The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand

Volume IV - 2012

Translations of National Literature: Existing

Translation Works as Means to Promote Better
Understanding among Nations

Malithat Promathatavedi1

Abstract

This paper traces the history of translation from ancient time to the present,
especially the translation of literature. The translation of literary works in Thailand
also has a long history going back to the Sukhothai Period. Through trade and
cultural connection with countries in Asia and the intrusion of Western ideology
and technology, there have been broader scopes of translation. In the first stages
translation was of a religious nature. During the turbulent times in history when
Thailand was still waging wars with neighboring countries there were many
literary works in reference to the wars, most of them glorifying the heroic deeds
of various Thai kings who had fought to maintain peace and sovereignty of
the country. In the country-building periods it was time to concentrate on the
intellectual side. Eminent writers and poets vied to present their works to the court
and artists in all fields produced their works of art. There were poems praising the
splendor of the architecture of palaces and temples, the royal barge procession,
and even the exquisite cuisine and floral arrangement. After World War II regional
cooperation among countries in Southeast Asia has resulted in the launching of
several bi-lingual volumes of the Anthology of ASEAN Literatures and the S.E.A.
Write Award-Winning Stories in English translations as an attempt to make the

Associate Fellow of the Royal Institute, Academy of Arts

1

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literatures and cultures of ASEAN known to the world. In comparison to works

translated from foreign languages into Thai, there are fewer Thai literary works being
translated into foreign languages. The modern trend in the age of globalization is the
translation of romances and thrillers. There is a shift of translation purposes from
entertainment to business and economic development and the source and
target languages of translation vary. A good translation can promote better
understanding among nations, thus linking people all over the world together in a
world made smaller by globalization.

Keywords: translation, national literature, ASEAN, S.E.A. Write Award

Translation has been in existence since 3000 B.C. but it started to play an
important role in the Western world around 300 B.C. Influenced by Greek civilization
and religion, the Romans translated writings on arts and sciences from Greek into
Latin. Such eminent Roman writers as Catullus and Cicero translated works from
Greek into Latin. Later on when the Roman Empire became powerful, the process was
reversed, that is, there were translations from Latin into Greek. When the Arabs rose
to power around the 12th century, works by Aristotle, Plato, Galen and Hippocrates
were translated into Arabic. In the same century the Moors invaded Spain, resulting in
the influx of academic books into Toledo. Contact between the Moors and the Western
world popularized the translation between Arabic and European languages. When the
Moorish influence in Spain came to an end, the Toledo School of Translation
translated the Arabic version of Greek scientific and philosophical knowledge into
English. Some books had been translated back and forth from one language to
another in succession, causing the contents of the translated versions to deviate
from the originals. One area of translation, the translation of the Bible, has played
a significant role in the diffusion of Christian teachings and has been continuously
revised and improved. Translation has progressed through time and the 20th century
was considered “the Age of Translation”.
Translation, especially the translation of literary works, is not a novel subject
in Thailand. The country has had a long history of translation from dealings with
Western countries as well as its Eastern neighbors. There was a translation of

