Tum teav pdf

At the same time, the story is meant to entertain and teach. Because of this ambiguity and its tremendous importance in Cambodian culture, the Reamker is typically placed in a category of its own. But the Reamker is not so much an exception to the rule as an example of the difficulty of locating Cambodian texts in distinct literary genres. Although Buddhism and the monarchy continued to influence this writing in a fundamental way, the differences between traditional and modern Cambodian writing have provided literary scholars with two broad, yet clearly different, categories by which to organize literary texts.

Khin Hoc Dy, the preeminent Cambodian literary scholar, chose to divide his extensive survey of Cambodian literature into two volumes, the first dealing with the traditional works produced between the 15th and 19th centuries, and the second dealing with the 20th century.

The biggest difference between the two concerns form. The form of traditional texts, whether religious, epic, didactic or works for pleasure, is verse. Prior to the emergence of the modern novel, prose was considered a non-literary form reserved for practical writing or translations of religious texts.

Often, a particular meter is used depending on the purpose of the writing. Another distinctive feature of traditional texts is the themes of magic and the supernatural. The heroes of these stories, typically princes or reincarnations of gods, are usually equipped with supernatural weapons, such as magic arrows in the Reamker, or such supernatural powers as magic spells learned from an ascetic that enable heroes to defeat their enemies.

In contrast, modern Cambodian literature is written in prose, and the novel is the predominant form. The reason for the shift from verse to prose has much to do with Western, particularly French, influence. The development of French-style high schools and universities in Cambodia and the growing nationalist movement of the s and s made the development of the novel an important feature of Cambodian cultural and national identity. For Cambodian writers and intellectuals seeking a place for Cambodian literature in the modern world, the development of the novel was a necessary condition.

The Importance of Tum Teav 15 Despite these two broad categories of Cambodian literature, it is still difficult to classify Tum Teav unequivocally.

While it is written in verse, its characters and plot are not at all typical of traditional Cambodian texts. The main characters and setting of the story are taken from everyday village life.

The protagonists are not princes or reincarnations of deities, and they do not possess supernatural powers. To the contrary, they are ordinary people with human faults and failings. While there is no mistaking the Buddhist influence in the story, that alone is not enough to make the text traditional. Buddhist themes are a common feature of both traditional and modern literature. In addition to the setting and characters, other major themes of the story, particularly the tradition of arranged marriage, closely resemble those in the early modern prose novels of the late s and s.

Because it shares features of both traditional and modern writing, Tum Teav is placed more specifically in the transitional period between classical and modern Cambodian literature. Khin Hoc Dy, too, classifies it as a transitional work and places it at the very beginning of his second volume on the literature of the 20th century. At that time, two versions of the story had already been published. The first, entitled Teav-Tum, was published in the periodical Kampuja Bartaman in The second, by Nou Kan, was entitled Teav-Ek and was published in and The commission responsible for selecting the text to be taught in the schools considered the palm leaf manuscripts to be more authentic and for that reason preferable to the newer printed versions.

Lacking a complete original, it was necessary to construct one. The four manuscripts were compiled and missing episodes completed with Tum Teav16 The text was entitled Tum Teav and published in , with the well-known 19th century poet Santhor Mok identified as the author. The writing was uneven, however, and the text was not well received by other literary scholars. Unlike the other palm leaf manuscripts, this one was complete and the author and date of composition were known.

The Buddhist Institute published the manuscript in , and it was used as the text for instruction in the schools. For example, some had the title Tum Teav, while others had the title Teav Ek.

While Santhor Mok was indeed the preeminent writer during the reign of King Norodom, the variations between the palm leaf manuscripts indicate that more than one writer contributed to the literary version of Tum Teav published under the name Santhor Mok.

Santhor Mok was born in in Oudong. His father was a palace mandarin during the reign of King Ang Duong When he was eleven, an invading Vietnamese army took his parents prisoner, and Santhor Mok was subsequently raised and educated by the abbot of a pagoda near Oudong. He lived a very austere life and later suffered from smallpox, which deformed and scarred his body. While a member of the royal court, Santhor Mok eventually married and had five children. Two of his four sons studied in France and probably sent their father the stories of La Fontaine that Santhor Mok translated into Khmer.

