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BURMESE CLASSICAL POEMS

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TRANSLATED

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The Most Rev. FRIED RICH V. LUSTIG

Buddhist Archbishop o f Latvia

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BURMESE CLASSICAL POEMS

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T R A N S L A T E D

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The M ost Rev. FR IED R IC H V. LUSTIGBuJ'ififsl ircJibtsboj* of Latvia

Sole d is tribu to rs in the USA n j

P A R A G O N B O O K C A U ^ L T D14 EAST 38th STREET

NEW YORK, N. Y. 10016

No part of this collection of translations may be reproduced in any form whatsoever (other than in Burma) without express permission of the Advisory Editor M argaret M. Kardell. '

Pi3 / v

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Printed and Published by U Khin Pe G yi, M anaging D irector, Rangoon Gazette Limited, R angoon. (Printer’s R egistration N o. 0490). (Publisher’s Registration N o. 0338).

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CONTENTS

A eknow'iedgc men ts Foreword

Short Pip3

Lu-ga-lay

Mountains and Forests

The M onth of Tabaung

The Golden-Yellow Padauk

Carved Bullock-Cart

Song of the Forest

Sea Snails

The Royal Kason

Jasmine

Deliverance Cannot Be Far Distant

Military March

Forest Flowers

Dearly Loved Son

Rain

Take to Heart (A Father’s Admonition to Son)

Selections

Mae Khwe

Author unknown

Author unknown

Author unknown

U Kyaw

U Ya Kyaw

Princess Hlaing-Teik- Kaung-Tin "

U Kyin U

U Kyaw

U Ponnya

Shin M aharattathara

U Kyin U

U Kyaw

Author unknown

Myavadiwungyi U Sa

Sahton Sayadaw

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CONTENTS {Contd^PAGES

M ya Man Setkya U Ponnya ••• 21

Present of a Cheroot M ae Khwe 22

A Peasant Wungyi Padethayaza ... 23

Paddy Planting Song Author unknown . . . 24

I Am Longing Princess Hlaing Teik- . . . Kaung-Tin

25

Love in Secret Encountered

M aung Thwa • • • 27

I Would Smile U Kyi ... 28

Noble Wisdom Chaturinga Bala and Nemyo Min Tin Kyaw Khaung

29

Donations (Dana) Shin Tezothara ... 31

Remorse U Khaing • • • 33

Painful As it Is... U Kyaw Thamee . •. 34

No Cooling of Anguish U Kyaw Thamee ... 35

The Nature of Things (Release from Anger)

Anantasuriya ... 36

Sources & References — ... 37

Botanical Glossary — ... 38

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A young Burmese Upazin (monk) who was one of the first pupils in my American Conversation classes later introduced my husband and me to his Guru, The Most Reverend Friedrich V. Lustig, whom we found to be a most interesting expounder on Burmese culture, the Burmese way of life and Buddhism.

Having lived midst many different cultures for long periods of time The Reverend Lustig’s background is such that he brings to any cultural discussion a broad symphony of understanding. He was born in Estonia in 1912, studied Oriental Languages under Professor Sylvain Levi at the College de France in Paris, and joined the Buddhist order in Latvia at the age of eighteen. He has traveled exten­sively in the Far East having spent quite some time in China and Thailand. For the last seventeen years he has been living in exile in Burma, a country in which he is deeply interested. (I) In M ay of 1962 after the demise of his Guru, The Most Reverend Archbishop Tennisons, The Reverend Lustig was elevated as Archbishop of Latvia by His Holiness the Dalai Lama who is now living in exile in India.

In the course of our discussions with the Reverend Lustig we found that he enjoyed interpreting Burmese poetry and so we encouraged him to set down a number of his translations of Burmese classical poems. This he did in conjunction with Reverend Eindawuntha and other monks of his acquaintance.

(1) In 1952 the G overnm ent o f the U nion o f Burma published a m usical collection-entitled “ Classical Burmese M u sic”— Prepared For Piano By the Right Rev. Friedrich W. A. Lustig. After The Piano Piesentation By Saya M yaing Under The Supervision o f U Po Lat, Secretary, M inistry o f U nion Culture.

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We shared these interpretations among Burmese and foreign friends. Much interesting discussion ensued and many people urged us to share these poems with all and this we decided to do.

We then set to work in earnest and had to decide on such issues as strict line and style translation versus interpre­tation of ideas and opted for this latter approach as we felt it would prove more interesting to most foreigners. To Burmese scholars and philologists we leave the more impor­tant academic tasks of analysis of style, comparison of various translations, and the presentation of a compilation of all Burmese poems that lend themselves to translation. For the “ armchair” translators we have included the Bur­mese Text so that they might have the enjoyment of improv­ing upon our work.

