Trent Walker: An American mastering Khmer Smot

As part of his senior thesis, Religious Studies major Trent Walker produced the first ever full-scale study of the Cambodian dharma song tradition.

During the course of his research, Trent learned how to sing religious texts in the complex musical style called smutr.
---------
Bilingual Dharma Song in Memory of Prum Ut (1945-2009)
Written and performed in Khmer and English by Trent Walker


This song in the seven-syllable meter was written in memory of my master Prum Ut, with whom I studied Cambodian Dharma songs from 2005 until his death in 2009.

ខ្ញុំលើកទសករដាក់សិរសី
ចំពោះគ្រូនៃបទនេះអាយ
ដែលគេស្មូត្រតាំងពីព្រេងនាយ
មុននឹងសម័យព្រះគង់នៅ ។

ក្នុងផ្ទះលោកគ្រូបានបង្ហាត់
ខ្ញុំឲ្យចេះស្ទាត់បាលីត្រូវ
ឲ្យចេះថ្នាក់ថ្នំក្រាំងសៀវភៅ
ចេះសព្វថ្ងៃទៅថ្វាយវន្ទា ។

ចំពោះព្រះរ័ត្នត្រៃទាំងបី
ទាំងគ្រូប្រុសស្រីសព្វសត្តា
រហូតដល់យើងដាច់សង្ខារ
សោះសូន្យកាយាស្វែងធម៌ស្ងប់ ។

I raise these hands up to you,
Teacher, guru, of this song,
This melody, sung so long
Ago, before the Bo tree.

In your kind home you taught me
To chant Pali reverently,
Treat books with care, so gently,
And to daily humbly pray.


To the Three Jewels, our teachers
And all creatures, till the day
You and I must fade away,
Die and decay, chasing peace.

To read the Stanford U. article about Trent's senior thesis, go to:

http://humanexperience.stanford.edu/trentwalker

To read about Trent's work, go to: http://www.trentwalker.org