History of the Song: ទំនូញហ្គីតាមាស / Tomnoun Guitar Meas
Translated from Kong Bun Chhoeun Memoir's "Golden Love Poem" by Borisot Khmer
This song was written and recorded simultaneously with the song Mloup Sneah Derm Srolao to be use as soundtracks for the movie "Joumno Pailin" which was never completed.
History of the Song: ម្លប់ស្នេហ៍ដើមស្រឡៅ / Mloub Sneah Derm Srolao
Translated from Kong Bun Chhoeun Memoir's "Golden Love Poem" by Borisot Khmer
Sinn Sisamouth
Ros Serey Sothea
Has Salan
In 1973 I wrote a novel called "Joumno Pailin". This book became so popular among readers that Mr. So Manchiv, the director of the Van Chan Movie Production, had bought the rights to the book in order to make a movie.
At the same time, the studio had asked me to come up with four songs to be included in the soundtrack for the movie. These songs were: Mloup Sneah Derm Srolao, Tomnoun Guitar Meas, Joumno Pailin, and Besdoung Komprea.
These songs were so popular after they were released, recording studios were asking for rights to the songs to be recorded and distributed into records and cassettes.
Unfortunately, the movie was never finished, never screened when April 17 arrived.
Mr. Sinn Sisamouth and Ms. Ros Serey Sothea had said that they sang their hearts out and did so to their best of their abilities for the song Mloup Sneah Derm Srolao.
Even though this song had taken place and specific details of Pailin was mentioned and well described, the soft, gentle and sweet Melody makes the song more dreamy and beautiful.
And there is more ever lasting memory that made me unbelievably sad. I met Mr. Sinn Sisamouth in the Champa Temple, Khom Preak Eng when Pol Pot evacuated Phnom Penh in 1975. He was sitting with both his arms around his knees in a wooden house with his hands caressing his slightly balded head; with young Khmer Rough soldiers surrounded him.
Those soldiers gave Mr. Sinn Sisamouth a basket full of rice and snacks with the request for him to sing a song for them. The requested song was "Mloup Sneah Derm Srolao".
I've heard Mr. Sinn Sisamouth responded to the young soldiers with a dry grin "My singing is not good anymore !..."
With those words, I felt sorry for him. My eyes became teary. When I left him, he had secretly whispered to me "Chhoeun, get on the ANKA plane and return to your hometown. I can't go just yet because my wife had just delivered our three-day-old baby..." I said to him, "You hang in there, never lose hope. One day you will sing in Phnom Penh again!" He answered sadly one last time, "No Chhoeun, I've lost all hope. We probably won't see each other again and I won't definitely get to sing your song ever again!"
Coincidentally there were a few other young Khmer Rough soldiers carrying a radio that happened to play the song Mloup Sneah Derm Srolao approached him. "Did you sing this song?" they asked him. Mr. Sinn Sisamouth nodded his head.
History of the Song: មេឃាភ្នំពេញ តារាបាត់ដំបង / Mekhea Phnom Penh Dara Battambang
Translated from Kung Bun Chhouen Memoir's "Golden Love Poem" by Borisot Khmer
This song was recorded in 1973 to be added to the album "Komlos Honda Kanha P.C."
History of the Song: រំដួលដងស្ទឹងសង្កែ / Romdoul Dong Stoeung Songkae
Translated from Kong Bun Chhoeun Memoir's "Golden Love Poem" by Borisot Khmer
Sinn Sisamouth
Mer Bun
People close to me know that I like to write about Stoeung Songkae and my life in Battambang. It is true because that is where I spent the most time growing up. I have nostalgia about my hometown, even though I have left the place long time ago.
I wrote about love that has taken place in Battambang partly to remember the events that took place during my youth, and partly to remember the place I was growing up at. Plus, I know this province best, why would I write about a place that I know nothing about?
The song "Romdould Stoeung Songkae" is such an example of how I reflect back on my youth and manages to capture those moments in time. From 1945 to 1953, I was living in a boat house along the Songkae River just right across from "Adan" movie theater (this theater is gone now).