A prolific and gifted writer, Santhor Mok wrote many poems and songs, some of which were translated into French by P. Santhor Mok died in Phnom Penh in He was the sixth of seven children, all boys. In , Venerable Botumthera Som became a novice monk at Wat Kamprau, where he learned to read and write.

After two years as a novice, he disrobed in order to help at the family farm. In , Venerable Som returned to Wat Kamprau and continued his studies.

He learned to compose poetry on his own and was the abbot of the temple when he completed his palm leaf manuscript of Tum Teav in September at the age of sixty-three.

He died in at the age of eighty. The copy comprises two fascicules and has pages. The story is written entirely in seven-syllable meter, with each stanza containing four lines. There is also an internal rhyme between the last syllable of the first stanza and the fourth syllable of the second stanza g. Because this text offered some important advantages over the other palm leaf manuscripts the manuscript was complete and written on palm leaf, and the author and date of composition are definitely known , it was used for instruction in Cambodian schools.

For them, using what they believed to be a plagiarized text was an injustice to Santhor Mok and furthermore compromised the value of Cambodian cultural identity. At different times during the course of the story, the narrator speaks directly to the reader to say, for example, that the setting will shift from one time and place to another.

Other times, the narrator comments on the conduct of one of the characters to advise the reader not to take that behavior as a model to follow. When long The Importance of Tum Teav 19 Finally, as with many Cambodian folk stories, the use of humor in the story provides comic relief from the tragic circumstances of the characters.

The text, written in eight-syllable meter, was later published in by Kim-Seng Publishers in Phnom Penh. Nou Kan worked as a secretary in the royal palace between and , and probably heard the story performed during that time.

His father was a farmer, and he received a traditional temple education as a novice monk. When he was fifteen, Nou Kan left the monastic order.

He worked as the secretary of the governor of Traeng province in South Vietnam before being appointed as the palace secretary in In , he won the first prize in a literary contest and was sent by the French Protectorate to study law in Paris. He subsequently held a number of administrative posts in Cambodia, including president of the tribunal of the court of appeals and secretary of state for the minister of agriculture.

Nou Kan was also a prolific writer. In addition to Teav Ek, he published four novels in verse and prose, adaptations of a Malaysian novel and a Chinese novel, and a book of proverbs. In his preface, Nou Kan states that Teav Ek is a true story.

Nou Kan presents his interpretation somewhat differently, however, by emphasizing the deleterious effects of desire. He argues that imposing the punishment of slavery on successive generations of the people of Tbong Khmom in the story was destructive and only served to perpetuate violence. In , when Nou Kan was employed at the royal palace, King Norodom abolished slavery throughout the Kingdom.

The majority of Cambodians nevertheless consider Santhor Mok as the author of this tragic love story that took place in the 16th century.

They also voice their disapproval of the Buddhist Institute for giving Venerable Som instead of Santhor Mok authorship credit in its publication of the story: On the other hand, our Buddhist Institute edited the same poem in The author this time was a monk by the name Som. Specifically, they explain that the capital referred to in their adaptation of the story is Srey Santhor and not Lovek, as in the version by Santhor Mok.

Modern Adaptations In the s, Cambodian society began to rebuild itself after the devastation it had suffered for almost four years under the Khmer Rouge. However, the Vietnamese-installed government in Phnom Penh was under an international embargo led by the United States and had few resources at its disposal. In their adaptation of Tum Teav, two narrators describe the scene and introduce the characters and events with comical conversations between themselves and asides directed to the audience.

Resembling the comedy team of Laurel and Hardy, the two narrators bring comic relief to the otherwise tragic events of the story. Tum Teav22 Pech Tum Kravel has been a vital force in Cambodian theater since the s. From until , he was a teacher and actor at the National Conservatory of Performing Arts. After surviving the Khmer Rouge regime, he changed his name in honor of the characters in Tum Teav, whose example of steadfast devotion helped him find the strength to endure years of suffering under the Pol Pot regime.

