Table Of ContentT T
UM EAV
A Translation and Analysis
of a
Cambodian Literary Classic
George Chigas
Copyright © 2005 by the Documentation Center of Cambodia.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
mCÄmNÐlÉksarkm<úCa
Searching for the Truth
Documentation Center of Cambodia
P.O. Box 1110, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel.: + 855 (23) 211-875
Fax.: + 855 (23) 210-358
E-mail: [email protected]
Homepage: www.dccam.org
National Library of Cambodia Cataloguing in Publication Data
1. Cambodia-History
2. Cambodia-Literature
I. Chigas, George
II. Cougill, Wynne
III. Chhang, Youk
895.932
Tum Teav: A Translation and Analysis of a Cambodian Literary Classic
Tum Teav, Edited by Wynne Cougill and Youk Chhang, 2004, 2005
Tum Teav,Cover and Shapes illustration by Khun Sovannarith, Reyum Institute, 2004
Tum Teav,Cover and book design by Paulomi Shah and Kim Sovanndany, 2005
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author.
ISBN-10: 99950-60-01-9
lsxG-10³ 99950-60-01-9
ISBN-13: 978-99950-60-01-5
lsxG-13³ 978-99950-60-01-5
Printed in Cambodia
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
CHAPTER 1 The Importance of Tum Teav . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
• Oral Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
• Historical Versions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Royal Chronicles
Texts Based on the Chronicles
• Literary Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
The Place of Tum Teav in the Cambodian Literary Canon
Palm Leaf Versions
Contemporary Literary Versions
• Modern Adaptations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Theatrical Versions
Comic Strip Format
Film
Song
CHAPTER 2 The Story of Tum Teav. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
CHAPTER 3 Tum Teav in Cambodian Literary Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
• The Emergence of Cambodian Literary Criticism . . . . . . . 147
• Literary Criticism on Tum Teav . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
The Authorship Controversy
Major Themes
CHAPTER 4 Tum Teav Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
• Tbong Khmom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
• Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Short Biographies of Interviewees
Interviewees’ Viewpoints on Tum Teav
• Conclusion: Tum Teav and Systems of Justice in Cambodia
Today. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book would not have been possible without the support and
advice of many people. First and foremost, I would like to thank my wife
Sovann-Thida Loeung, who is the light of my life. Since this book is based
on my PhD thesis at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University
of London, I would like to acknowledge my wonderful supervisor, Dr.
David Smyth. I would also like to give special thanks to Mrs. Judith Jacob,
whose work in Cambodian studies has long been an inspiration to me, and
Dr. Klairung Amratisha, with whom I spent many engaging hours
discussing Khmer studies in London and Thailand.
In Cambodia, I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to
meet with many fine writers and scholars. First among them are Mr. Pech
Tum Kravel and Mr. Hang Soth. I would also like to thank Mr. You Bo and
the writers at the Khmer Writers Association for sharing with me their views
on the story, as well as Mr. Youk Chhang and the staff at the Documentation
Center of Cambodia for their generosity in arranging my trip to Tbong
Khmom. A special thanks to Mr. Alex Lip, who was a tremendous help in
translating the many hours of interviews used for the book.
In France, I was able to access the necessary documents and texts for
this research with the help of many people. I would like to thank Dr. Ashley
Thompson for her kind hospitality and keen insight into Khmer studies. I
also gratefully acknowledge Dr. Khin Hoc Dy, Mr. Alain Daniel, Dr. Mak
Phoeun and Mr. Ham Chhay Ly, who provided me with articles and
resources critical to my research.
During the process of writing this book, I have benefited greatly from
the help of many scholars of Khmer studies. Among them are Professor Ben
Kiernan at Yale University, Dr. Okada Tomoko at the Tokyo University of
Foreign Studies, Dr. Toni Shapiro Phim, Mr. Thavro Phim, and Dr. Susan
Cook. I owe all of them my sincere gratitude and appreciation.
In addition, I would like to offer my sincere appreciation to Ms.
Wynne Cougill and Youk Chhang at DC-Cam for their painstaking and
careful reading of the transcript. The quality of the book’s presentation owes
everything to their hard work. Of course, I take full responsibility for the
content of the book and any errors or inaccuracies.
Last, I gratefully acknowledge the generosity of the New Zealand
Agency for International Development and the New Zealand Embassy in
Bangkok for making this publication possible. I also thank the US Agency
for International Development and Swedish International Development
Agency for their core support to DC-Cam.