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Vessantara Jataka from Pali into Thai by the name of Mahachat Kham Luang, the first
religious literature of the Ayutthaya Period in the reign of King Borommatrailokkanat
(1448-1488). Sam Kok (The Three Kingdoms) was translated from Chinese into Thai
in the reign of King Rama I (1782-1809), founder of the Royal House of Chakri, in
the Early Rattanakosin Period. In the reign of King Rama III (1824-1850) the coming
of missionaries to disseminate Christianity in Thailand gave rise to English-Thai
translations. More Thai people were interested in learning English in the reign of King
Mongkut (King Rama IV, 1850-1868) and during the transitional period between
the reigns of King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V, 1868-1910) and his son, King
Vajiravudh (King Rama VI, 1910-1925). The Oxford-educated King Vajiravudh,
whose reign was called the Golden Age of Thai Literature, rendered a beautiful Thai
translation of three of William Shakespeare’s works: As You Like It, Romeo and
Juliet, and The Merchant of Venice. The king also translated the play Les
Sauterelles by Émile Fabre into English entitled The Locusts. From that time on there
were increasing numbers of translation works from English into Thai. This has been the
trend up to the present. King Bhumibol Adulyadej (King Rama IX, 1946-), the current
monarch, translated William Stevenson’s book, A Man Called Intrepid, and Tito,
a biography of Marshal Tito of Yugoslavia by Phyllis Auty, into Thai and translated
Mahajanaka, the story of one of the lives of Buddha, from the Thai text into English.
He wrote Thongdaeng, a story about his pet dog in Thai and then translated it into
English.
The literary works of a country reflect its people’s linguistic ability, art
and science, customs and traditions, myths, religious beliefs, historical, social and
political developments. In the past, geographic and linguistic barriers made it difficult
for communication among nations. Thus, there were accounts of fabulous lands and
exotic peoples and animals related by travelers of yore. These accounts were for the
most part exaggerated and tended to be misleading. Westerners who thought of
themselves as being sophisticated looked down on peoples in Asia or Africa as
primitive and uneducated, whereas Eastern nations with a long history of civilization
thought of Westerners as vulgar and uncultured. Before the age of Information
Technology it was through translation works that one could learn and understand more
about people in other countries. The teachings of great religious and philosophical

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figures, literary works by eminent authors, as well as works in other fields of

knowledge have been translated into several languages. Nowadays, one can read
quotations from the Bible or the works of Shakespeare in almost any language.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a geo-political and
economic organization comprising ten countries located in Southeast Asia was formed
on 8 August 1967. Its founding members were Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, and Thailand. Later the membership was extended to include Brunei
Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. ASEAN aims at
accelerating economic growth, social progress, and cultural development among its
members, protecting regional peace and stability, and providing opportunities for
member countries to discuss differences peacefully. From the early 1980’s to the early
1990’s there had been efforts to compile the diversity of literary works in regional
languages of Southeast Asia into an anthology.
Sponsored by the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information (COCI), this
project selected masterworks of literature from every regional language of Southeast
Asia and translated them into English as a means to promote better understanding and
exchange of appreciation on each individual country’s culture and way of life. This
is a good example of how linguistic and cultural diversity of Southeast Asia has been
recognized as an integral part of ASEAN common interests. Compiling the works and
translating them into English has built and enhanced understanding among ASEAN
members of their common cultural heritages. It can also lead to further cooperation in
preserving and developing linguistic and cultural diversity in Southeast Asia. It was
also concluded that it would be more appropriate if the selected works for translation
be translated into the national or the official indigenous language of each nation,
especially in the case of ASEAN countries which rely on more than one language
for their communication. This could help enhance wider appreciation of their local
literature and also would benefit the study of the national literature in each particular
member country.
As a result of this project several volumes of the bilingual Anthology of ASEAN
Literatures were issued. It was decided at the Preliminary Meetings in Singapore
during 14-16 June 1982 that the selection of literary works to be included in the

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Anthology, based on the criteria of literary merit and on a broad chronological order,
should be left to the national teams. Thus, Brunei Darussalam chose to deal with
folklore and classical poetry. Indonesia presented a variety of oral literary genres
observed in different linguistic areas and pre-Islamic written literature. Malaysia chose
a collection of excerpts of traditional texts and folklore taken from both the indigenous
tradition and early classics. The Philippines concentrated on epics from the different
regions of the country and the Spanish influenced metrical romances. Singapore
followed the broad chronological approach and concentrated on poetry and fiction.
In the case of Thailand where there is solely one official language used for the
whole country, the Thai National Team on Anthology of ASEAN Literatures deemed
it appropriate to produce translated version and simplified or paraphrased Thai version
of the Thai Anthology as Volumes a and Volumes b. Thai literary works existing in
written form are divided into five periods as follows:-

1. Sukhothai Literature (1238-1377)

2. Early Ayutthaya Literature (1350-1529)
3. Late Ayutthaya Literature (1620-1767)
4. Thon Buri Literature (1768-1781)
5. Rattanakosin Literature (1782-present)

