Sunthon Phu
Sunthon Phu (also: Sonthorn Phu or Sunthorn Pu; in Thai : สุนทร ภู่ ; born June 26, 1786 in Bangkok ; † 1855 ) was a Thai poet.
Life
Sunthon Phu's father was from the Rayong area , but his wife was long in the capital, Bangkok , where she gave birth to her son. A short time later the marriage was divorced and the mother came to the court as a wet nurse . Like many young people of his time, he received his education from Buddhist monks at Wat Sri Sudaram , where a small memorial was even erected for him.
After graduating from school, he began working as a secretary at the court. However, his true talent was soon recognized: poetry. In a romantic moment he fell madly in love with the beautiful lady-in-waiting Chan, a violation of good morals at court. Both were thrown into dungeon, but released again after a short time. During a two-month stay in Rayong, where he saw his father again, Sunthon Phu became so ill that he had to return to the capital immediately. Fortunately, because only a little later he was allowed to marry his Chan. Many beautiful love poems have been preserved.
In 1807 he wrote the poem Nirat Phra Bat , in which he immortalized his journey with a prince and - his problems with the woman he loved. In 1809 Phra Phutthaloetla (Rama II) became the new king, a man of extraordinary poetic talent. He translated the Indian Ramayana into the Thai Ramakian , using the comprehension and critical faculties of Sunthon Phu. In the end, the young poet's drunkenness was fatal: he injured his uncle so badly during a quarrel that the king had him thrown into prison. Chan also turned away from him. Sunthon Phu was released a short time later and appointed court poet. He wrote parts of the epic The Legend of Khun Chang and Khun Phaen .
Prince Chetsadabodin also diligently wrote poetry, the quality of which, however, was publicly questioned by Sunthon Phu. Yes, sometimes he even corrected the lines ex tempore. Of course, this caused trouble for the prince, and after he was enthroned as King Maha Chetsadabodin ( Phra Nang Klao , Rama III ) in 1824 , it was not long before Sunthon Phu was dismissed. He had no choice but to spend the next 18 years as a Buddhist monk and the like. a. to live at Wat Theptidaram in Bangkok .
Sunthon Phu is considered to be one of the greatest poets in Thailand. On his 200th birthday in 1986, he was honored by UNESCO as Thailand's great folk poet, on June 26th each year "Sunthon Phu Day" is celebrated in his honor.
Web links
- Literature by and about Sundar Bhū in the catalog of the German National Library
- Site of the Sriwittayapaknam School on Sunthon Phu (in English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Sunthon Phu |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | thai poet |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 26, 1786 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bangkok |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1855 |