Dear Readers,
Please find below a beautiful stereo song from the 60s by no other than our famous Sin Sisamouth. The song’s lyrics – ចន្ទ្រារះហើយ The moon has risen – contains a playful use of the words Chantrea (the moon) and Chan which also represents the moon, but more commonly, a woman’s name.
I have included below an attempt to translate this song into English. I hope you will overlook any of my mistranslations.
Dedicated to the unforgettable Chan
Sin Sisamouth - Chantrea Reah Heuy (ចន្ទ្រារះហើយ)
ចន្ទ្រារះហើយ
The moon has risen
ពោល៖សំឡឹងមើលមេឃក្នុងពេលរាត្រី ដួងព្រះចន្ទទើបរះថ្មី រស្មីគួរចាប់ចិត្តចេតនា
Looking at the night sky, the glow of the new rising moon is so wonderful to watch
១. ចន្ទ្រារះហើយ ចន្ទ្រារះហើយ មិនបង្អង់ឡើយនាំគ្នាគយគន់
The moon has risen, the moon has risen, let’s hurry up and watch
ចិត្តត្រេកចង់បាន ចន្ទស្រស់ស្រទន់ ឱ!ព្រះចន្ទតើវាសនាបានទៅលើអ្នកណា?
My joyful heart is filled with desire for the beautiful
Chan. Oh, Moon, who will capture your heart?
២. ចន្ទ្រារះថ្មី ចន្ទ្រារះថ្មី ដឹងដែរឬអីរឿងក្តីស្នេហា រាល់ថ្ងៃមនុស្សលោក ទុក្ខសោកខ្លោចផ្សា ព្រោះប្រាថ្នាចង់បានចន្ទថ្លាជាគូកៀកកើយ...។
The new moon has risen, the new moon has risen, do you know about love sickness? Everyday, someone is lovesick because he wants to embrace
Chan…
បន្ទរ៖ ចន្ទអើយចន្ទល្អអ្វីម្ល៉េះ ទ្រូងស្ទើរប្រេះធ្លាយឥឡូវហើយ លួចស្រឡាញ់ចន្ទ
មិនដឹងឡើយ ឱ!ព្រះចន្ទអើយយល់ចិត្តខ្ញុំផង...។
Chan, how beautiful you are! My heart is pounding hard in my chest, I fell in love with
Chan who does not know. Oh, Moon, please understand my feeling.
៣. ខ្ញុំសូមអង្វរ ខ្ញុំសូមអង្វរ សូមព្រះចន្ទល្អកុំចររំលង កុំបំភ្លេចខ្ញុំដែលខំបំណង គេងគិតផ្សងថាផ្ញើរកម្រងវាសនានិងចន្ទ។
I beg you, I beg you, beautiful Moon, please don’t skip me, don’t forget this person who dreams of tying his destiny with
Chan.
ពោល៖ ចន្ទ្រារះហើយ ឱ!ព្រះចន្ទអើយតើរះក្នុងចិត្តអ្នកណា......?
The moon has risen. Oh, Moon, whose heart will you shine upon?
Happy Father’s Day! Even if you are FOB
In closing, I would like to wish “Happy Father’s Day!” to all the fathers out there who will celebrate this momentous day on Sunday with their children. Cherish the moment, cherish their tenderness while you can because before you knew it, they are all gone.
It seems as if it was just yesterday when mine waited for me at the door to jump on me and hug me when I arrive home. Today, they are all grown up and have spread their wings far and wide. Yet, one of them called the other day: “OK, Dad, my sister will come and pick you up this Sunday and she will bring you down here to visit me. How about that?” Without thinking, I asked for: “What’s the occasion?” She replied: “Oh Dad, you’re so FOB!” Surprised, I asked her: “FOB? What’s that? Father of the Bride? I hope … not yet!” With impatience, she replied: “FOB as in Fresh Off the Boat, you know? And Sunday is Father’s day, hello?” So I told her: “Ah, I got it, but for your information, I arrived on this shore by plane, not by boat. Sure I came here with just flip flops and a tiny bag of clothes, but I was no boat people!” With a long sigh, she told me: “See you Sunday, Dad, just make sure to bring your credit cards along, OK? Goodbye!” Finally she said something I can easily understand, Kaching!!
Cherish the moment! Happy Father’s Children’s Day!
Until the next blue moon ... yours truly,
P. from Long Beach