For Volume I, the Thai team presented the “Traibhumikatha,” (The Story of
the Three Planes of Existence) believed to have been composed by King Lithai of
Sukhothai. A treatise on Buddhist cosmology, actually a sermon which King Lithai
while in the monkhood preached to his mother, it represents the first work of Buddhist
literature ever written in the Sukhothai Period describing the Three Planes, namely
the Sensual Plane which includes the Human World, Heaven and Hell; the Corporeal
Plane or the Plane of the Brahma; and the Incorporeal Plane or the Plane of the Form-
less Brahma.
Volume II comprises eight literary works of the Ayutthaya Period starting with
Ongkan Chaeng Nam (Oath of Allegiance), an incantation in verse to be uttered by
courtiers, princes and representatives of vassal states in the ceremony of Drinking the

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Water of Allegiance; Mahajati Kham Luang (The Great Life of Lord Buddha), the
royal version of a poem based on the story of Vessantara, believed to be the greatest of
Buddha’s incarnations, aiming at showing the basic doctrines to which all Buddhists
adhere, particularly mercy, kindliness, and willingness to help; Lilit Yuan Phai,
a historical poem eulogizing King Borommatrailokkanat’s meritorious deeds and
victory over Prince Tilokaraj of Chiang Mai. This piece of work reflects the heroic and
virtuous deeds of Thai kings in defending the land and bringing peace and happiness to
the people throughout the Thai history; Lilit Phra Lor, the first poem that plays on the
emotions of the readers, is an anonymous narrative poem the plot of which is based on
a Northern folktale with a tragic theme similar to that of Romeo and Juliet.
The remaining four selections are Khlong Thawa Thotsamas (Twelve Months
Poem), in which the anonymous author refers to the rites and ceremonies observed
each month; Dutsadi Sangwoey Klom Chang, a lullaby for a newly captured royal
white elephant. The white elephant, believed to be sacred among the peoples of Asia,
is a symbol of grandeur and prosperity, bringing fame and honor to its owner, usually
a king. The greater number of white elephants a king has in his possession, the more
renowned he is. The lullaby is meant to pacify the elephant which has just been taken
from the jungle in order that it may acclimatize to the new surroundings in the royal
stable; Phleng Yao Phayakon Krung Si Ayutthaya (Prophecy of Ayutthaya), dating
back to the second half of the 17th century, describes sixteen bad omens foretelling the
collapse of Ayutthaya; and Krung Kao Chronicle: Luang Prasert Aksonnit’s
Version (The Royal Chronicle of Ayutthaya), a prose narration of the historical events
of Ayutthaya, a former capital of Thailand, starting from King Chai Rajathiraj up to
King Naresuan the Great. This chronicle is renowned for its exceptionally accurate
accounts.
In Volume III a, literary works of the Thon Buri and Early Rattanakosin periods
are featured. They consist of Poem in Tribute of King Taksin of Thon Buri by Nai
Suan, the Page; Fighting the Burmese at Tha Din Daeng, a poem by King Rama I;
Nirat Narin by Nai Narinthibet; The Floating Maiden episode of Ramakian by King
Rama II; Being Captivated by a Portrait and Carried off by the Whirlwind episodes
of I-nao, a dance drama by King Rama II; Phlai Kaeo’s Wedding episode of Khun