He has written and adapted many works for Cambodian theater, the best known of which is his adaptation of Tum Teav. The illustrations and text were done by Ut Roeun and based on the version of the story by Venerable Som. The publisher also states that the comic strip format was chosen in order to make it easier for the intended audience of young people to read and remember.

The introduction states that Tum and Teav provide heroic examples of the spirit of the struggle. It continues by pointing out that unlike the modern revolution, Tum and Teav were not part of an organized movement guided by a government ideology, and this was the reason for their failure to achieve victory over the ruling class.

In his preface, the writer states: The story of Tum Teav took place during actual feudal times. But the meaning and style of this story clearly show the terrible face of the Khmer feudalists of the 16th century that abused their power and trampled over the people. This story also shows the spirit of struggle for freedom of the youth and people who opposed the abuse of power by the ruling class.

Thong Phan informs us that for commercial reasons the film includes scenes that are not found in any of the literary versions. Nor does it address the central theme of true love between Tum and Teav. Between and , he produced twenty-eight short novels and works for theater. Since , Biv Chhay Leang has lived in France where he has created the Indra Devi cultural association and established Cambodian folk and classical dance troupes that have toured widely around Europe. As the title of the CD suggests, the true love between Tum and Teav is the primary theme of the songs.

However, the songs do follow the general plot of the story as well. The lyrics of these songs often closely resemble excerpts from the literary version by Venerable Som. The lyrics in two verses of the song are almost identical to stanzas and in which Teav and Tum trade playful metaphors: I am like a flower, While you are like a bumble bee That flies around and spotting the flower enters straight away.

Teav is like a large cave. If the lion king has a place to live, He will never allow himself to leave. True to the theme of true love, Teav holds her ground and affirms her love for Tum.

In addition to the late 19th century French scholars discussed in this chapter, the story has been of interest to modern scholars.

Hel Somphea was its president from to Prior to the advent of Khmer printing and the promotion of literacy in the 20th century, Cambodian texts were typically recited and stories were passed down orally. For example, monks would recite stories describing the previous lives of the Buddha, drama troupes would perform scenes from the Reamker, and minstrels would sing popular stories.

The oral transmission of stories and texts helps explain the predominance of verse before the 20th century. The use of standard rhyme and meter patterns made the stories easier to remember and recite. The prevalent use of alliteration, assonance and mellifluous compounds in verse compositions indicates the emphasis placed on the sound of the language. Often, the sound, more than the meaning, of the verse determined the literary quality of the composition. The perpetuation of the oral tradition was reinforced by the physical limitations of palm leaf texts, which were very difficult and time consuming to produce.

In addition, most texts were kept in local monasteries built of wood and thatch. Annual rains and accidental fires were responsible for the loss of many manuscripts and made it necessary to constantly recopy texts. The consequent scarcity of books limited literacy further and perpetuated the mutual dependency between speakers and listeners in the oral tradition.

The June 17, convention abolished slavery in Cambodia. Through the story of Tum Teav, it has become associated with misdeeds and slavery, so that all residents of Tbong Khmom are stereotyped as the descendents of slaves. He suggests that the first authors of the literary versions of the story did not sign their names to their manuscripts, fearing that residents of Tbong Khmom would seek revenge Thong Phan, The Importance of Tum Teav 27 The title of the story used by Aymonier was Teav-Ek.

A man living nearby stated that a spirit lived in the tree see Chapter 4 for more details. Since the Chronicles do not generally provide references to sources of information, just how Tum Teav came to be included in these two versions is a matter of speculation.

Although written versions of the story existed at the time of their composition, it is not known if the writers of these two Chronicles based them on written or oral versions of the story.

According to the legendary part of the Chronicles, the first Khmer king was Preah Thon, whose marriage to the daughter of the king of the Nagas led to the creation of Cambodia, when the Naga king drained the waters of the earth as a wedding gift to the newlyweds. Another important story in the legendary part concerns King Ketu Mea-Lea, the seventh king in the legendary genealogy, whose reign is said to have lasted four hundred years.

