Koet Ran
Prum Ut (1945–2009)
Funeral March
parābhavasūtr (C-E♭-F-G-A-B♭ = Cm7)
សំលេងក្លងខែកស្រែកបន្លឺថា
អាយុសង្ខារនៃមនុស្សសព្វសត្វ
ប្រាប់ថាមិនទៀងវិនាសសូន្យបាត់
កើតស្លាប់សូន្យស្ងាត់បែករាល់រូបា ។
សំលេងក្លងខែកស្រែកបន្លឺថា
មនុស្សគ្រប់អាត្មាយល់អោយច្បាស់
ព្រះត្រៃលក្ខណ៍ធម៌មានគ្រប់ជាតិសាសន៍
មារព្រហ្មក្មេងចាស់ជាប់តាមកៀកកើយ ។
A drum-and-oboe dirge resounds:
“The lives of all living beings
never last long; they soon must end.
Birth leads to death, all forms decay.”
A drum-and-oboe dirge resounds:
“All you people must understand:
gods and humans, even children,
none can escape impermanence.”
A drum-and-oboe dirge resounds:
“O good people, follow what’s right.
Seek out the truth and fix your mind
on ceasing wrong and foolish deeds.”
A drum-and-oboe dirge resounds:
“Youth slips away, death’s never far.
Old age stalks close and can’t be shaken;
it must answer to karma alone.”
A drum-and-oboe dirge resounds:
“Go beyond death: know the Four Truths
and take their pillow to the far shore.
Rest free from pain in peace and bliss.”
The Homage Octet
samrāy (C-D-E-G-A = C6)
Khmer-script Pali (excerpt)
នមោ អរ- ហតោ សម្មា-
សម្ពុទ្ធស្ស មហេសិនោ
នមោ ឧត្ត- ម ធម្មស្ស
ស្វាក្ខា តស្សេ- វ តេនិធ
នមោ មហា- សង្ឃស្សាបិ
វិសុទ្ធសី- លទិដ្ឋិនោ
Roman-script Pali (excerpt)
namo ara- hato sammā-
sambuddhassa mahesino
namo utta- madhammassa
svākkhātasse- va tenidha
namo mahā- saṅghassāpi
visuddhasī- ladiṭṭhino
Informal Khmer phonetics of the Pali (excerpt)
nea’-mo a’-ra’- ha’-tao sam-maa
sam-put-theah-sa’ mea’-he-se’-nao
nea’-mo ut-ta’- ma’ thoam-meah-sa’
svaak-khaa tah-se- vea’ te-ni’-thea’
nea’-mo mea’-haa sang-kheah-saa pe’
vi’-sot-thea’ sei- lea’- tit-the’-nao
Lullaby of the Gods
devatā paṃbe kūn (C-E♭-E-F-G-B♭= Cm7-C7)
Khmer chant in kaṃraṅ kèv style
ឱសត្វមាន់ព្រៃ ចុះអ្នករងាវអីៗ ក្បែអាស្រម
យើក្រឹស្ណា ឱក្រឹស្ណា យើក្រឹស្ណាឱមាសម៉ុម
កូនអើយកុំយំ ម្តាយនៅៗ ឱបំពេ ។
ឱះឱសត្វរៃ ហៃចុះអ្នកយំអីៗ ក្បែអាស្រម
យើក្រឹស្ណា ឱក្រឹស្ណា យើក្រឹស្ណាឱមាសម៉ុម
កូនអើយកុំយំ ម្តាយនៅៗ ឱនេះទេ ។
ឱអ្នកប៉ីពក ហៃចុះអ្នកផ្លុំអីៗ ក្បែអាស្រម
យើក្រឹស្ណា ឱក្រឹស្ណា យើក្រឹស្ណាឱមាសម៉ុម
កូនអើយកុំយំ ម្តាយនៅៗ ថ្នមបំពេ ។
ហាអើយ កូនអើយកុំយំ ម្តាយនៅៗ ថ្នមបំពេ ។
Informal Khmer phonetics
ao sat moan prei choh neak rongiew ei, rongiew ei kbae aasrawm
yoe kreusnaa ao kreusnaa yoe kreusnaa ao meas mom
koun aeuy kom yum mdaai neou, mday neou ao bampe |
ah ao sat rei hai choh neak yum ei, yum ei kbae aasrawm
yoe kreusnaa ao kreusnaa yoe kreusnaa ao meas mom
koun aeuy kom yum mdaai neou, mday neou ao neh te |
ao neak peipok hai choh neak phlom ei, phlom ei kbae aasrawm
yoe kreusnaa ao kreusnaa yoe kreusnaa ao meas mom
koun aeuy kom yum mdaai neou, mday neou thnawm bampe |
haa aeuy koun aeuy kom yum mdaai neou, mday neou thnawm bampe |
English translation
O wild rooster! Are you crowing, crowing near our hut?