CHAPTER 1:
The Importance
of
Tum Teav
Tum Teav is a tragic love story about a talented novice monk named
Tum and a beautiful adolescent girl named Teav. There are numerous
versions of the story that cover all the major modes of expression in
Cambodian culture. In addition to oral versions, Tum Teav appears in
different historical texts, as it is generally believed that the story’s characters
are based on actual people and events in Cambodian history. There are
literary versions and modern adaptations of the story for Cambodian
theater and film as well. The different versions of Tum Teavin various genres
attest to the story’s enduring importance and popularity in Cambodian
culture and society.1
Tum Teav is a cornerstone of the Cambodian literary canon and has
been taught in Cambodian schools since 1957, the year Khmer literature was
introduced into the national curriculum after the country won
independence from the French (Cambodia was a French protectorate from
1863 to 1954). In 1958, the government stipulated that Tum Teavbe taught in
schools and universities beginning at the secondary level. By the 1960s, it
was a central text in the Khmer literature curriculum for secondary schools.
In the third-year class (the equivalent of the second year of high school
in the West), Tum Teav was taught along with such classical texts as The
Reamker, the Khmer version of the Indian epic, The Ramayana. These texts
were used to illustrate the influences of Buddhism and Brahmanism in
Cambodian literature (the two other categories of literature taught in 1957
were modern texts and aphorisms). In the first-year curriculum, the story
was studied along with the modern novel because of its realistic portrayal of
everyday life in Cambodian society. Its description of ancient Cambodian
customs also demonstrates that it is a uniquely Cambodian product and not
an adaptation of a foreign text. In 1965, the curriculum of Khmer literature
was revised and many works were removed. Tum Teav was maintained in
the curriculum, affirming its importance to Cambodian literature and
cultural identity.2
By the 1960s, Tum Teavhad become a topic of serious literary research
2 Tum Teav
and debate among Cambodian scholars. In 1960, the Khmer Writers
Association, under the direction of Hel Somphea, traveled to Tbong Khmom
to research the origin of the story and its basis in Cambodian history.3They
met with supposed descendents of former slaves described in the story and
were shown sites where episodes from the story were believed to have taken
place, such as the site where Teav committed suicide.4 A number of critical
texts on Tum Teavwere written in the 1960s as well. The scholarly texts that
investigate the authenticity of different versions of the story and other
questions, as well as texts that provide background on the controversy
concerning Tum Teav’s authorship, are discussed in Chapter 3.
Oral Versions
The historical, literary and modern versions of Tum Teav trace their
origins back to the oral versions of the story.5 These versions were
performed by professional singers who traveled the Cambodian
countryside during the 19th century.6 In the 1950s, for example, a famous
storyteller known as Ta Krud inspired many listeners with his performances
of the Reamker. In the late 19th century, a woman named Sai Pour recited
Tum Teav to the accompaniment of a chapei (a long-necked, two-string
guitar) in Srok Sithor Kandal in Prey Veng province and many other places.7
The fact that Tum Teav was part of the repertoire of stories recited by these
traveling minstrels is a good indication of the story’s importance in
Cambodian society since at least the middle of the 19th century.
The story’s importance was clearly evident to Etienne Aymonier
(1844-1929), who produced two translations of the oral versions, and Louis
Delaporte, who published Aymonier’s first translation.