Both of these legends continue to be passed on from generation to generation. The legend of Ketu Mea- Lea appears in the 17th century poem, Lboek Angkor, and was told to Westerners to explain the building of the temple.

Not only is his version more detailed, it also shows a greater concern for accuracy in presenting the genealogy of successive kings. Although he lists the main sources used in compiling the information, these sources have not be successfully traced Khin Sok, The same is true for Khmer scholars such as Eng Soth, Mak Phoeun and Khin Sok, whose historical texts are discussed in subsequent sections of this chapter.

Tum Teav28 Indeed, both the production of the text itself and the reputation of Khmer monarchs it affirms are linked to Buddhism. It is for them [the Khmer kings] Indeed, such prominent scholars as the French-trained Cambodian linguist Peouv Saverous see the influence of Buddhism as a defining feature of Khmer literature.

Moreover, she argues that the influence of Rea-mea in Cambodian culture is comparable to that of the Buddha. Vamn Chuon also headed the commission that produced an earlier version known as P In , King Norodom ordered the commission to draft a new version of the Chronicles; however, the project was discontinued the following year when King Norodom died Khin Sok, The project was completed some ten years later under a different commission.

The features of P63 are significantly different from previous versions. The two features give rise to the question of French influence Mak Phoeun, In addition to marking the first reign of the Khmer royal lineage with the start of the Christian era, the name of each month appears in French translation. French influence can be seen in the format of P63 as well. The text is organized such that beginning with the fourth volume, each chapter is named after a particular king, and the events described during each reign are more The Importance of Tum Teav 29 The printing of religious texts was prohibited by traditionalist monks until the s when Venerables Chuon Nath and Huot Tath, with the aid of the director of the EFEO, Louis Finot, were able to overcome this opposition see Herber and Milner, Perhaps the opposition to the printing was based on the view that mass production of the texts would detract from their sacred value.

This is because much of the merit earned by venerating the Buddha comes from the performance of the act itself. Often what is said is not as important as the act of saying something in an appropriate way. The careful engraving of specially treated palm leaf manuscripts with steel-tipped pens and proper ink to produce the texts were integral parts of the process.

To mass-produce the texts would of course obviate this performative aspect of religious veneration. Given the deified identity of the Khmer monarch, this view of printing would have also applied to the production of the Chronicles. The story of Tum Teav recounted in the footnote is a translation of the chronicle fragment known as Wat Tik Vil TV ; written in , it is located at the Kampong Tralach Krom monastery. Another copy of the original is part of the personal collection of Eng Soth.

Like most Cambodian art forms, such as the ancient architecture, court dance and music, Cambodian literary writing has been closely associated with Buddhist and monarchal institutions. The majority of traditional literary texts were written by monks or princes aligned with the monastery or royal court. They were not written for the publishing houses or academies that for centuries have sponsored Western literary production and defined literary genres.

Krang are scrolls or ancient Tum Teav30 Then in , Judith Jacob completed her important delineation of the classical canon. Khin Hoc Dy, and ; Judith Jacob, Santhor Mok was also the writer of the Royal Chronicle that A.

This type of manuscript, which had been used for writing since Angkorian times, was incised with a metal-tipped stylus and treated with a kind of black ink. They told him about leaving the monkhood and going back home to care for their ill mothers who, they claimed according to a fortune teller, would get better if their sons quit the monkhood. The Abbot, who was himself a soothsayer, knew that this was not the true reason. He told them that the real reason they wanted to quit the monkhood was because of a woman whom they met during the trip to sell Tauk.

However, he did not object to their request but rather, asked them to wait until the time was right. He told them that if they did it now, they would suffer a severe casualty in the future.

He said Pich could quit during the lunar month of Bos January-February timeframe about 30 days from the present time November-December timeframe. As for Tum, he had to wait until the lunar month of Pisak May-June timeframe about six months later. He told Tum that if he were to do it now, he would suffer a life casualty, but that if he waited until Pisak, he will be rewarded with good luck.

