ម្លប់ស្នេហ៍ដើមស្រឡៅ

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.

               ម្លប់ស្នេហ៍ដើមស្រឡៅ

និពន្ធបទភ្លេងទំនុកច្រៀង     សម្រួលតន្រ្តី           ច្រៀងដោយ
គង្គ-ប៊ុនឈឿន                 ហាស់-សាឡន         សាមុត + សុទ្ធា
 
I. (ស) - ក្អែក​ខ្មៅ​បូល​យំ លើ​ភ្នំ​ផ្កាយ​ព្រឹក  
សំឡូត​អូន​នឹក​ រលឹក​អូរដា
ស្នឹង​ស្ដៅ​ត្រែង​ត្រាក ជី​សាក​ទ្រូង​ខ្លា
បល្ល័ង​ជលសា បុស្បា​ផ្កា​ព្រៃ ។

II. (ប) - យើង​នាំ​គ្នា​រត់ កាត់​ភ្នំ​ដំបង
កំពង់​ចម្លង​ក្រង​ម្កុដ​ស្នេហ៍​­ថ្មី
ស្រឡៅ​ស្រឡូន​ ភ្នំ​កូន​ដំរី
សន្សើម​ជោគ​ដី ដៃ​អូន​ជា​ខ្នើយ ។ 

R. (ស) - ត្រកួន​ព្រលិត​ ចិត្ត​ដូច​តែ​គ្នា
ស្មោះ​នឹង​ស្នេហា​ ពុំ​ដែល​កន្ដើ­យ
(ប) - បង​នឹង​ពុះពារ លុះ​ត្រា​ដល់​ត្រើយ
អូន​កុំ​ព្រួយ​ឡើយ ណ៎ាស្រស់​ពិសី ។

III. (ប) - ចង្រិត​ស្រែក​ច្រៀង ចម្រៀង​អភ័ព្វ
មន្ត​ស្នេហ៍​ព្រៃគុប ម្លប់​ដើម​ស្រឡៅ
(ស) - អូន​លក់​បេះដូង ជូន​ទ្រូង​ប្រុស​ពៅ 
ពីថ្ងៃ​នេះ​ទៅ យើង​បាន​សុខ​អើយ ។

CODA. (ប +ស) ពីថ្ងៃ​នេះ​ទៅ យើង​បាន​សុខ​អើយ...