Chansons cambodgiennes [Cambodian Songs]

This work of spontaneous ​“ethnomusicology” by two French officials in Cambodia during the 1920s is a precious rendition of the traditional musical repertoire before modernization.

Albert Tricon, a French magistrate based in Phnom Penh, attempted to transcribe what he called ​“the Far-Eastern scale” with Western half-tones notations. Charles Bellan, a civil officer who studied Khmer language and local cultures (in particular Caodaism in Vietnam) during his free time — as well as a staunch opponent to Resident-Superieur Francois Baudoin - , wrote down the lyrics mostly by ear. 

Historians will note the presence of the figure of the King in these popular tunes, alluded to with reverence, empathy or irony, depending on the mood. ​“Respectfully” dedicated to His Majesty ​“Preas Sisovath Chom Chakrepongs” [King Sisowath], the book might have received the approval of the Palace, as the Royal coat of arms is reproduced on several pages. 

However, Paris-exiled Areno Yukanthor, a grandson of King Norodom I and son of the banished Prince Arun Yukanthor នរោត្តម អរុណយុគន្ធរ (1860 — 27 June 1934), in his Au seuil du Narthex Khmèr. Boniments sur les conflits de 2 points cardinaux (Paris, Aux Éditions d’Asie, 1931, 431 p.) , pointed out various translation errors in the book, blaming the authors for diluting the rich poetic fantasy of the Khmer tunes and deliberately concealing the anticolonalist message hidden in the lyrics of many of these songs. We’ll develop his critical reading later.

In the song ​‘Preas Bat Chum Veang’ (Steps or Footprints Around the Palace), a lover laments to have to walk around the Royal Palace from which the beloved woman, named Ten, is prevented to leave:

Traces de pas autour du palais, / O Ten ! traces de pas, / O Tèn ! autour du palais. / Le roi t’emprisonne, / O Ten I dans son palais, / O Ten ! de bronze. / Murs en maçonnerie, / O Ten ! et pierres de taille, / O Ten ! jointes, serrées.

Dans le palais de bronze, / O Ten ! que le roi, / O Ten ! t’a donné. / Jadis tu étais à moi, O Ten ! parce que tu étais belle et libre, / maintenant tu es à un autre. / O ma chère jolie, / O ma chère! tu m’as abandonné / tout seul. / Traces de pas autour du palais. / O Ten ! réunis tous les amis,
réunis tes partisans. / Réunis les princes, / O Ten ! dans le palais, / O Ten ! dans ton beau palais.

Footprints around the palace, / O Ten! footprints, / O Ten! around the palace. / The king imprisons you, / O Ten! in his palace, / O Ten! of bronze.
Masonry walls, / O Ten! and cut stones, / O Ten! joined, tightly.

In the bronze palace, / O Ten! that the king, / O Ten! gave to you. / Once you were mine, / O Ten! because you were beautiful and free, / now you belong to another. / O my dear pretty one, / O my dear one! you abandoned me/​all alone. / Footprints around the palace. / O Ten! Gather all your friends, gather your supporters. / Gather the princes, / O Ten! in the palace, / O Ten! in your beautiful palace.

The song conjures the blurry shapes of such lonely young men idling at night along the Western walls of the Royal Palace (nowadays on Street 19, វិថី ព្រះអង្គយុគន្ធរ Preah Yukhantor St.) observed by the author of Saramani, danseuse khmèr (1919).

From Albert Tricon’s foreword:

Un sentiment profond se dégage de toutes les poésies et de toutes les mélodies populaires du Cambodge, celui de la tristesse. Les poètes et les musiciens khmers sont pessimistes et chantent la tristesse de la vie. Comment pourrait-il en être autrement ? Sur ce peuple plane la mélancolie de son histoire. Cette dernière fut admirable. Les bas-reliefs des grands temples, les annales, les stèles nous révèlent la formidable puissance du peuple khmer. Après avoir connu les ardentes joies de la victoire, il éprouva les pires douleurs de l’invasion el de la guerre. Vaincu au Nord par le Siam qui s’installait en maitre dans sa capitale, il était également vaincu au Sud par l’Annam qui le chassait de la Cochinchine. Ce peuple a longtemps erré dans ses montagnes et ses forêts pour échapper à l’étreinte de l’ennemi; et, tandis que ses palais el ses temples délaissés s’ensevelissaient dans leur linceul de verdure, le dernier roi khmer, suivi par quelques serviteurs fidèles, emportait dans sa fuite, son unique bien, l’épée sacrée des ancêtres qui construisirent Angkor.