It should be noted that in Buddhism, to become a monk, an initiation rite must be performed. Likewise, to quit the monkhood, a termination rite must be also performed properly. Quitting without doing so is a stigma in the Khmer society. Hearing that he would have to wait that long, Tum became even sadder. His desire for Teav had grown stronger day-by-day.

He wondered if Teav had the same feelings towards him. When the lunar month of Bos came, Pich quit the monkhood with full blessings from the Abbot. This made Tum even lonelier. In the meantime, Teav was anxiously waiting for Tum to return.

She missed Tum every day, the same way Tum missed her. She asked Noh how long it had been since Tum left and why he had not returned. Noh assured Teav that Tum will quit monkhood one day and come back to her, that it was just a matter of time. Before she went to bed every night, Teav prayed to Lord Buddha to grant her wish to meet Tum soon. Back at the Ba Phnom temple, Tum was very sad. Every day was a longer day for him as he anxiously awaited the time to quit the monkhood.

After sunrise one morning, he paid a visit to his mother who was very happy to see him. Tum told her that he had not been feeling well and that he could no longer be a monk. She told the Abbot that her son was very ill and wanted to quit monkhood. The Abbot told her that Tum was not sick. He wanted to quit because he was in love with a girl and that he would have to wait until due time or he would suffer a life threatening event in the future.

Cambodians believed in fortune telling back then and even now to some degrees. She asked him to continue learning more Dharma so that he may feel better. That disappointed Tum greatly. The only thing he wanted to do at the present time was to meet and confess his love to Teav even though it could mean death.

So he packed his personal belongings, incense sticks, candles, fruits, and cakes. He left the temple and in a wood nearby, found a good place where he laid down his offerings. He knelt down, prayed, and asked Lord Buddha for forgiveness.

He then took off his monk clothing, put on clothes made of silk and set out to meet Pich who was very pleased to see him. Pich was disappointed that Tum did not heed the advice of the Abbot and quit without proper ritual. Tum and Pich then went to the temple to pay respect to the Abbot. While he was not happy, the Abbot told them that he, just like any teacher in the world, would never wish to harm their own students.

Tum went on to say goodbye to his mother and all of his neighbors. He asked them to help take care of his aging mother if the need arose. He and Pich set out on a journey to see Teav. They travelled through the forest as ordinary men, enjoyed the scenery of all kinds of trees, flowers, and fruits, all kinds of birds flying and singing, all kinds of animals grazing in the pasture.

Despite all of these beautiful around his journey, Tum was not feeling easy. He was wondering if Teav still remembered him, whether she was still single or had already married someone. Along the way, he stopped at some villages and asked some young men if they knew Teav and what happened to her.

They told him that Teav lived far from there and was still single. Tum was happy with this news. Tum hesitated to get into the perimeter of the house. What if they do not remember him, he said to Pich. Tum told Yeay Phann that he had come back for Teav. Yeay Phann did not pay attention to what Tum was saying.

She was just happy to see her godson again and that he had come to live nearby. Teav and Noh were nowhere to be seen. Teav was still undergoing Chaul Malub the shaded period. There was a wealthy family of a very powerful lord named Oar Choun. He had a son named Meun Ngourn.

Oar Choun and his wife discussed that it was time for Meun Ngourn to get married and build a family of his own. Yeay Phann felt very happy.

For one, she was poorer than Oar Choun. She was just an ordinary person with no power or social status. This marriage arrangement would boost her status greatly. Additionally, Oar Choun was a powerful lord of the land, only shorter than a mountain, that he always got what he wanted and that he would eliminate anybody who stood in his way.

So she was afraid. She told the elders that she would ask her daughter first. Teav refused. Yeay Phann became angry. She told Teav that refusing the marriage was just like rolling an egg against a rock, a comparison of her helplessness against the most powerful man in the region. Tum asked Pich what to do in this situation. Pich advised Tum to forget about Teav. He said that a woman who says one thing and does another will lead a man to a trap that might cost him his life.

Tum said that this might be true for other women, but not for Teav. The Phahum and the ointment was a token of that. Tum was determined to have Teav even if he had to die. Yeay Phann was not home at the time, attending a ceremony at a temple.