As any student of a foreign language soon learns, there are many ways of expression in his own language which do not have exact equivalents in other languages due to differences in climate, culture, philosophy, religion, and history. These differences are perhaps most difficult to overcome when moving from a philosophically oriented Buddhist script language to the theocentrically based International English language used by most world travelers today,

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We are indebted to many Burmese and foreigners who helped and who gave their time and ideas: particularly to Mrs. John W. Neave for her assistance in helping us to achieve a smoother presentation in English, to Professor U E Maung for his helpful suggestions, to U San Maung for his independent translations which we used to check against The Reverend Lustig’s, to Daw Dolly Khaing for the typing of the Burmese sections, to my Burmese gardener who disagreed with the botany books, and most of all to those who have read the manuscript and given their suggestions. Certainly our lesults are a composite effort and many points strongly argued had to be compromised and will be disputed.

We know from reading Burmese English language newspapers for the past three years that there is probably no more interesting subject in Burma than that of the proper interpretation of Pali and of poetical Burmese into modern Burmese or into International English. And quite obviously no interpretation of a poem in any other language of sounds can give the exact true flavor and meaning as in its own language of sounds but one can try. And in the trying perhaps we may encourage others to try and we shall all gain from our further mutual understanding.

Margaret M. Kardell, Advisory Editor,

October 31, 1966,

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FOREWORD

Poetry enables a person and elevates him above his petty environment. It can guide a wavering mind through the daily rough course of life to a safer position. And, in a way, it can make our everyday life a thing of beauty.

Only poetic, elevated emotions, stirring the imagination of all, can lay bare the meaning of a culture. For this reason I am attracted by Burmese lyrical art and find the poetry of Burma irresistible.

Apart from universal human themes, ever present in Burmese poetry is an intense expression of a spiritual way of life and the ethical experience. The profound active humanism of the common man is verbally outlined in a form which often turns their poetry into music. That is why the Burmese lyrical art with centuries-old traditions, rich and variegated, arouses a wondering and eager interest.

Burmese poetry has for me a quite special significance. A people of rich and responsive human sympathy, the Burmese are very gifted as a race. They built Pagan, a striking testimony to their spiritual insight. A nation which has such capacity possesses inexhaustible possibilities.

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Tn translating these Burmese poems I have tried to catch the correct meaning and to remain scrupulously faithful to the author’s expressions. But to see what a poet or poetess saw passing before his or her mind’s eye when the original lines were composed, is something which cannot be solved like a mathematical formula. I worked patiently and conscientiously, and am grateful to Rev. Eindawuntha, a Buddhist monk of Bawdigone Kyaung, Rangoon, who offered counsel to me in analysing the most perplex metrical lines; and to Maung Aung Khin for his practical assistance.

The Burmese patterns of intonation and well recognized melodic phrases of the times obviously governed the original compositions. Today to decipher such particular words or groups of words sometimes makes one uncomfortable, because Burmese word arrangements may often express more than one meaning. Also during the last two centuries or so the Burmese language has been greatly enriched by the accession of new words and new meanings due to scientific advancement. In the process a large number of old words and arrangements have become obsolete; and the Burmese reader often has a present understood meaning quite different from the original. Some of the difficulties encountered in translating older poems stem directly from these circumstances.

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I shall consider my labor amply rewarded if these translated Burmese lyrics prove interesting to today's foreigners and help them share, even in a very small degree, the innermost thoughts and feelings of the talented Burmese people.

Friedrich V. Lustig (Ashin Ananda), Buddhist Archbishop of Latvia,

Sangharaja for Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania, Great Shwedagon Pagoda, Rangoon.

April 26, 1966.

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SHORT PIPE

A pipe...a puff... short as a finger...I give you for smoking.

“ If I do not take it you will think me crude If I accept it you will think I like you.

If you want me to smoke it put it near the bed, my dear one.”

M ae Khwe*

Mae Khwe was the daughter of the M ayor of Sittaung and she was married to a Maung Swe. When King Bodopaya (Bodawphaya) ascended the throne in 1782 C.E., Mae Khwe became a Court Poetess.

C.E. means Christian Era.

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LU-GA-LAY

2

Oh little boy crying!

I would I could

Catch you a pigeon

White, blue or black

Oh little boy

How hard it is

To catch a pigeon

White, blue or black.

A lullaby.A uthor unknown.

Lu-ga-lay may be translated young son or little boy as the song although originally sung by those caring for small princes is now sung in the same fashion by modern mothers and fathers.

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Ah... beautiful...

The mountains

The forests

The quivering buds

The trees caressing one another.

The birds frolicking with joy!

Author unknown.

9

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THE MONTH OF TABAUNG

4

On m ountain tops sweet nwe-kyo creepers

Bloom midst other blooms

And thabye leaves and pet-sut flowers

Are once again pure bright colors.

On the Festival of Tabaung

Tharaphi and gangaw open into flower

And fragrance pervades everywhere

On Mount Popa.

Author unknown.

For more detailed information on flowers and trees see page 38.The Festival o f Tabaung is on the full moon day of March which is the last lunar m onth (February-M arch) in the Burmese calendar.Mount Popa is over 4,000' above sea level and lies in Central Burma near the ancient city of Pagan.