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Chang-Khun Phaen, a narrative poem about the lives of common people by King
Rama II; Wali Pledges Her Service, The Birth of Sudsakhon, and Extraordinary
Adventure, three episodes of Phra Aphai Mani, a narrative poem by Sunthon Phu,
declared a world personage by UNESCO in 1986.
Volume III b contains two long works of the Rattanakosin Period namely Lilit
Taleng Phai (King Naresuan’s Victory over the Burmese), an epic poem lauding the
feat of King Naresuan the Great of Ayutthaya who defeated the Burmese Crown Prince
in a fight on elephant back, by His Holiness Prince Paramanuchitchinoros, the 7th
Supreme Patriarch of Rattanakosin, and Ngo Pa: Romance of the Sakai, a poignant
drama in verse by King Chulalongkorn about a love triangle that ends with the deaths
of the three principal characters belonging to a primitive tribe living in the jungle of
South Thailand. It is the only Thai literary work that thoroughly explores the living
conditions of the Ngo or Sakai, also called “Semang” in Malay that should be of
interest to those studying cultural anthropology.
It can be seen from the Thai selections that most of the works were written by
kings, royals, or courtiers. This is because in former time education started in the court.
The royal children were the first ones to have formal education, followed by children of
courtiers, before education spread outside the palace. Many Thai kings were renowned
writers, dramatists and poets and some were well-versed in foreign languages. For
example, King Mongkut who had spent many years in the monkhood before his
ascension to the throne was an expert on the ancient languages of India like Pali and
Sanskrit and knew English and French. It was he who employed the service of an
English governess to teach his children, one of them being Prince Chulalongkorn who
succeeded his father as King Rama V.
It should be noted that the subject matters of the selected works are varied.
Some are religious or historical in nature and others deal with warfare, as during
the Ayutthaya, Thon Buri, and Early Rattanakosin periods Thailand was constantly
engaging in wars with neighboring countries. Foreign influences derived through
commercial or cultural contact with other countries appear in such works as I-nao, the
story of a Javanese prince, and Ramakian, the Thai version of the Indian Ramayana
epic. Though the plot and characters come from abroad the customs and traditions

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depicted in these works are typically Thai. Sometimes royal personages did not write
only about stories pertaining to courtly life. King Chulalongkorn, after hearing the
tragic story involving the three Ngo from an old woman while he was taking a forest
trip in the south of Thailand, was so captivated by it and wrote the play Ngo Pa (Wild
Sakai) in eight days while convalescing from an illness. The play reveals a universal
fact that human nature is the same everywhere regardless of race or status as illustrated
by the following excerpts in English translation:-

“Look at the power of love,

That could lure people to their deaths.
Here are three corpses in a row,
All of them were slaves of love.”

“Thus concludes my poetic endeavor,

A tale which can be turned into a play,
Of Sakai born on the high land of Phatthalung,
Wild forest their home, how to love they do know.”

The South East Asian Writers or S.E.A. Write Award founded in 1979 by the
Oriental Hotel, Bangkok is an annual event that recognizes and honors the works of
contemporary poets and writers within Southeast Asian countries, presenting one
award to a winner from each country. The award is given in the categories of poetry,
short story and novel in rotation. In the early years, Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore and Thailand were the key participants. Winning writers receive
a commemorative plaque, cash, and an all-expenses-paid vacation in Thailand or
another ASEAN country. The initiative was well-supported by several organizations
and other entities also joined in providing additional sponsorship. At the onset the
Award was presented by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. In later years, members of the
royal family or their representatives have graciously presided over the annual award
presentation ceremony and gala dinner, during which a keynote speech is delivered by
a prominent literary figure.

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The English translations of selected S.E.A. Write award-winning works

have appeared in The S.E.A. Write Anthology of Thai Short Stories and Poems;
ASEAN Short Stories and Poems by S.E.A. Write Awardees 1999; Old Truths, New
Revelations; and The S.E.A. Write Anthology of ASEAN Short Stories and
Poems—The 30 th Anniversary. These volumes were aimed at promoting good
understanding and mutual respect among ASEAN nations. Since the works are in English,
it is hoped that they will also interest readers all over the world and make international
literary circles aware of the distinctive as well as common cultures and aspirations
of ASEAN countries.
At present the genres of literature translated into Thai are short stories and
novels. Romance, detective story, mystery and science fiction are the most popular.
A large number of people are addicted to Chinese martial arts or gung fu novels in
translation. With the invasion of Japanese movies and soap operas, the trend has shifted
to the translation of Japanese literature into Thai, especially the “manga,” the Japanese
word for “comics,” consisting of comics and print cartoons, popular among people
of all ages in Japan. With the trend of Korean romance becoming prominent among
Thai youngsters, new translators emerge in a large number. Their works are often met
with criticism that they lack linguistic efficiency and appeal only to young college and
school girls. The texts often lose their original meanings and flavors in the process
of translation. Apart from English, Chinese and Japanese texts, there is a rise in the
number of texts dealing with philosophy being translated into Thai from the European
languages like French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish.
On the other hand, there are fewer works by Thai authors translated into
other languages. Apart from the selected works included in The Anthology of ASEAN
Literatures and The S.E.A. Write Anthology of Thai Short Stories and Poems, the
popular novel Khu Kam by Dhamayanti has been translated into English as Sunset at
Chao Phraya and also into Japanese as the hero of the story is a Japanese naval officer
who meets and falls in love with a Thai girl during World War II in Japan-occupied
Thailand. Si Phaendin (The Four Reigns), a novel by the late Prime Minister of
Thailand Mom Rajawongse Kukrit Pramoj, depicts the life of the principal character,
Mae Ploy, from her childhood to death spanning four reigns. The readers can follow the