When I rode on a boat or walked on the bridge to go to school at Wat Poe Vil I would always enjoy the scenary that Steoung Songkae provided in the flooding or receding phase of the river.
At the time, my understanding was that the bottom of the Songkae River was the most beautiful thing in the world. There would be slowly trickling water across the field of fresh sands. Me and my friends would take a towel or handkerchief and ran it across the water so we would catch tiny fishes. We would bury the clay pot in the sand, then make tiny holes in it to filter the clean cold water out. We would usually catch beta fish and have them fight each other there also.
I could never forget a young woman's beauty when she would go for a swim and gathers the clams at the bottom of the river every sunset. Now I am far away and time has erased the past but it could not stop me from writing and bringing the past back to life.
This song was written in 1974 and recorded with Phos Meas Production. When it was initially aired, Mr. Ngek Diem*, the famous artist during the period, was upset with Sinn Sisamouth. Mr. Diem accused Sinn Sisamouth of slander when he sang the phrase "Vichetakor Euy Kom Bach Kue Ey Nov Knong Loukey Kmean Srey Laor Te!" thinking it was directed at him, the artist.
Later Mr. Diem understood that the song was written by me about the memories of my past and it was not intentionally directed towards him. These memories of "Romdoul Dong Stoeung Songkae" still lingers in my dreams...
*Mr. Ngek Diem was a popular artist. Most of the record and cassette labels during the 1970s was done by him, including the drawing to Mer Bun above. He also did propaganda posters for the Khmer Republic Party during that period.
History of the Song: ស្ពានអូរតាគី / Spean Otaki / Otaki Bridge
Translated from Kong Bun Chhoeun Memoir's "Golden Love Poem" by Borisot Khmer
Sinn Sisamouth
Has Salan
Sing by:Sinn Sisamouth
Arrangement by: Has Salan
Released in: 1974 with album
"Komlos Hond Kanha P.C."
I was born in Phoum Beoung Prieng Khoum Tmar Koal, Srok Battambang according to my parents. When I was about 2-3 years old, my parents relocated. I chose Khoum Jomka Somrong as my permanent resident. It was the place that I lived the longest and had the most childhood memories. Nevertheless, I still miss Phoum Boeung Prieng that was a place to farm (Srae Barung) in the Republic Party.
The roads, starting from Spean Otaki all the way to Mongkol Borei Serei Sorphon, were full of fond memories of stories and events of my adolescent and teenage romances. It would also reminded me of a lifestyle as a railroad worker whose life was dictated by the paths of these metal rails.
Life as a railroad worker was a constant struggle but love and honesty was as straight and steady as a metal track. A smuggler, in the dark market, had brought with him bad news about the railroad worker's romance.
This song has not a word of Boeung Prieng associated with it, but my goal was to be reminded of it starting with Spean Otaki because it was a true location of where the romance had taken place. The romance was not successful as I had hoped. It is still in my dream without borders in a state that is full of lost hope and despair. This song was written and recorded at the same time as a few others in the album "Komlos Honda Kanha P.C." that is still popular today.
History of the Song: សម្រស់នាងចែវទូកដរ / Somros Neang Jaev Touk Dar
Translated from Kong Bun Chhoeun Memoir's "Golden Love Poem" by Borisot Khmer
Sinn Sisamouth
Has Salan
Sing by:Sinn Sisamouth
Arrangement by: Has Salan
Released in: 1974 with album
"Komlos Hond Kanha P.C."
I wrote this song in memory of my mom and to commemorate her birthplace of Khoum Preak Loung. Even though I had left this place since I was young, everytime i went back to visit, I always hear people say that I have relative all over the place in this village. That is why every time I went from Phoum Doun Teav to Phoum Preak Loung I would always see this beautiful woman of my dream taking me across the river with her paddle boat. A single man when set sight at a beautiful woman would naturally have that tendency to want to start something romantic. But this woman that paddled me across the river not only made me secretly fell in love with her, but I also felt sympathetic towards her as well since she was deaf, unable to speak.