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THE GOLDEN-YELLOW PADAUX

5

Tn the m onth of TaguFrom emerald green leaf-clustersBloom forth golden-yellow flowers.

Truly what other flowers Can compare with these in beauty There in padauk’s cool breezy shade Where the flow of sweat ceases At the entrance to Nandci Cave—Retreat of the Pacceka Buddha.

During one month in a year During one day in that month During that Day for the Buddha Padauk blooms forth in the forest.

Summertime!The time of Thingyan has arrived.And glorious is the golden pollen Mistily blown from padauk And spreading its fragrance Along forest roads.

No one can describe all the marvels Of this royal flower Padauk!

U Kyaw,

U Kyaw flourished in the reign of King Mindon (1853-1878 C.E.)Tagu is the first Burmese lunar month (part of April and of May).Nanda Cave is a mythological name for a cave supposedly situated somewhere in a jungle and to which no ordinary being has access. Only super beings—Buddha, Pacceka Buddhas, and Nat Spirits or the like—may stay in this cave.Pacceka Buddha is a Buddha who has attained enlighten­ment but who does not preach to the world.

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6

CARVED BULLOCK—CART

In his carved bullock-cart He takes his girl to the pwe

Many are the beautiful girls In his village district; Some are better dressed Than the girls in town And as they go to the pwe Sitting up front in the carts Attention they attract With their blue, black And violet hued kerchicfs Round their necks And small satin stoles On their shoulders.

Each young man and his girl Snugly sitting side by side.

As the cart from behind Overtakes the cart in front Bells of wood and metal ring;Young men yell across to each other Racing with their carts Moving abreast of one-another One cart on the road The other close-by.

A pwe is a stage performance including music, dancing repartee, singing and folk opera. Most of the poems inclu­ded in this book were first heard by the Burmese people at some pwe.

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To be first at the town’s entrance And to be first at the pwe means praise And to be first means a better place.The boy is excited—he must try hard— No longer distant is the place.

Proud is he of his bullocks— Purchased for over a hundred kyats. And proud are his perfect bullocks With their white-spotted foreheads. Restrain them with reins And bullocks look skyward—And the pace suffers—So slacken the reins.

U Va Kyaw.

U Ya Kyaw gained celebrity in the reign of King Thibaw (1878-1885 C.E.). U Ya Kyaw was considered a master of realism.

The kyat is the Burmese monetary unit.

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8

SONG OF THE FOREST

Fragrant and fresh Are the whole branches Brimming with new life; Brilliant are the leaves All golden lights.Pleasant are the forests At Thingyan's festival time.

One delights to see Lingpya birds building nests;To hear cuckoos in pairs M aking heavenly melodies; and To see a parakeet’s lovely airs Makes a maiden long to To feed him in a cage .

“Oh darling!Catch him without delay He is about to fly away.”

Princess Hlaing-Teik-Khaung-Tin,

Princess Hlaing-Teik-Khaung-Tin (1833-1875 C.E ) was a gifted poetess and musician as well as one of the most beautiful women at the Mandalay Court. She married the younger brother of King Mindon and wa? therefore the consort of the Heir Apparent of the Court.

6

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9

SEA SNAILS

if you meet i f you see You believe.

So quaint to seeOn curved sea shoresClusters of snailsWhites, reds, yellows and bluesMoving and displaying themselves,Some golden penholdersOthers hard iron trapsStill others—fairies’ hairpins.

O h? Hermit crabs!Coming here or going thereAnd everywhereAttention attractingBy borrowingEmpty sea snail shellsTo live in themAnd move about in them.

Bizarre indeed are these.

U Kyin U.

U Kyin U wrote poems and enjoyed great renown in the reigns of King Basyidaw (1819-1837), King Tharrawaddy (1837-1846 C.E.) and King Pagan (1846-1853 C.E.).

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10

THE ROYAL KASON

As the hot season Revolts against the cold—In the pattern of contrasts—The firmament becomes cloudy And winds arc hot again.It is summer.

Leaves on trees turn yellow,To fall—to show new leaves—•Stems twist or break, yet Sprouts on tama trees Are now soft greens Like parrot eggs.

While in summer trees thirst In foothills thazin flowers Are climbing thcibye trees Effusing fragrance Mixing with the wafting air.

At sunset crow-pheasants are cooing,And from afar come the cuckoo’s notes.Now and again thunder is beating Through heaven’s expanses Like lambara and deindi drums.

And I...Oh, I thinkOf the pouring of waterOn the Bodhi treeAnd of the absent companionIn the Golden Palace of Victory,And I am mournful.

U Kyaw.

Kason is the Burmese second lunar month (May) and its full-moon day is the day on which the Buddha was born, obtained enlightenment, and on which he also passed away.Bodhi tree is the tree under which Buddha obtained en­lightenment.

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11:

JASMINE

When jasmine Is not in bloom In palace gardens Courtiers must Bedeck themselves With kan flowers.

