The father of Cambodian Poetry

Ouk Ou or Phirum Ngoy was known as Krom Ngoy, HE was considered as a father of Cambodian Poetry. Only 2 other poetry came close to his caliber that was Ouknha Suttanprija and Sonthor mok.His pros and prose and poems, sung in the forms of songs, such as the Law for Men and Women and Krom Ngoys Will, have been used as guides for many people throughout the country in raising their children. Many of his poems, which often aimed at guiding the people about their life, raising their children and about the preservation of the Khmer culture and literature, were used as texts at many Cambodian schools. Krom Ngoy comes to symbolist as a Khmer icon during his time and afterward. His poems rhymed so perfect. They mesmerism and hypnotize and captivate the audiences imagination when sang in the forms of the Chapei songs (singing while the singer plays a guitar-like instrument at the same time). As he had made a mark in the Cambodian literature history and being the icon of Khmer poetry his life accounts must be recorded, hence comes about the publication of his biography below:


Languages master Ou was born in the Christian era of 1865 THE BUDDHIST ERA OF 2408 in Aundoung Svay Kombul commune Phnom Penh District Kandal Province.His father name Ouk was the chief of Kombul commune with the royal title Chao Ponhea Dhamar Theara.Chao Ponhea Ouk had a family lineage with the Lord Poc whose descendants ruled as the lord-governors of Batammbang province from 1796 until 1907. His mothers name was Eang who was a daughter of Chao Ponhea Mok, the chief of Spean Thmor commune of the same district (Phnom Penh). Both his father and mother were the second children in their respective family.

During his childhood he studied mathematics and literature at Beoung chak temple at berk skor village beak chan commune and in his native district. He was very studious child. He had been ordained as a Buddhist novice in the village temple. A few years later he left the monkhood in order to work for his parents. He also served as a secretary to his father in his capacity as a tax collector for the royal treasury. When he was 21 years old he was once again ordained as a senior monk in his old temple under the guidance of Mr. Sass, Venerable Chrouk and Venerable Oung as his religious teachers. Venerable Ou (krom Ngoy) learned about the Buddhist teachings and learned how to translate the Buddhist Scripture, The Tripitaka, first under the guidance of Venerable Tith, a high priest of Ang Boeng Chork Temple. After that he went to practise Vipassana (meditation) with religious teachers in various places.


He had stayed in monkshood for 5 years. Later on he went and work with his father as a secretary. Once again when he was 21 he was ordained as a senior monk at his old Temple.After his monk hood he went to help his father again as the legal adviser. Then he become a farmer.

He was a talent poet who has ability to remember about ancient story both religious and non religious. He was as well talented musician and singer. He was skillfully played the skea deav (similar to guitar but only have 1 string. The villagers loved his Chapei song (the kind of prose which was sung while the singer was playing the Sadeav guitar at the same time) and they considered him as a scholar by presenting him a title of Phirum Ngoy, Ngoy the language master. Ngoy, the language master was a big man with bulging belly who liked to have his hair cut short and growing his moustache. He liked to wear a Chorng Kben skirt, wearing a round-necked shirt with big buttons, wearing thongs and wearing a birds nest-like hat. Wherever he goes he always brought his walking stick and carrying his bag hanging from his shoulder. When he sang his poems he always play the Ksedeav (guitar-like instrument) along as well. His Ksedeav can be disassemble at any time and re-assemble as quickly as possible when he needed to play it. When he need to sing his Chapei song he will take out a gourd shell from his bag, join it with his walking stick, attach the strings from the gourd shell to the end of his walking stick to build an instant guitar with a very nice sound.

In Winter, after he finished with his farm works, he was always invited by villagers, from near and afar, to sing or chant for their festival events. He never charge the people for his performances but because they loved him and his performances they always collected the money and the rice from the villagers to give to him. When he travelled through Phnom Penh he always stayed at the Ounnalom Temple (the headquarter of the Cambodian Buddhist Patriarch) in order to use the opportunity to discuss about various religious issues with the senior Buddhist monks who resided at the temple.
The topics of his poetic songs or religious chants were always talked about the current issues of that time, such as the following topics:

1. About life as farmers
2. About the traditional marriage arrangements.
3. About poverty and its reasons.
4. About the lack of education and the illiteracy of the Khmer people.
5. About the lack of enthusiasm in ones works.
6. About the divisions and conflicts, in both the lay-people and the clerics circles.
7. About foreign repression and oppression of the Khmer people.
8. About the lack of Khmer independence.
9. About the survival of the Khmer culture and Khmer literature.