Teav saw Tum and asked Noh to invite him in and to ask the purpose of his visit. Tum told Noh that he came for Teav. Noh was perplexed because she did not recognize Tum who is now an ordinary man. Tum told Noh that he had been at the house a while back as a monk doing Smoat. He showed Noh the Phahum that he wore around his head and told her that it was a gift from Teav. When Teav heard the conversation, she was overjoyed.

She opened the door and came out of her room to face Tum. They engaged in a long conversation: Teav: I gave you the Phahum but did not ask you to use it to wrap around your head.

Why do you see it as a token of something? Please go away. Tum: I am not a fool. I have travelled very far just to see you. I will not leave without having you. Teav: I am a stem of flower and you are a bee who comes to consume the flower juice and wander away. Tum: I am a lion and you are a cave. Lion needs a cave and will never abandon it.

Teav: I am a port and you are a ship that docks at the port and then sails away. Tum: I am a fish and you are the water. Fish needs water and never goes away from it. Teav: I am a tree and you are a bird that finds a sanctuary temporarily, tires of it, and then moves on to a different tree. Tum: I am a tiger and you are a jungle. Tiger is never tired of living in the jungle. Teav: I am a branch of tree and you are a colony of bees that needs the tree branch to reproduce and then abandons it when it is done.

Tum: I am an elephant and you are a sugar cane. Elephants like sweet sugar cane and never get tired of it. As they talked, Tum was getting closer and closer to Teav.

He grabbed her and kissed her. At first, Teav resisted; later, she succumbed allowing Tum to be her lover. Noh saw the situation, quietly moved away to give them privacy. Teav was deeply concerned that Tum will not love her enough and that one day he will leave her.

Tum assured Teav that he will love her until death. They exchanged vows. They stayed together until midnight. At that time, Yeay Phann came back. Teav knew and let Tum out of the room. Noh and all the servants came out to greet Yeay Phann as if nothing happened. When Yeay Phann saw Tum there, she asked when and why he was at her house.

Tum replied that he had come since daytime on a business to buy cattle for farming and needed a place to stay. He reminded Yeay Phann that he is her godson and that he had previously performed a Smoat for her. Yeay Phann asked how long he will be staying. Tum said for a while, until he completed his business transaction. Yeay Phann happily agreed and asked the servants to prepare a room for Tum.

Tum and Teav secretly consumed their love and Yeay Phann never suspected their affair. Teav ignored the gifts and did not say a word. Meanwhile, a King and many of his wives lived happily in the Royal Palace of Longvek. The King heard the news about Tum being an excellent reciter of Smoat and about Pich as an outstanding musician in the Thbaung Khmum district. So he ordered a decree asking a Palace official and servants to go and bring Tum and Pich to the palace.

Lord Oar Choun brought Tum and Pich to the official who told them to prepare themselves to travel to the Royal Palace to meet the King.

Tum told Teav on that night that the King had ordered him to appear before Him. Teav was saddened by the news, knowing that she will be alone again. She prepared the clothing and supplies for Tum for his trip.

She asked Tum not to forget her and to come back and to take her to the palace one day; Tum agreed. The next day, Tum and Pich were on the way to the city of Longvek, but first he went to his native village of Baphnom. While traveling, Tum was feeling very sad. He could not stop thinking about Teav. When he saw two birds sitting side by side on a tree branch, he fantasized that the birds were just like him and Teav, happily together. When he smelled the flowers on the pathway, he thought it was the smell of Teav.

He looked up at the sky above and saw a cloud blown away by a wind—just like the wind blew him away from Teav. When he heard the birds sing, he imagined that it was Teav talking to him.

They arrived at Baphnom. She told them to be diligent and prudent on all matters and not to fool around. Tum thanked his mother and said goodbye to her.

Indeed to my mind, none of the characters is two-dimensional. I see Tum Teav as primarily a classic tale of the clash between social duty and romantic love. Every culture has its version of such a tension, yet modern Western society has all but forgotten the concept of obligation. This story would prove quite enlightening.

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