When jasmine Is in full bloom In M andalay’s Palace gardens Courtiers never A dorn themselves W ith kan flowers.

Then kan flowers Find favor only Among villagers.

U Ponnya.

U Ponnya was known as the best of the poets in the reign of King Mindon (1853-1878 C.E.). The King gave U Ponnya a noble title and some land as a fief.

Jasmine has a sweet odor and is beautiful whereas kan flowers although beautiful have no odor.

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DELIVERANCE CANNOT BE FAR DISTANT

Listening, thinking, questioning, answering Examining, writing, practicing,"and memorizing— Daily these eight disciplines need wearing As one wears flower garlands,

Constantly, with a spirit of competition and With diligence the beginner in fundamental lore Must practice recitation...and If he tries as hard as ever he can He will become a famous learned man.

If one does not try with the eagerness Of a daring eagle that firmly catches a hen;If one does not study and ponder,Does not question and does not discuss, and If one cannot give a discourse—■Knowing only how to read palm leaves—How can one become a well-known man of letters ?

Like a cat eating a shrimp with special enjoyment A learner must study all texts—omitting none— And he must learn all by heart.He must become sharp as teeth of a saw Penetrating deeply into all discussed matters. Thus reaching comprehension Indelible as a stone inscription.

Then when perfect in understanding He will be ready to say all by heart.Then on any m atter at any public concourse He will be ready to give a perfect discourse, To unravel the subject from beginning to end, Without fear—like a lion—To stand in the midst of the crowd,Like a pillar of stone unshaken,Going over into every detail And replying to all without fa il

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13

He must be familiar with verses in Pali,Various forms of address and old difficult words,He must know the meanings and formations O f elements, use of metaphors and versification, Grammatical method and annotation,And how to reason forwards and backwards.Then if he knows all this he will have recognition.He will be celebrated in this life as a man of erudition. In future rebirths in this Samsara He will come near Buddha Arya Mai trey a.Then for him not too far distant will be Nirvana.

Shin M aharattathara.

Shin M aharattathara (1468-1529 C.E.) was a famous Buddhist monk.Written in the sixteenth century, this poem reflects the spirit of scholasticism. However, laying stress on thorough­ness as it does, it has a message for our age as well. (F.L.) Samsara is the phenomenal world, the repeating round of births and deaths.Buddha Arya Maitreya is the expected Buddha of the future.

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M IL IT A R Y M A R C H

14

We are not afraid o f anything!We are daring and brave Ready to sacrifice our lives With Parpahein marching to the royal city Oil this day fixed as the day o f victory.

At our camp in the forest Verdant are the branches Full o f small flower buds;Sweet are the soundsO f the military drums and gongsIn the soft evening’s twilight.

Just as mists and clouds are dispersed So too must we destroy our enemy The elder brother Zeyathein.

U Kyin U.

Zeyathein is an imaginary prince, an heir apparent, and one ofthe chief characters o f U K yin U's play entitled “ Parpahein Pyazat” . In the denouement o f the drama Zeyathein is being attacked by Parpahein, Zeyathein’s younger brother, and in the fighting loses his throne to his younger brother. The above excerpt is o f course only a small part o f the whole play. (F .L .)

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FOREST FLOWERS

Budding branches sway daintily in the winds Blooming forth into abundance. Red-dappled white flowers o f nan-1ha And blooms o f sandalwood .Sweetly scent the foothills.Summertime endsBut it is not yet the season o f rains.

From the ground belowRises khatta's overwhelming perfumeWhile from aboveJasmine’s small swinging branchesSend down their fragrance.

Climbing the forest trees Kkabaung flowers sway in the wind Like rain-soaked silver strands.Later in the rains their stems too W ill be all a silver hue.

And in the valleys Surprisingly charming too Are the strange flowers Called by the villagers Crocodile flowers.

U Kyaw.

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16

DEARLY LOVED SON

With the army She has entrusted him, Her dearly beloved son, She must not pity him.

On the v/ay to Thailand Many are the rising rivers and streams Violent are the rains and strong is the storm. But his own mother has agreed,“ Let him die...(if need be)...”

“ In my heart too, N o distress lingers.’ ’

Historical song.

Author unknown.

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RAIN

17

When soft breezes blow Rare fragrance spreads From the saga flowers Growing on the not far-off Mountain o f the Giant’s Palace.

Dark becomes the horizon Enveloping us from the south in gloom. Melancholy assails my heart.

Oh, Rain God, do not cause us sorrow! Do not cause us sorrow, Rain down and A ll the eight directions will look gloomy. And the rain will sadden us in many ways

Myavati Mingyi U Sa.

Myavati Mingyi U Sa (1766-1853 C.il.) was not only a great poet but also one o f the most remarkable creators and preservers o f Burmese music. He is the composer of the celebrated Hlumachana Thachingan.

The eight directions are N.,E.,S.,W., and NE., NW., St., and S\V.

