        (Sujit Wongtes)

Lost Bananas

        (Wat Wanlayangkoon)

Pat

        (Surasak Sriprapan)

Poor Prince Lun-Dai

        (Phra Maha Montree Sub)


From THE EPIC OF EXCELLENCY LOR

      Anonymous (between 1445 and 1546)

‘A happily married prince is bewitched and falls in love with the two daughters of a neighbouring ruler with whom he is at war. The death of the lovers leads to the reconciliation of the states.’ —Keith Bosley

  

See three make love who high have reigned:

arms that hold flesh, the body strained

to press close and admire,

desire, enjoy, raise lips to feed

on crowded tastes of heavenly mead—

thus one pair squeeze and clutch.

...

Anon. (translated by Alan Marshfield)                             (back)

(For full translation see the Kindle ebook The Translations of Alan Marshfield)

 

CONTEST: LADY SRI CHULALAK AND THE POET

 

Sri Prat (1655 - 1688)

 

Concubine:

Poor hare jumps at moon? Dotes so!

Does not see how low his place.

Like peacocks who’d know the clouds

Does not see one ace his place,

the rogue.

... 

Sri Pat (translated by Alan Marshfield)                             (back)

(For full translation see the Kindle ebook The Translations of Alan Marshfield)

 

From LINES WRITTEN NEAR THE STATUE

          OF THE BUDDHA OF PRATHOM

 

Sunthorn Poo (1786 - 1855)

 

Be thou a tree, then let me on thee settle;

Let me brood on a branch, bide in the thick.

Be thou a lunar beauty, Passion Petal,

I beg I, as the hero, fly to pick.

...

Sunthorn Poo (translated by Alan Marshfield)                             (back)

(For full translation see the Kindle ebook The Translations of Alan Marshfield)

 

POOR PRINCE LUN-DAI

 

Phra Maha Montree Sub (1809 – 51)

 

So let the tale begin. Poor Prince Lun-Dai

alone enjoys his throne, alone goes by—

wandering on tour—

...

Phra Maha Montree Sub (translated by Alan Marshfield)                             (back)

(For full translation see the Kindle ebook The Translations of Alan Marshfield) 

 

LITTLE STAR

 

Sujit Wongtes

(1973)

 

Twinkle twinkle

little star

 

Through the seven kinds of palm-tree

Jow Km-thong went out

to live the life of a robber

and has not turned about.

...

Sujit Wongtes (translated by Alan Marshfield)                             (back)

(For full translation see the Kindle ebook The Translations of Alan Marshfield)

 

PAT

 

Surasak Sriprapan

 

(1968)

 

Young Pat’s a north-east peasant, from Esan,

who since a child has worked hard, soaked in sweat;

and as, since he was small, his Dad’s been dead,

young Pat’s lived rough and now he’s hard as nails.

...

Surasak Sriprapan (translated by Alan Marshfield)                             (back)

(For full translation see the Kindle ebook The Translations of Alan Marshfield) 

 

LOST BANANAS
 
Wat Wanlayangkoon
 
(1975)

 

My house is in a lane:
‘Lane of Bananas’.
Near me lives a monkey.
Monkey likes bananas.
But monkey lives on lawn
where grow no bananas.
...

Wat Wanlayangkoon (translated by Alan Marshfield)                             (back)

(For full translation see the Kindle ebook The Translations of Alan Marshfield)  

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