L’exil jetait ce peuple dans de pénibles et décourageantes pensées contre lesquelles il se réfugiait dans les retraites de la poésie et de la musique. Je né connais pas de chanson de guerre de ce peuple. Je né connais pas non plus ces exquises mélodies qui expriment la joie de vivre, comme celles de notre pays de France ou on a célébré la boisson, la bonne chère et la danse. Ce peuple chante sa tristesse et même lorsqu’il aime il exprime les douleurs et non les joies triomphantes de son amour. […]

La plupart des chansons cambodgiennes expriment le sentiment de l’amour. L’amour occupe une assez large place dans la vie pour qu’on né le chicane pas trop sur celle qu’il a prise dans l’art càm.bodgien. Je reproche même à l’inspiration amoureuse d’avoir envahi presque toute notre musique occidenlale, franchemenl ou subrepticement. Rien n’est plus rare qu’une poésie moderne à laquelle on puisse faire exprimer autre chose que de l’amour, surtout si l’on veut que le sentiment soit tendre, affectueux. La première souffrance d’amour, celle d’un amour non partagé, puis le charme profond de l’amour plus tardivement venu qui cherche l’ombré et la paix. Ces affections, ces joies, ces émotions né sont point rares en pays khmer. [p XI-XII]

[A profound feeling emanates from all the poetry and folk melodies of Cambodia: sadness. Khmer poets and musicians are pessimistic and sing of the sorrow of life. How could it be otherwise? The melancholy of their history hangs over this people. And what a truly remarkable history it was — the bas-reliefs of the great temples, the chronicles, the stelae reveal to us the formidable power of the Khmer people. After experiencing the ardent joys of victory, they endured the worst pains of invasion and war. Defeated in the North by Siam, which established itself as master in its capital, they were also defeated in the South by Annam, which drove them out of Cochinchina. This people wandered for a long time in their mountains and forests to escape the clutches of the enemy; And, while his abandoned palaces and temples were buried in their shroud of greenery, the last Khmer king, followed by a few faithful servants, carried with him in his flight his only possession: the sacred sword of the ancestors who built Angkor.

Exile plunged this people into painful and discouraging thoughts, against which they sought refuge in the retreats of poetry and music. I know of no war songs from this people. Nor do I know of those exquisite melodies that express the joy of living, like those of our country of France, where drink, good food, and dancing are celebrated. This people sings of its sorrow, and even when it loves, it expresses the pain, not the triumphant joys of it. […]

Most Cambodian songs express the feeling of love. Love occupies a large enough place in life that we shouldn’t quibble too much about its role in Cambodian art. I even criticize amorous inspiration for having invaded almost all of our Western music, whether overtly or subtly. Nothing is rarer than modern poetry that can express something other than love, especially if one wants the feeling to be tender and affectionate. The first pain of love, that of unrequited love, then the profound charm of love that comes later, seeking shade and peace. These affections, these joys, these emotions are not uncommon in Khmer culture. [p XI-XII]]

The origin of Cambodia’s National Anthem ?

Angkor Reach

Mélancolie du soir! / Les martins-pêcheurs s’envolent en bandes / pour se percher le long des torrents. 

Mélancolie du soir! / En jouant l’air ​“Angkor réach” / pour endormir le roi.

Mélancolie du soir! / Les merles s’envolent en foule, / se perchent au faîte des sdok. 

Mais moi et ma chérie / né nous rencontrons jamais ; / nous né voyons que le bout du pays / de chacun de nous. / Au coucher du soleil, / j’enlève mon turban / et marche sur la lisière de la forêt.

Mes pieds marchent, / mes yeux s’attachent à te chercher,/ je marche le long des bois, / je vois mon aimée puiser de l’eau.

