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.
រំដួលដងស្ទឹងសង្កែ
និពន្ធបទភ្លេងទំនុកច្រៀង សម្រួលតន្រ្តី ច្រៀងដោយ
គង្គ-ប៊ុនឈឿន មែរ-ប៊ុន ស៊ីន-ស៊ីសាមុត
R. វិចិត្រករអឺយ កុំបាច់គូរអី
នៅក្នុងលោកិយ ស្រីល្អគ្មានទេ
មានតែរំដួល ដងស្ទឹងសង្កែ
ដែលខ្ញុំលួចស្នេហ៍ ទោះរយឆ្នាំខែ ក៏នៅចាំចង ។
III. ឥឡូវរដូវផ្ការីកវិលវិញ ទ្រូងសែនទោម្នេញ
ព្យុះកម្មបក់ដេញ បាត់ផ្កាមួយទង
ត្រីក្រឹមអូនស្លាប់ នៅក្នុងដបបង
លិខិតនួនល្អង បងទុកទ្រាប់ខ្នង ដេកស្លាប់ក្នុងផ្នូរ ។
នៅក្នុងលោកិយ ស្រីល្អគ្មានទេ
មានតែរំដួល ដងស្ទឹងសង្កែ
ដែលខ្ញុំលួចស្នេហ៍ ទោះរយឆ្នាំខែ ក៏នៅចាំចង ។
III. ឥឡូវរដូវផ្ការីកវិលវិញ ទ្រូងសែនទោម្នេញ
ព្យុះកម្មបក់ដេញ បាត់ផ្កាមួយទង
ត្រីក្រឹមអូនស្លាប់ នៅក្នុងដបបង
លិខិតនួនល្អង បងទុកទ្រាប់ខ្នង ដេកស្លាប់ក្នុងផ្នូរ ។
I. មហាសង្ក្រាន ច្រានឆ្នាំមួយទៅ
ទ្រូងសែនហ្មងសៅ នឹកព្រួយក្រែងពៅ ឆាប់ភ្លេចរឿងដើម
រឿងបាត់ដំបង ចងទងដង្ហើម កាលជួបស្រីឆ្នើម
រដូវសន្សើម ផ្ការីកស្គុះស្គាយ ។
II. អូនដើររើសគ្រុំ ក្នុងស្ទឹងសង្កែ
ភក្ត្រដូចដួងខែ ថ្ពាល់ខួចមានស្នេហ៍ នេត្រាពណ្ណរាយ
ហត្ថាខ្ចីល្ហក់ សក់ខ្មៅរំសាយ បងគន់មិនណាយ
ក្លិនខ្លួនឆោមឆាយ រាយសំណាញ់ស្នេហ៍ ។