Khmer Literature and Culture Festival

Liger is all about project-based learning, so is our Khmer class. After publishing a Khmer poem book we decided to do something a little bit bigger to further promote the Khmer literature and culture. We put our though together and came up with an event that is going to be fun and will promote as many aspects of the Khmer literature and culture as possible. With 50 young-organizers planings and organizing, the event started to become real.

After months of preparation and planning, we’re finally ready for the big event. On the 25th of May 2019, the Khmer literature and culture at Liger prosper. Everybody dress up stunningly beautiful in the Khmer traditional clothes and filled with energy to rock the day with knowledge and fun. As the leader of the Khmer slang booth​(គ្រាមភាសា), I was rocking a Khmer traditional pant (ខោចែវ – khao-chev), and a white long-sleeve t-shirt with Angkor Wat image across the chest.

It was 9:00 am and the event has started. Students from many public schools, private school, and organization rush into every booth to see what do we have to offer. I was more than excited to have fun and teach about my topic. To attract the audience I’ve prepared something very special. I displayed a very appetizing snack on the table as the price for playing and learning about Khmer slang (គ្រាមភាសា). People gathering around my booth and very interested in learning and having fun with my topic. Loud laughs, huge smiles, and kind regards are what I receive from the crowd. I couldn’t be more proud. I am very grateful to take part in the great event and very honor in making the Khmer literature and culture prosper once again.

The Book of Khmer Poem

There are so many aspects that make Liger different from the public school one of those is the curriculum. At Liger, most of the class were conducted in English, yet we still spend 5 hours a week learning our native language: Khmer. Unlike the classes in public school, our Khmer class also have small projects like research papers and poems. At the end of last year, we started to write poems about any topic we like. Then now, at the beginning of this year, we decided to turn those poems into a book along with some research about the different type of poem and their history. After the book is finished, we have a showcase at the Khmer Literature Festival in Battambang province. Surprisingly, we got a lot of support: we sold out all of our printed books. After the showcase, we found out that there are some parts of the book that needs to be further edited before another showcase in Phnom Penh Book Fare in December.

Fishermen (Poem)

The views of the ocean (Taken from the Vagabond Temple).

អ្នកនេសាទ

មើលនាយសមុទ្រសែនវែងអន្លាយ                             មើលទៅសែនឆ្ងាយដាច់កន្ទុយភ្នែក

នឹកឃើញពេលណាឲ្យខ្ញុំសង្វេក                                    ចិត្តចង់តែស្រែកឲ្យ្មេឃបានដឹង

 

អស់ឱសមុទ្រអើយសមុត្រខ្មែរ                                     អរគុណអ្នកដែលកំពុងខំប្រឹង

អ្នកមិននៅស្ងាមអង្គុយសញ្ចឹង                                   តែអ្នកខំប្រឹងទាញភ្ញៀវទេសចរ

 

អ្នកខ្លះមិនឃើញគុណតម្លៃនេះ                                   បែរជាត្រិះរិះធ្វើអ្វីមិនល្អ

គេបានបំផ្លាញសមុទ្របវរ                                            វើវាបន្តរដើម្បីកំរៃ

 

គ្មានអ្នកណាក្រៅពីអ្នកនេសាទ                                 ខំប្រឹងសង្វាតជារាងរាល់ថ្ងៃ

អូសអួនហើយឆក់ធ្វើយ៉ាងព្រៃផ្សៃ                            ទោះយ៉ាងណាក្ដីត្រីមួយកញ្ជើ

 

មិនមែនកំហុសគេទាំស្រុងទេ                                    នេះក៏ព្រោះតែឥការងារធ្វើ

ជារាងរាល់ថ្ងៃរាល់គ្រប់អំពើរ                                       គ្រាន់តែទ្វើដើម្បីក្រពះ

 

ជាចុងក្រោយកវីសង្ឃឹមថា                                         រាដ្ធាភិបាលនឹងប្រឹងជំនះ

បង្កើតការងារមុនថ្ងៃថ្មីរះ                                           ជួយដល់ក្រពះអ្នកនេសាទ

 

Translation

Fishermen 

Look at the ocean is so wide

It looks so long out of my view

When I think about it make me feel sick

I just want to yell so the sky can hear

 

Oh ocean, Cambodian ocean

Thank you for your hard working

You do not sit still

But you work hard to attract the tourist.

 

But some people didn’t see this benefit

And they intend to do bad thing

They destroy the beautiful ocean

Do it more and more for money

 

There are no other than the fishermen

Trying hard every day

Electric Trawling brutally

However just a bucket of fish

 

But it’s not totally their fault

It is because lack of job

And every day, every action

They just do it for their stomach

 

At last the author hopes

The government will help

Makes more jobs before the new sunrise

Help the fishermen’s stomachs.