Je t’aperçois; je crois / que c’est l’étoile du matin / qui apparaît pour puiser de l’eau / au fond du ciel brumeux.

Evening melancholy! / Kingfishers fly in flocks / to perch along the streams.

Evening melancholy! / Playing the tune ​“Angkor Reach” / to lull the king to sleep.

Evening melancholy! / Blackbirds fly in flocks, / perch atop the sdok trees.

But my darling and I / never meet; / we only see the edge of each other’s land. / At sunset, / I remove my head kerchief/​and walk along the forest’s edge.

My feet walk, / my eyes are set on finding you, / I walk along the woods, / I see my beloved drawing water.

I glimpse you; I believe / it is the morning star / appearing to draw water / from the depths of the misty sky.

The ​“lullaby” sung to the king was a folk tune which inspired King Norodom Suramarit (1896 – 1960), Prince Sihanouk’s father and talented musician himself — he played many instruments, including saxophone — to write the melody for the Cambodian National Anthem, Bat Nokor Reach បទនគររាជ [“Song of the Royal Kingdom”]. King Suramarit’s composition (1938) was arranged by Francois Perruchot and J. Jekyll, with Perruchot often credited as composer (for instance in the record of all official anthems worldwide made by the London Symphony Orchestra for the 2012 London Olympic Games). Following the troubled modern history of Cambodia, the anthem was adopted in 1941, relinquished on 9 Oct. 1970 (by the Khmer Republic) and on 6 January 1976 (by the Khmer Rouge), and reinstated on 21 Sept. 1993. Buddhist guide and linguist Chhuon Nath wrote the lyrics: 

Nokor Reach score and lyrics opening the book Cambodge [Cambodia], Sangkum Reastr Neyum, Ministry of Information, Phnom Penh, 1962.

សូមពួកទេព្តា រក្សាមហាក្សត្រយើង
ឱ្យបានរុងរឿង ដោយជ័យមង្គលសិរីសួស្តី
យើងខ្ញុំព្រះអង្គ សូមជ្រកក្រោមម្លប់ព្រះបារមី
នៃព្រះនរបតីវង្ស ក្សត្រាដែលសាងប្រាសាទថ្ម
គ្រប់គ្រងដែនខ្មែរ បុរាណថ្កើងថ្កាន ។

ប្រាសាទសិលា កំបាំងកណ្តាលព្រៃ
គួរឱ្យស្រមៃ នឹកដល់យសស័ក្តិមហានគរ
ជាតិខ្មែរដូចថ្ម គង់វង្សនៅល្អរឹងប៉ឹងជំហរ
យើងសង្ឃឹមពរ ភ័ព្វព្រេងសំណាងរបស់កម្ពុជា
មហារដ្ឋកើតមាន យូរអង្វែងហើយ ។

គ្រប់វត្តអារាម ឮតែសូរស័ព្ទធម៌
សូត្រដោយអំណរ រំឭកគុណពុទ្ធសាសនា
ចូរយើងជាអ្នក ជឿជាក់ស្មោះស្ម័គ្រតាមបែបដូនតា
គង់តែទេវតា នឹងជួយជ្រោមជ្រែងផ្គត់ផ្គង់ប្រយោជន៍ឱ្យ
ដល់ប្រទេសខ្មែរ ជាមហានគរ ។

[May the Tevodas save our king

Granting him happiness and prosperity

We, his servants, wish to take refuge under his completeness

Of sovereign’s line, the ones to build temples

Reigning over old Khmer’s glorious land.

*

Temples of stone, hidden amid forests

Are amazing testimonies of the mighty great kingdom’s triumphs

The Khmer nation standing tough and solid as eternal stone

We hope for the blessings of Cambodia

The great kingdom has existed for a long time.

*

Every temple hears the sound of the Dharma

Reciting with joy, reminding us of the merits of Buddhism

Let us be faithful and loyal to the way of our ancestors

Only the gods will help and provide for the interests

of the Khmer nation, the great kingdom. 

[ADB translation)]

______________________

In spite of its approximation, this collection has helped researchers and musicians, almost a century later, in re-creating ancient songs of Cambodia, some of them dating back to pre-Angkorian times. 

See and hear here the musical production based on this book by Bophana Center.