Wise Old Words

Old words from ancient times tell us you could not see your own faults. The faults of others, no matter how minor, were as big as a mountain.

In the forest full of wild beasts, you implored others to join you. Had sugar and honey, you hid in your home, and ate alone.

You kept wanting and scheming for this and scheming for that without consideration. It was all about you, with no regard for others.

You ate simply to eat but were too indolent to chew properly. You thought of a neam (two-man fishing net) for a moun (fishing net); you took a Joung for a Kuoy (minority hill groups).

You confused grandpas for grandmas and a son for a nephew. You misread two for one and misery for joy.

You assumed offense for gratitude; you thought merit for vice. You mistook goodness for wickedness, and you assumed excrement for flowers.

You donned the monk's robe but refused to shave your head. You looked into a mirror with your eyes closed. You mistook a horse for a donkey. You confused an elephant for a mouse.

These are old words that everyone should consider and understand. Do not confuse a pond for a road, lest you get bogged down in the mud.

The wise kept these timeless words without straying from those of olden times. Do not take a treacherous path, as the ancients cautioned.

These are words from the past that you ought to contemplate. Do not gloat, boast, or be arrogant about your own knowledge.

Do not sleep in at night, lest misfortune come your way. Avoid overeating and remember to take everyone into account.

Only carry what you can. Avoid pulling with a jerk to avoid injuring your shoulders. Treat others like you would your own sons. Do not nag incessantly, and always act with kindness.

Take your time; do not rush. Think things through before acting to avoid criticism and disgrace.

Never confuse raw food with cooked food. Be circumspect about your family’s internal and external affairs. Don’t be so arrogant as to dismiss the past.

Speak softly and choose your words with care. Avoid looking for an easy way out. Consider the long term, delve deep, and consider numerous options.

"Do not attempt to raise a tiger," the ancients cautioned. They advised drawing an analogy: If you decide on a course of action, make sure you follow through on it. Grip a snake's neck tightly, should it turn around and bite you. Likewise, drag your boat along without leaving a trace, much like you catch fish without muddying the water.

Leaves don’t just move on their own; they are shaken by the wind. If clear water turns cloudy, it could have been churned by waves.

Don’t get so worked up if something seems unfavorable. Even if things seem promising, avoid making arrangements in advance. Don't strive to get more once you've received a lot. Be cautious and tread lightly.

The wealthy, like a piece of cloth wrapped around your body, should care for the poor. Like a ship to a skiff, the knowledgeable should protect the ignorant.

As dictated by ancient codes, the highborn safeguard the lowborn. The full nourish the hungry, just as the strong protect the helpless.

Take care of each other without expecting anything in return. Do not carry debt over people into the future, which is akin to a fence laced with thorns.

Do not aim to satisfy your stomach without considering others who are hungry. Feed them until they are satisfied.

Don’t be so foolish as to cross the water on the back of a crocodile. Do not break down your own fence just to cook a pot of rice.

With a boat, you'll need both fixed and loose oars. You'll need poles and anchors. You will need to have everything ready to go.

In the event of a storm, be careful when facing the wind. Note each and every detail. This is being well prepared.

You should keep these old words in mind. Words passed down from the ancients are worth considering.

These words should obviously be kept as a guideline, a principle to which you should adhere. As we conclude this poem, its meaning will live on.

Chbab Peak Chasa (Old Words)

Author Unknown (16th Century or earlier)

Cpap, pronounced chbab, is a genre of Khmer poetry. Chbab is the Khmer term meaning law, but in poetry, it refers to a series of didactic poems largely composed by Buddhist monks to teach reading, writing, and morals in monastic schools from the 15th to the 19th centuries. However, the origins of chbab may be traced back to long before the introduction of Buddhism in Cambodia in the 3rd century CE. These poems were passed down orally for generations. They were only put on paper, or rather palm leaves, by Buddhist monks near the end of the Angkor Era in the 15th century, when Hinduism was declining and Khmer started to replace Sanskrit as the language of literature proper.

Most chbab poems are brief, with the shortest being only 27 stanzas long. They cover a wide range of topics, from how to raise children to how to safe-keep cultural heritage to how to take pride and be enthusiastic about one's own work. And their subjects range from etiquette to finance, education to marital issues to religion. As previously noted, the majority of these poems were transcripted/composed by Buddhist monks, and as such, elements of Buddhism featured heavily in them, including the oldest ones.

The preceding poem is possibly the oldest in the genre.