Etienne Aymonier arrived in Cambodia in 1869 as a member of the
French navy. He held various posts and in 1873 was named adjunct
representative of the Protectorate in Phnom Penh. This position required
Aymonier to travel throughout Cambodia and enabled him to pursue his
study of Khmer by translating palm leaf manuscripts and temple
inscriptions. In 1874, Aymonier supervised the instruction of Cambodians
enrolled at the College of Administrator Training and was director of the
college from 1877 to 1878. He produced his first translation of Tum Teav in
1880.8
Aymonier attempted to investigate the source of the story by traveling
to Tbong Khmom district in 1883.9Its residents told Aymonier that the story
was true, and he learned that their resentment for being called the
The Importance of Tum Teav 3
descendants of hereditary slaves was the reason it was strictly forbidden to
tell the story in Tbong Khmom.10 For this reason, Aymonier was
accompanied by French forces during his research, and his Cambodian
guide was as discreet as possible when showing Aymonier the locations
where events in the story were believed to have taken place.11 Aymonier
included the information he gathered during this trip to supplement his
second translation of Tum Teav, which was included in his Le Cambodge I, Le
Royaume Actuel, published in 1900.12
Louis Delaporte was chief of a mission to Cambodia for the French
Ministry of Public Education. Earlier, in 1865, he had been part of a mission
under Doudart de Lagrée sent to find the source of the Mekong. Delaporte
also heard Tum Teav performed during his travels in the Cambodian
countryside. In 1873, for example, he heard the story performed in the
village of Beng Mea-Lea during a journey between Phnom Penh and Siem
Reap. At the invitation of the village leader, Delaporte attended a Buddhist
Kathin ceremony that was followed by a banquet and entertainment.13 The
banquet ended with a performance of Tum Teav that Delaporte listened to
from beginning to end with the aid of an interpreter. Delaporte was so
impressed with the story that he included Aymonier’s translation in his
Voyage au Cambodge, Architecture Khmère, published in 1880 (at that time,
Delaporte was in Saigon as part of the administration of the French
Protectorate).
Both Delaporte and Aymonier described the story as a “drame
historique” that depicts actual events in Cambodian history. Aymonier
suggested two dates when the events in the story took place. In his Cambodge
I,he dates the story to the first half of the 18th century. He later modifies this
date in his 1903 text Cambodge III to the second half of the 18th century
during the reign of an unpopular monarch named King Rea-mea.
The characters and events in the oral versions of Tum Teav published
by Delaporte and Aymonier are similar to those in the literary version of this
book’s Chapter 2, which is based on the 1962 edition of Tum Teav by
Venerable Botumthera Som. There are, however, some notable exceptions.
In the oral versions, the novice monk is named Ek instead of Tum. Also, in
the oral versions Tum and Teav are officially engaged before they are
brought to the royal palace, which is not the case in the literary version. Last,
in the oral versions Orh-Chhuon and his son are the ones who devise the
trick to call Teav back from the royal palace and convince Teav’s mother to
write the letter stating falsely that she is very ill. In the literary version, it is
Teav’s mother who devises the ploy.
4 Tum Teav
Historical Versions
As stated above, the events described in Tum Teavare believed to have
taken place in Cambodian history. The provinces and towns in the story do
in fact exist, and the modern residents of Tbong Khmom have preserved
items they believe belonged to Teav, the story’s heroine.14
Despite popular belief, however, it is difficult to find empirical
evidence to support the argument that the people and events described in
the story are based on historical fact. The most convincing written evidence
is the story’s inclusion in Cambodian historical texts. Two kinds of historical
sources are considered here: the Royal Chronicles and historical texts that
use the Chronicles as a primary source.
The Royal Chronicles
Tum Teav appears in two versions of the Cambodian historical
documents known as the Royal Chronicles. This disparate group of texts
traces the reigns of successive Cambodian kings back to their mythical
origin.15 The oldest existing Chronicle was written during the reign of King
Ang Chan II (1806-1834) in 1818. The most recent version was written in
1966, when Prince Norodom Sihanouk (1941-1970) was in power. In 1879, a
legendary part that describes the mythical origin of Khmer kings was added
to the original historical part of the Chronicles.16 The versions that include
both the legendary and historical parts are referred to as the complete
versions.
In an attempt to clarify the historical validity of the Chronicles,
contemporary historians make a distinction between the legendary and
historical parts of the various versions. However, it is questionable just
where the legendary part ends and the historical part begins, or what is
historical and what is imaginative or legendary in the Chronicles as a whole.
The 1818 version is solely historical and begins with the 14th century reign
of King Nibvan Pad. It was not until the 1869 version known as Wat [okasis]
Ko Koh (KK) – written during the reign of King Norodom – that the
legendary part first appeared. It traces King Nibvan Pad’s royal lineage to
its mythical origins in the 5th century BC.17 For this reason, this KK is
considered to be the first complete version of the Chronicles.
The etymology of the Khmer word for the Chronicles, bansavatara,
describes their primary function. Bansavatara is a Sanskrit word composed
of the roots vança (offspring or issue) and ava-tara (descendant or
incarnation).18 Thus, bansavatara could be translated as “the lineage of
(Khmer) kings.” The Chronicles present “the history of Cambodia” in the