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development of Ploy’s life along with the cultural and political changes in Thailand.
The winner of the SEATO Prize for Thai Literature, Chotmai Chak Mueang Thai
(Letters from Thailand) by Botan, is the story of Tan Suang U who leaves China to
make his fortune in Thailand at the close of World War II. His life is unfolded through
the letters he writes from Bangkok Chinatown to his mother in China.
Translations of the S.E.A. Write award-winning novels include Kathang
Chaniang Rim Natang (The Chaniang Pot by the Window) by two-time winner
Win Lyovarin and Khwam Suk Khong Kati (The Happiness of Kathi), a novelette by
Jane Vejjajiva. The first story is a psychological novel with a twist ending about a
paralyzed victim of a head-on collision who is hospitalized and unable to speak. His
suffering makes him want to end his life but a kind nurse convinces him to change his
mind by telling him about her own miserable life. The second one, a story of love and
sorrow from the viewpoint of Kati, a nine-year-old girl, has been translated into
English, French and Japanese. The aforementioned examples seem to show that only
popular and award-winning books get translated, often by native speakers of foreign
languages, but also by competent Thai translators.
In modern days, globalization not only leads us into the world of
technology and computerized space but also the realm of translation as well. The impact
of globalization is the functional determinant for the translator to choose between “what
to translate” and “for whom the translation is meant.” In the past, translated literatures
in Thailand generally dealt with religious and cultural themes. After Western literature
was introduced into the country there have been constant translations mostly through
the medium of English. Many of them, from the Greek plays and Shakespeare’s dramas
to Steinbeck’s novels, have been adapted and staged. Modern Thai readers tend to
read translated novels with themes based on romances or action-packed thrillers. The
makeshift trends of readers’ interest from religious and classical literary texts could
possibly be the impact of globalization.
Translation needs not be the sole means for the translation of literary texts.
Because of business expansion in today’s world, we see the shift of translation
purposes from entertainment to business and economic development in our
competitive world. “Know-how” books in translation are trendy with modern

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readers. The source and target languages of translation can also vary and in Thailand
the upcoming of Japanese and Korean as target languages is popular. Rudyard
Kipling’s words “East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet”
no longer apply to the “small world” in the age of globalization. We know what is
happening in other parts of the world in just seconds, sometimes at the same time that
it is happening. We share the joys and sorrows of our fellow human beings. It remains
the duty of the translator to transfer facts and ideas from one language to another as
accurately as possible while still retaining the aesthetic aspect of the source language,
keeping in mind that nothing gets “lost in translation.”

References

Chulalongkorn, King, 2002. Ngo Pa: Romance of the Sakai. Bangkok: Kurusapa Press.
Gesmankit, Khunying Kullasap (edited), 1999. Anthology of ASEAN Literatures:
Volume II a Thai Literary Works of the Ayutthaya Period, Translated
Version. Bangkok: Amarin Printing and Publishing Company Limited.
Masavisut, Nitaya and Grose, Matthew. (edited), 2000. The S.E.A. Write Anthology of Thai
Short Stories and Poems. Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books.
Masavisut, Nitaya and Boccuzi, Ellen. (edited), 2005. The S.E.A. Write Anthology of
ASEAN Short Stories and Poems—The 30th Anniversary. Bangkok: Silkroad
Agency.
Poolthupya, Srisurang. (edited), 2001. ASEAN Short Stories and Poems by S.E.A. Write
Awardees 1999. Bangkok: Thai P.E.N. Centre.
Seet, K.K. (edited), 2001. Old Truths, New Revelations. Singapore: Times Book
International.

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