Hey Krisna
O Krisna
Hey Krisna, my dearest
Child, don’t you cry
Momma’s here, Momma’s here
Singing you to sleep.
O cicada! Are you singing, singing near our hut?
Hey Krisna
O Krisna
Hey Krisna, my dearest
Child, don’t you cry
Momma’s here, Momma’s here
Singing you to sleep.
O flute player! Are you playing, playing near our hut?
Hey Krisna
O Krisna
Hey Krisna, my dearest
Child, don’t you cry
Momma’s here, Momma’s here
Singing you to sleep.
Child, don’t you cry
Momma’s here, Momma’s here
Singing you to sleep.
This Life is Short
mahāmāyā (C-E-F-G-B♭ = C7)
Khmer poem in Seven-Syllable Meter, with informal phonetics
អនិច្ចាសង្ខារ - រូបយើងអើយ a-nich-chaa sang-khaa / ruup yoeng aeui
គិតគ្រប់ទៅហើយ - មិនទៀងទេ kit krup toeu haeui / min tieng te
កើតមកជាមនុស្ស - ទោះយើងគេ kaeut mak chia mnuh / tuah yoeng ke
មិនដែលទំនេរ - សឹងកើតទុក្ខ ។ min dael tumne / seung kaeut tuk
អនត្តាសង្ខារ - សោះសូន្យធេង a-nat-taa sang-khaa soh soun theng
សូន្យអស់រលីងបាត់គ្រប់មុខ soun awh roling bat krup muk
ទាំងយសទាំងស័ក្តិម្តាយឪពុក teang yuah teang sak mdaai oeu-puk
ពុំមានសល់ទុកទេលោកអើយ ។ pum mian sawl tuk te lok aeui
ជីដូនជីតាម្តាយមីងមា chi doun chi taa mdaai ming mia
ទាំងបុត្រភរិយាគ្មានសល់ឡើយ teang bot phea’-ri’-yea khmian sawl laeui
ទាំងរូបរាងកាយសូន្យអស់ហើយ teang ruup riang kaai soun awh haeui
លោកអើយស្តាប់ពាក្យនេះឲ្យបាន ។ lok aeui sdap piak nih aoi baan
This life is short: you are born
with bodily form that can’t last.
You’ll never be free or get past
the shadow cast by distress.
Nothing is yours: all is void,
all is devoid of essence.
No fame, no rank, no parents,
no one precious, nobody,
not even those born before,
not even your family.
Your own body is empty.
Listen to me: make this known.
Discarded deep in the forest,
with none to trust as your own,
save wild beasts who grunt and groan,
you’ll be alone, through and through.
Your wealth, the worst poverty:
you can’t take anything with you.
You’ll lie there, nothing to do,
your body truly worthless.
All merit gone in your wake,
your kin will take your carcass
to woodlands cloaked in darkness.
They’ll leave, tearless; there you’ll stay.
The dead must be abandoned,
their bones and flesh thrown away.
Your body’s bound to decay;
your name, they say, soon unsaid.
Reflect on this and be stirred.
Don’t be deterred but instead
take refuge in what’s well-said.
Hear this and tread the right course.
Give gifts, keep rules, train your heart:
three ways to start from the source.
To wipe your brow of remorse,
don’t do what’s coarse. Thus I preach:
Build your merit. Guard your mind.
Always be kind. Strive to reach
all those in need. Make your speech
match those who teach the true path.
The Dharma of Union
dhaŕm yog
(C-D-E-G-A-B♭ = C7add6)
We bow down in homage
to the footprints
of the supreme Victor,
adored by throngs of gods,
humans, ogres,
and poets each day.
We worship his Dharma,
whose nine stages
are like a precious ship.
We bow to all his Sons
and his Daughters,
who teach and tame beings.
By means of our pure praise,
may we be free
from danger and distress.
We vow to make merit,
give alms, keep rules,
and fill our minds with love.