After doing some digging and asking around, I found out that this woman was somewhat a distant relative, very distant that we were merely strangers. Nevertheless, I would always dream of those days, of the scenery and the simple, sad and lonesome lifestyle that those villagers lead along the river banks. Through those memories that I had gathered, I came up with this song to remind me of those days that I rode on a paddle boat to visit my village when I met a beautiful woman that was deaf and could not speak.
To clarify, those that have visited Phoum Doun Teav in Battambang province, would know exactly what this paddle boat would look like. It is a small boat. It has one or two paddles. It has a roof for transporting passengers/visitors across the river and the fair is based upon the distance traveled.
History of the Song: ស្ពានឈើអភ័ព្វ / Spean Cher Aphop Translated from Kong Bun Chhoeun Memoir's "Golden Love Poem" by Borisot Khmer
Sinn Sisamouth
Has Salan
Sing by:Sinn Sisamouth
Arrangement by: Has Salan
Released in: 1974 with album
"Komlos Hond Kanha P.C."
I wrote the MELODIE to this song in 1954 when I was a student at Preas Monyvong University and had titled the lyric to this song as, "Ksae Tik Kouch". I wrote this song in order to play once in a while with the member of the band club at the University.
When I was young I knew how to play the violin and strum the guitar just a little bit. I could sing just good enough for people to listen to and I was a pro when it comes to the madeline.
It was not until around 1973 when I gathered this old MELODIE again and wrote a new lyric to it in which I changed the title to "ស្ពានឈើអភ័ព្វ / Spean Cher Aphop".
The reason that I had come to name the title of this song as such was because I had reflected upon my life to a time that I was drifted with no motivations and goals just right after my parents had past away. It was at this time that I decided to become a monk to seek peace, calmness and enlightenment so that i won't be so unfortunate in my next lifetime as I have been this lifetime.
I was given a manuscript and every preparation was already made for me to become a monk. But just about a week left before I was scheduled for the ceremony to become a monk, my mind started to wonder as I was sitting at the temple facing the Songrae River during the flooding season. After further considerations, I had changed my mind. I no longer wanted to be a monk. I came to this decision because I knew I had the heart to further endure in life and to avoid being named as a person who can not resolve life issues but rather run away from problems to become a monk. In the future, if time permits I would consider becoming a monk.
After careful considerations I decided to leave the monk manuscript and the Songkae River behind and moved from my current location of Wat Poe Vil to Phnom Kompang near the New Market. At that time, there was a teacher not yet reaching retirement age but his eyes were turning bad and could not longer teach, had contacted me to replace him. The title of this job was MAITRE Suppleant at the school Groupe scolaire Sud. After temporary working there for almost a year, I coincidentally ran into my old girlfriend. She was living at Wat Poe Vil but had relocated to Phnom Kompang just like me. Our love had once again sparked but would not last. Everything had made her heart changed. Songkae River was not very sympathetic towards me not even for a little bit. The one wooden bridge that I had built for her to cross, turns out that she hated it and rather cross a stoned bridge.
This is the inspiration and motivation that lead me to write this song. Others who do not know the true title of this song would refer to this song as "Phoum Wat Kompang" just because the song started off with this verse. At the same time, others would wonder and question me about one line in the lyric that reads "Bong Chuer Kaote Cheam Doch Ok Sareth". Who is this Ok Sareth person? I wanted to clarify that he was a character in Khmer mythology "Apaimony Sisowath" who was heartbroken because he lost his love to his opponent Preas Apaimoney.
History of the Song: ម្លប់ដូងទី ១០ / Mloup Doung Ti Doub / Shade of the 10th Coconut Tree
Translated from Kong Bun Chhoeun Memoir's "Golden Love Poem" by Borisot Khmer
Sinn Sisamouth
Has Salan
Sing by:Sinn Sisamouth
Arrangement by: Has Salan
Released in: 1974 with album
"Komlos Hond Kanha P.C."