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TAKE TO H EART

(A Father’s Admonition to His Son)

With this poemLet me give you, my son,A parent’s admonition—A true garland o f emerald flowers—As useful to you As your right hand.

The love in my heartFor you my sonfs like a mountain o f gold-So listen carefullyTo the not to be lost heritageWhich is Good Conduct.

Traditional knowledge,M y dear son, you must master.For i f you do not acquire knowledge You will be like spilt water—Not a whole man—And you will feel shame.Repenting ten times overYou will grow pale o f faceAnd in the world lack good place.Like monkeys in the forest^Who have hands and feet too^You will be a wasted ragged fellow — A useless purposeless man.As a man o f no solid substance—By others held in contempt—Ashamed you will be, dear boy.

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19Therefore from childhood,M y dear son, it is necessary To learn about all human matters : To slay in school firmly and to study To read as told,To write as told,To ask as told,To reply as told,To sit as told,To rise as told,To stoop as told,To use what told,To change as told,To partake o f food and drink as told, To address persons as told ’To behave as told,To approach persons as told,And to honor lovingly Your teacher as directed.

Beloved son,Do not for get all th is----Your Father’s message • Mentally note it, Carefully heed it^Keep it deep in your heart.

Let me say morej)So it will be indelibly Written in your heart. Listen gladly!

Do not make friendships with drifters, Pleasure-seeking low-thinking men,Or vapid men seeking only evil.When sometimes these types come near you Seeming to befriend you or in play

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20

Keep away from them,—At a distance stay, ___-Then your welfare Perfect will be Dearest son!

Without failTry to do everythingJust as instructed.Do not push aside Your Father’s speech. Take it gladly And live by it.

This is cognizance^ M y son.

Sahton Sayadaw.(Buddhist monk, probably 18th, Cent. C.E.)

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M Y A M A N SETKYA

The royal steamer Man Mya Setkya Now proudly flying for the King His own Golden Peacock flag Makes her way to Mandalay Carrying durian fruits To the King.To accompanying echoes O f whistles and trumpets Steadily on steams Mya Man Setkya Days beyond Hanthawaddy Until finally at dusk Samalauk village is seen.From Samalauk village on upstream To the mainstream— Irrawaddy—She continues making her way.On through the night she steams Her captain and crew, oblivious To beautiful passing scenes,Thinking only o f reaching Their next stop on the stream.Even at the secret time near dawn She moves on. And from the river Rebounds to villages sounds o f her Revving engines rending the skies.Just below Kanaung town at dusk The anchor is dropped at last And now the captain and crew May sleep and rest.

U Ponnya.U Ponnya is understood to have written this poem while traveling upstream on the Mya Man Setkya— a steam vessel that had been presented to King Mindon (reign 1853-1878 C.E.) by the British then in control o f Lower Burma. The Burmese historian U Tin Ohn, the author o f the “ Biography o f Y o Atwin Wun U Po Hlaing” , claims that the plan o f the British was to kidnap King Mindon while the King was inspecting the imposing interior o f the first-class ship given to him as a present. However, King Mindon fearing the danger (he was forewarned by Minister U Po Hlaing) refused to go on board the Mya Man Setkya. (F .L .)Hanthawaddy is the name o f the district in which Rangoon is and was located.

21

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PRESENT OF A CHEROOT

22

The cheroot leaves I do not buy, but pluck myself.

I do not dry them on the fire I do not spread them in the sun. But for your smoking—I dry them under my bedclothing. And with my teeth I trim These aromatic leaves.

The cheroot I do not bind with silk But with common cotton thread To give it truly to you^Iviy youthful lover in Ava.

Mae Khwe.

“ Youthful lover” can also be translated sweetheart from childhood.Ava was the capital o f the Burmese Kingdom o f Ava.

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23

A PEASANTRainy season it is !And when it rains Happily husband and wife—In red cotton turbans,And tattered pasohs and aingyis—Carry along their children Rain-wet and without clothes Body warm in their arms.

A short pipe between his teeth—The peasant ploughs his field;And in his rice fields Are water-filled holes Homes o f many small crabs.Tossing these into his shoulder basket Together with frogs, snails,Su-pon plants, kazoon and kin-bon leaves,And pilo— all for his curry—Stoopingly he goes back home.

Sweet and juicy is the curryCooked on arrival and laid out quicklyWith kyan-hing and kywet-nci vegetables.The rice is hot And the curry is hot With pungent Shan chillies That make one suck tht, tht, tht.Scooping sizable handfuls,Bending he eats—Surrounded on all sides By robust sons and grandsons O f these happy parents.

Wungyi Padethayaza.

Wungyi Padethayaza was born in Ava in 1672 and died in Syriam in 1752. He flourished at the Court o f Ava in the reign o f King Sane (1698-1714 C.E.) during whose reign he was a Minister. He later lived in exile in Lower Burma. His tomb stands on the northern slopes o f Kyaikkhauk Pagoda in Syriam.Pasoh is another word for longyi which is the tubular skirt worn by both men and women in Burma.Aingyis are the blouse like jackets worn by the Burmese.