His reputation as a talented poet has been told to our King (Sisowath. Our king majesty invited him to sing for him in the Royal Palace.King Sisowath admired his poetry skills and he invited Ou to join the Royal Band and presented him with the royal title of Ou, the language master. But because there was someone in the Royal Band named Ou already His Majesty asked everyone to call him Ngoy instead, so as not to be confused with the other Ou. Since then he was called Ngoy or Krom Ngoy (Ngoy, the expert).

Ngoys reputation as a poetry expert was not confined in within Cambodia alone, it has spread to the Kingdom of Thailand as well. The Siamese prince named Krom Pra Thamrung Rajanupharp and a French man named Coedes had an audience with King Sisowath. During the musical performances for the two foreign guests in the royal palace Krom Ngoy had outperformed the other musicians with his Ksedeav. His reputation had spread to the people of Thailand. The Thai King sent a royal letter to the Khmer King asking for a royal permission to invite Krom Ngoy to sing for him in Bangkok. Krom Ngoy went to Thailand for three months and received a cordial royal reception from the Thai King and his officials. The Thai King then presented him with a title as the language master phai roh leou kern (the master of the voice). The King also presented him with silver buttons, money and other paraphernalia.


There was a story circulated around that when Krom Ngoy returned to Cambodia through Battambang he met another skillful poetry singer named Phirum Yu, Yu the language master. Because he had heard that Phirum Ngoy was a skillful poetry singer Phirum Yu asked him for a competition. In the song Pirum Yu asked Phirum Ngoy where is Meru Mountain? Where is it located? How high is it? How far is it from here? Phirum Ngoy replied if you are so curious like this, do you want me to tell you the truth or do you want me to lie? Phirum Yu retorted that I asked in a bonafide therefore you, Phirum Ngoy must answer in bonafide. So Phirum Ngoy answered how big, how tall and how far was SoMeru Mountain from Battambang and if Phirun Yu did not believe him he must go and see it for himself. Phirum Yu responded that he believed what Phirum Ngoy had just described to him. So, in return, Phirum Ngoy asked Phirum Yu how far is Battambang Market from Phnom Penh if one travels by road? And how many kilometres if one travels by way of Tonle Sap river? Phirum Yu cannot answer. Phirum Ngoy then sang by throwing critical sarcastic comments at Phirum Yu that a place and a country where you used to live, you cannot answer me. And you asked me a place where I had never been to. Even if I lied to you, you wouldn't know if I lied or not. Phirum Ngoy continued to throw critical sarcastic comments at Phirum Yu until he felt so embarrassed and walked off the stage. The audience enjoyed the poetic exchanges and cheered for Phirum Ngoy when Phirum Yu walked off the stage. The governor of Battambang presented Phirum Ngoy with winning trophies of one white horse and 400 riels in cash (a huge sum at that time). Started from that day non of other singer want to try their knowledge with him. Only his good friends and his special duet can face up with him on the state. Later after that, Mr. Coedes introduced Phirum Ngoy to Miss Suzanne Karpeles, who was the director of the Buddhist Institute in Phnom Penh. In 1930 Miss Suzanne Karpeles asked Phirum Ngoy to sing all his poetry songs again so that the scholars at the Buddhist Institute can record and publish them in books. As a reward Miss Karpeles gave Phirum Ngoy 1 riels in cash as a token of his love for the Khmer culture. In order to preserve his masterpiece the Buddhist Institute published his poetry into four books and later combined them into only one book.
In fact Phirum Ngoy had verbally authored many poetry songs which were not published in books because Phirum Ngoy, the poet, just sang from his mouth and did not write his poetry on papers. His masterpieces which we had found in books to this present day are:

1. Chbab Laboek Thmey (the law of the new prose- a ballad of four rhyming words) 1922.
2. Chbab Kekal Thmey (the law of the new inheritance- a poem of 4, 5 and 6 rhyming words) 1922.
3. The Advice on Life (a poem of 7 rhyming words)- 1931
4. The Law for Men and Women (a poem of 7 rhyming words)- dates unknown.
5. Bandam Krom Ngoy (Krom Ngoys poem of 7 rhyming words) dates unknown.

Language master Ou (Phirum Ngoy) was married to Mrs. In and had six sons. They are 1. Dong, 2. Cheng, 3. Cha, 4. Chen, 5. Chong and, 6.Chev.
Among his six sons there was one son who inherited his poetry skills. He was Chong, the sixth son who was respectfully called Achar Chong. (Achar meaning a learned man). There were some people who knew that Phirum Ngoy had one grandson who inherited his poetry skills and became the Ayai singer (Ayai is another form of a duet poetry song performance, often between a man and a woman throwing sarcastic comments at each other while they sing).