Krom ngoy
Encyclopedia
Poet Ou or Krom Ngoy was a famous Khmer
poet
and player of “Kse Diev”, a Khmer traditional one string instrument. His fame spread to Thailand
, and he was invited to sing for the then Thai King. He was well liked by the king and officials and was entitled “Phai-ros Loe Koern” in Thai
or “Phee-rom Pheasa” in Khmer
which would means one who is excellent in the use of language.
He generally included issues relevant to ways of life of the people then in his songs or poetic teachings. They include: working in the farm to earn a living, choosing a spouse, poverty
and its causes, ignorance of the people, consequences of laziness and inactiveness, dominance of foreigners on Khmer people, the loss of sovereignty
, and the decline of the Khmer culture and literature.
He was called for an audience with and sing for the King Sisowath of Cambodia
and was given a title as “Neak Preah Phee-rom Pheasa Ou” unofficially translated as the elevated one who is excellent or perfect in the use of language. Ou was his name, but later on was given another name by the King to Ngoy in order not to duplicate with another royal official whose name was also Ou.
His educational poems were delivered in voice form and not recorded. He was later on invited by the then director of the Buddhist Institute
in Phnom Penh
, Ms Suzanne Karpeles, to sing his poems in a slow phase so that his wisdom could be written down for later generations. His poetic teachings have been published by the Buddhist Institute.
His wife’s name was In and he had got six sons namely Doung, Cheng, Cha, Chen, Chong, and Chev. His 5th son, inherited his talent and was called Aja Chong. Aja refers to a teacher, a wise elder, the one who is knowledgeable in his subject, particularly literature or religion.
Poet Ou died at the age of 71, because of constipation
, on Friday, the 6th day of the waxing moon, 2479 Buddhist year
or 1936 AD.
Reference: Krom Ngoy’s Codes of Conduct, The Buddhist Institute, 1972
Khmer people
Khmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14.8 million people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and player of “Kse Diev”, a Khmer traditional one string instrument. His fame spread to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and he was invited to sing for the then Thai King. He was well liked by the king and officials and was entitled “Phai-ros Loe Koern” in Thai
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
or “Phee-rom Pheasa” in Khmer
Khmer language
Khmer , or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language , with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious...
which would means one who is excellent in the use of language.
He generally included issues relevant to ways of life of the people then in his songs or poetic teachings. They include: working in the farm to earn a living, choosing a spouse, poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
and its causes, ignorance of the people, consequences of laziness and inactiveness, dominance of foreigners on Khmer people, the loss of sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
, and the decline of the Khmer culture and literature.
He was called for an audience with and sing for the King Sisowath of Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and was given a title as “Neak Preah Phee-rom Pheasa Ou” unofficially translated as the elevated one who is excellent or perfect in the use of language. Ou was his name, but later on was given another name by the King to Ngoy in order not to duplicate with another royal official whose name was also Ou.
His educational poems were delivered in voice form and not recorded. He was later on invited by the then director of the Buddhist Institute
Buddhist Institute, Cambodia
The Buddhist Institute is the principal Buddhist institution of the government of Cambodia. It was founded on May 12, 1930 by King Sisowath Monivong of Cambodia, King Sisavong Vong of Laos, the Governor General of Indochina Pierre Pasquier and head of the École française d'Extrême-Orient, George...
in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
, Ms Suzanne Karpeles, to sing his poems in a slow phase so that his wisdom could be written down for later generations. His poetic teachings have been published by the Buddhist Institute.
His wife’s name was In and he had got six sons namely Doung, Cheng, Cha, Chen, Chong, and Chev. His 5th son, inherited his talent and was called Aja Chong. Aja refers to a teacher, a wise elder, the one who is knowledgeable in his subject, particularly literature or religion.
Poet Ou died at the age of 71, because of constipation
Constipation
Constipation refers to bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass. Constipation is a common cause of painful defecation...
, on Friday, the 6th day of the waxing moon, 2479 Buddhist year
Buddhist calendar
The Buddhist calendar is used on mainland Southeast Asia in the countries of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Sri Lanka in several related forms. It is a lunisolar calendar having months that are alternately 29 and 30 days, with an intercalated day and a 30-day month added at regular intervals...
or 1936 AD.
Reference: Krom Ngoy’s Codes of Conduct, The Buddhist Institute, 1972