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PA D D Y PLA N T IN G SONG

24

N o need to pay the goldsmith!From the palm tree comes our gold ! Rolled palm leaves are our earrings Chains o f flowers are our necklaces.

Pleasant to look at are we—The well-mannered rural folk From the village o f Aung Pin Lay Near golden Mandalay.

Rather shortish are our skirts And our cotton jackets Are dyed from bark o f trees.Yet fine and tidy are our seams.

Our cheeks are smartly thanaka'd. And As we move swaying from left to right Our braids shine like buffalo- horns!Our beauty is all from nature. And Even our hair we adorn only With white mayo flowers.

Author unknown.

Thanaka is a pounded power made from thanaka tree bark and even smaller branches. This dust is then used as a powder or a paste, as a cosmetic, an astringent, a medicinal application, and/or as a decoration and sun screen for the face.

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r AM LO NGING

Gilt glass filtered moon rays Light my stately diamond-studded couch Where alone I hear the drum's sweet sound Announce the third watch o f the night. Dawn is no longer far-off.

On my thazin scented couch Alone I await your coming.Hands to my foreheadI cannot but museOver all that has passedAnd I am filled with pensive sadness.

On oath you promised never to shun me Always to be loyal to me Solemnly you swore, “ I f I become King I shall make you my Queen.Even if a Goddess tried to seduce me, Never would I surrender to her.”

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26

“ In coronation's splendid display I shall give to you the place o f chief Queen With eight Brahmins and many pages attending you And at the time o f libation’s ceremonial ~I shall cause all men to worship you/’

I believed you and gave you my love.N ow ...how different is your manner.Oh, Prince o f Kanaung how stern is your face. Where is the former brightness o f your face? Where are the ioving caresses You so fondly showered on me?Oh, Prince o f Kanaung.

Princess Hlaing-Teik-Khaung-Tin.

(1833-1857 C.E.)

This is only part o f a very long song sung originally by Princess Hlaing-Teik-Khaung-Tin supposedly while waiting for her husband to return to her chamber, ihe sequel is that he finally hears her sweet voice, remembers her and comes back again to her from an adjoining chamber.

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LO VE IN SECRET ENCOUNTERED

27

By chance Secretly I fell in love With a lovely girl,Emerald fresh,And o f gentle birth.As a consequence I had to grapple with Grief vaster than the sea.

M y life is unbearable.

First pretending to love me This maiden was like a cock Courting round a hen;Then suddenly she flaunted off.In many ways she broke the trust So naively placed in her.How wrongly I believed in her.It wasn’t true love, just pretense.

She loves me not, all is in vain.

But for this lovely garland Containing many sweet smelling flowers,Not long shall I wait To be decorated with it.I am a man o f sufficient worth.Soon the time will come As comes floresence o f all plants And I shall have a true love.

Ah no ! M y dear young lady You are not made o f jewels.You vain and conceited girl 1 have not long to wait.

Maung Thwa.

(Date unavailable, probably second Konbaung period 1818-1885).

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U Kyi rose to fame at the Court o f King Tharrawadd] (1837-46 C.E.) who for the second time in Burmese histon moved the capital to Amarapura. U Kyi was a poe with a great command o f imagery, he speaks o f the thing: on which the world is forever pivoted. (F .L .)Sit-sali are whistling teal and Mauklin are like coot.

I W OULD SM ILE

Round our village How pleasing To seeGrowing in profusion Lai-ka-nyo creepers Living among The paddy rows With blue khatauk Its fragrance Filling the air.

Surrounded here By such beauty I cannot help Missing my lover.

Oh, how lovely The beautiful Kazoon creepers Rocking gently On the water;And in the fields Blue v/ater hens Mauk!in, and Sit-sali birds Are billing And cooing.

Poor me!Here alone Midst this beauty With my lover away T am overcome With sadness.

Now too,The sky is overcast Thunder heralds rain. Yet i f my lover Were here I would smile.

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NOBLE W ISDOM

To the Three Noble Jewels! And To Mother, Father and Teacher!To these Six with pure faith Respectfully having paid homage,I shall compose into easy verses,So we may learn orally *The text Lokaniti, so full o f lore,Yet so difficult in Pali.From Lokaniti s maxims Much wisdom will all receive.It will be like admonition From one ripe in years,A parent, a teacher and a good friend.Then vastly learned one will become;Full o f knowledge and insight Harvesting benefits untold,One’s name will shine as the purest gold.

(contd.)

The Three Noble Jewels mean the Buddha (the Enlightened one), the Dhamma(the Teachings o f the Buddha, Doctrine, Truth, Law, Norm), and the Sangha (the Buddhist Order, Community, Ecclcsia).Lokaniti or “ The Ways o f the World” — and the right conduct relating to them—is a collection o f excerpts from various Pali treatises. The collection consists o f seven chapters and its maxims are piercing and enthralling. “ The Noble Wisdom” is only a small part o f the Lokaniti. Chaturinga Bala and later Nemyo Min Tin Kyaw Khaung rendered into Burmese verse the whole text o f this celebrated work.Pali is the language used in Buddhist sacred writings.