Battambang province was where i was born and raise in a situation of inadequacy. Songkae River was my source of livelihood in which I used my writing to make a living as a poet and author. Not only that, it was a place where i had countless memories of love during my adolescence and teenage years. Among the a group of coconut trees that was situated in a straight row across the river on the west bank, there was one tree that stood directly in front of a temple in an open field. There was also a stone bench that i used to sit and relax every time when the water was flooding or receding. This song started as an incident in my life during my writing back in 1969 but i just kept it as a log in my journal not released to any singers yet. It was the lowest point of my life, my mom had gotten sick and died under someone's house. I gave up my writing and was unemployed subsequently...
There was this neighbor's daughter that we had secretly fell in love with and she had swear and promised me that she would only love me too. It turned out that she abandoned me with no remorse. One time, we had set a meeting at the bank of the Songkae River under the shade of the 10th coconut tree but she did not show up even though i had reminded her in the daytime to promise to show up. I waited and waited.
The water floods, rapids wildly in the river, making a bubbly spray and mists as it makes its way to the Tonle Sap River never to return. And with it my hopeless love, leaving my heart bruised and injured... It was not until 1972 that I started to gather everything up once again and get ready to work on recording this song. Mr. Sinn Sisamouth was the singer of this song. He sang this song as though he was reliving my pain of a lost love that had begun and ended at the bank of the Songkae River. This song appears in the album " Komlos Honda Kanha P.C." that is much loved by music lovers then and now.
History of the Song: រសស្នេហ៍ឧត្ដម / Ros Sneah Udom
Translated from Kung Bun Chhouen Memoir's "Golden Love Poem" by Borisot Khmer
Sinn Sisamouth
Ros Serey Sothea
Has Salan
This song has the same history as "អារសាច់ជូនម្ដាយ / Ar Sach Joun Mdy" in that it was written and recorded simultaneously to be used in the movie "អារសាច់ជូនម្ដាយ / Ar Sach Joun Mdy" and was well received by music lovers of all classes.
Translated from Kong Bun Chhoeun Memoir's "Golden Love Poem" by Borisot Khmer
This song was written and recorded simultaneously with the song Mloup Sneah Derm Srolao to be use as soundtracks for the movie "Joumno Pailin" which was never completed.
ទំនូញហ្គីតាមាស
និពន្ធបទភ្លេងទំនុកច្រៀង សម្រួលតន្រ្តី ច្រៀងដោយ
គង្គ-ប៊ុនឈឿន ហាស់-សាឡន ស៊ីន-ស៊ីសាមុត
I. ឃើញស្រមោលម្លប់ពោធិ៍ត្រជាក់អស្ចារ្យ
ដូចរូបជីវ៉ាដែលធ្លាប់មេត្តាប្រណី
ថ្នមច្របាច់គក់ក្និចក្នក់ប្រលែងនឹងប្ដី
ឱ!គន្ធាផ្កាព្រៃតើថ្លៃបាត់ទៅទីណា? ។
II. ត្បូងពេជ្រនិលមាសប្រាក់រាប់រយម៉ឺនលាន
សូមប្ដូរជាទានក៏ប្រៀបពុំបានហត្ថា
អង្រឹងធ្លាប់ដេកអង្រែកធ្លាប់ដាក់ផល្លា
ចានឆ្នាំងខ្សឹបសួរថាតើស្រស់ជីវ៉ាបាត់ទៅណាហើយ? ។
សួររកនួនល្អងម្ចាស់កន្ទេលខ្នើយ
ខ្ទមកែវខ្ទមមាសម្ចាស់អើយទៅណាហើយ
ព្រលឹងបងអើយបងសែនរងា ។
ស្នេហ៍ដូចសុបិនមាសឆ្អិនគ្មានក្ដីមេត្តា
បងយំរាប់ព្រៃស្រីសើចជាមួយសង្សារ
ដៃបងឱបហ្គីតាជីវ៉ាឱបប្រុសគូស្នេហ៍ថ្មី ។