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Study and acquire recorded knowledge So full o f treasured benefits.Be lazy and where will be knowledge?Without knowledge where is wealth?And for one without wealth There will be no loving friends.When there are no friends Where is happiness?When there is unhappiness Hovv will you do good deeds?Again, when there are no good decda,How will you get to Nirvana?In this world the best friend Is knowledge firmly acquired.That, no thief can steal away.And in your next existence too Knowledge will follow you And happiness bring you.

A ll mankind note this way (Follow it each day.)

Chaturinga Bala and Nemyo Min Tin Kyaw Khaung.

Chaturinga Bala lived in the 14th, century C.E. and Nemyo Min Tin Kyaw Khaung in the 19th. century. The former wrote his “ Lokaniti" in Pali verses and the latter later rendered it into melodious Burmese poetical language.Born in Prome district, Chaturinga Bala distinguished himself in the reign o f King Ngah Sih Shin Kyawswa of Pinya (1342-1350 C.E.) and after that served * as Home Minister to King Leh Sin Shin (also known as Thihathu) who reigned 1350-1359 C.E.)Nemyo Min Tin Kyaw Khaung rose to fame in the reign of King Thibaw (1878-1885 C.E.) as a significant contributor to Burmese aesthetic thought.

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DONATIONS

(Dana)

“ Unsimilar is human destiny.At the time true religion is no more Some will still be full o f faith And desirous o f giving in charity ;Though they will see no worthy recipientsYet with genuine devotionThey will give giftsTo those they do not likeAnd the result will be poor.’5Thus spoke Buddha to Angura Deva.

He who does not urge other men To do meritorious deeds,But practices his largess alone, Will in future rebirths Have many possessions But no attendants at all.

He who gives and urges others To give things in charity Will be reborn rich Surrounded by numerous attendants And holding vast possessions.He will be a shining moon in the assembly o f men.

He who earnestly exhorts others To give donations freely,While himself offering nothing, In future rebirths will be Deficient in material belongings Yet many attendants and relative* Sons and grandsons will be In his entourage.

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WhosoeverNeither himself is munificent Nor urges others to be Will encounter evil fate After his body’s dissolution:

Never feeling satiated,Scarcely finding eating plants. Showing hunger day and night. He will become a hungry spirit- — Meeting all kinds o f misery.

Shin Tezothara. (Date unavailable)

The Buddhists believe that munificence (the giving o f gifts) is one o f the highest and most noble virtues. Charity (in Pali Dana) always leads to happy rebirths on earth or in a heaven o f the Dcvas (Gods). In the practice of giving the Burmese excel other nationalities. (F.L.)

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REMORSE

To gain the prize o f Illumination I have made up my mind.Then 1 shall have liberation From the bondage o f craving (Tanha) The all consuming darkness O f ignorance (Avijja-c/sava).

Seeking a womb for rebirth In other after-death conditions Many times I have experienced Different forms.But in whatever sphere Never can it be pure.

Thus no longer do I seek a consort, Satiated with a layman’s life,I renounce it all and go To muse in the Dhamma cave.

U Khain

The Dhamma cave is a cave for meditation.

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PAINFUL AS IT IS

34

Painful as it is...Let me state my trouble.

How full o f anguish most dire Is one tormented by Universal Fire.As i f seven suns blazed fiercely Equally burning is pain the world-round. Nowhere can a cool spot be found.M y heart’s trouble seems a death agony.

But presently beautiful maidens appear. “ I f you want to alleviate my pain, Sprinkle me with rose scented rain.”

U Kyaw Thainee.

Poetess U Kyaw Thamee was a daughter o f the poet U Kyaw who lived in the reign o f King Mindon (1853-1878 C.E.) and who had received unanimous acclaim as a poet of extraordinary talent.

By Universal Fire is meant the catastrophic fire which will destroy and consume our universe at the end o f the Kalpa according to Buddhist beliefs.Kalpa is the “ World Age” or “ World Cycle” extending to millions o f years.

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35NO COOLING OF ANGUISH

In human lifeWe meet constant renewal.Slowly like tree-cottonBurning without ceasingDay after tomorrow and the nextOne day after another dayDescends upon usBut there is no cooling of anguish.

Though the sun and the moon Will not change in the future Always shall I seek succor And seeking it I shall fret.My anguish I try to forget.But no!Day after day anguish lingers;My tears run in a steady flow.

“Oh, softly dry them one by one With the best cloth of Bassein.”

U Kyaw Thamee.

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36

TH E NATURE OF TH IN G S

(Release from Anger)

Often a man suffers destruction In order that another man Might enjoy well-being.Such is the nature o f things!

A courtier’s satisfactionIn enjoying kingly confidencesIn golden palacesAnd a King’s own good fortuneAre merely bubblesOn the surface o f a vast oceanMomentary and evanescent.

I f dictated by commiseration I were to be released And freed from execution I would not escape Death.Inseparable am I from KarmaA ll sentient beingsBeing subject to dissolution.

Respectfully I salute His Majesty.Should I again meet my Lord the King In one o f my future rebirths In the cycle o f Samsara Begrudging him nothingI would lovingly forgive him.Impermanent is my body o f blood.

Anantasuriya.

Anantasuriya was a chief minister in the Kingdom o f Pagan under King Naratheinka (C.E. 1170-1173). When as a resuli o f a palace revolution Naratheinka’s brother Narapatisithu seized the throne, Anantasuriya was ordered to be executed. On the eve o f his death he wrote this classical poem entitled “ Dhammata” (The Nature o f Things), which is one o f the literary treasures o f the world. (F .L.)Karma can loosely be translated as destiny as ordained by the ethical consequences o f one’s acts in previous existences. Samsara is as explained before the cycle o f deaths and rebirths until Nirvana is reached.

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SOURCES AND REFERENCES(Titles o f Works in Burmese)

1. Thi-khying padetha.

2. Kabyà pan-kon Professor U E Maung

3. Kabyà pan-kon a-phye zon Hanthawaddy U B a Yin

4. Kabyà pan-kon a-phye thit Editor Saya Magha

5. Khan hman Myan ma za U E Maung

6. Tan myin kabyà phve nyi kyam U Pho Ngve

7. Kabyà pan-myaing U Thein Naing (B .A.)

8. Khet-thit kabyà myà U Wun and U Thein Han

9. Zasodaw myà atthuppatti Bo-gyi Ba Thaung

37

38 BOTANICAL GLOSSARY

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GangawODGCOO

Kan flower90C

PAGES

10

Kazoon creepers 23, 28

™ kr°

Khabaung vine or ( Kabaung) leaves¿G ü lc i

Khabaung tree

Khatauk flowers (Kandauk)3GC0DC0

Khatta flowersQCOD

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Kyaw(Akyaw)GODjO

Kala-mct<DC|9C0

Kin-bonCO csoL

Lai-ka-nyo(Lai-ka-nyun)coüSro0ûoC(jo

Bo-tree, Pipai (peepul) Ficus religiosa-Linn

4 Poached-egg tree Mesua ferrea

11 Carissa carandas-Linn

Watercress Ipomea leaves

15 Calamus longisetus

15 Strychnos nux blanda

28 Thalictrum foliolosum

15 Eurycles amboinensis

15 Acquillavia agal locha

1 5 Vía aso ili a gagei

23 Acacia concinna DC. Acacia rugata-Lam

28 Asparagus racemosus

Mayo(Ma-yo)o

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Mayo gyi

Mi-chaung vine Migyaungo c 9GCDJ0CS

Nan-thaNatha

Natha-pyu

Satha-ni

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Nwe-gyo ( kyo) Nwe-cho

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Pet-siitocosoco&

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Sabe

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Saga flowers©(DOS

24 Milk weedCalotropis procera

24 Calotropis gigantea

15 Crocodile flower Derris scandens

15 Milletia ovalifolia

15 Milletia piseidia

15 Red sandersPterocarpus santalinos

4 Burma liquorice Thurbergia laurifolia

5 Pterocarpus macrocarpus

4 Eriobotrya beiigalensis

23 Corchorous spp.

11 JasmineJasminum pubescens-Wild

17 Michelia champaca

39

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Sa-pouSubokSubok-gyi30S00 11 I

23 Accacia pinnata

Tamacoyo

10 The Persian lilac-Pride of China, India.Azadirachta indica-A .Tuss

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4, 10 Eugenia spp.

TharapiiiTharapioosp

4 Laurel-Alexandrian Callophyllum amven urn-Wall

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10, 25 OrchidBulbophyllum spp.

Burmese words for trees, shrubs, and flowers, often differ in different sections o f the country. Naturally a single Burmese name will often apply to a great number o f different iatin botanical names and at this late date it is a little difficult to be positive just which specific latin-named plant a poet was seeing in his mind’s eye. The above list was compiled with the help o f some Burmese botanists and from the followi ng:

List o f Trees, Shrubs, Herbs, and Principal Climbers, Etc. Third, Revised and Enlarged Edition, by H.G. Hundley, B.Sc. (For. Rgn.) Silviculturist, Burma, and U Chit Ko Ko, Herbarium Curator 1961, Superintendent, Government Prinling and Staty., Union o f Burma, Rangoon.

Journal o f the Burma Research Society Vol X X X I I1 Part IT, A Key To The Trees and Shrubs o f the University Estate, Rangoon by Nant Gladys Kwa.

A Check List o f some Common Roadside and Garden Plants o f Rangoon F.G. Dickason (unpublished pamphlet).