Well, according to me anyhow :).  Perhaps you have heard it and is a favorite of yours!

Since it is the month of love, I wanted to share a translation of a Cambodian song, originally by Sinn Sisamouth. Considered to be the King of Khmer music, Sinn Sisamouth was a popular writer-singer in the 1950s-1970s. He was Cambodia’s Elvis Presley version.

He, alongside of Ros Serey Sothea and other Khmer singers of that era were able to successfully blend elements of Cambodian traditional music with rhythms of rock and blues to create Cambodia’s own version of rock and pop music.

Beautifully composed, ឱ!ស្នេហ៍មាសបង, is a song that speaks of a love so deep and true that he would do anything for the person he loves. The word “មាស” refers to “gold” which, like the metal gold is valuable and pure in the Khmer language. The best word, I felt that captures its true meaning is “dearest”.

It is a beautiful combination of poetry and analogies. And the more I learn about the Khmer language and listen to Khmer music, the more I have come to appreciate the depths of its meaning.

I hope you enjoy the translations (thanks to Virginia for helping to smooth the rough translations) and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Khmer Lyrics	English Translation
ឱ!ស្នេហ៍មាសបង ស្ដាប់ភ្លេងបងច្រៀងបំពេរ ជាតិនេះ រៀមស្នេហ៍ ស្នេហ៍អូនទុកក្នុងហឫទ័យ ពេលញាំក៏ញាំមិនបាន ពេលគេងទុក្ខ ព្រួយរាល់ថ្ងៃ ដឹងទេចរណៃ រៀមសូមស្នេហ៍ ស្រីប្រាកដ	Oh my dearest love,  Listen to the music I am singing In this life, I love you,  Love you deeply in my being. When I eat, I can’t even eat When I sleep, I worry everyday Do you know, my darling? I am ready to love you for real
ស្រលាញ់បងទៅ បងនិងលើកទូលថ្នាក់ថ្នម បំពេរបីបម ថ្នមស្នេហ៍ មិនឱ្យកង្វល់ ពាក្យពិតបងពោលពាក្យពិត ចិត្តស្នេហ៍ តែឆោមនិមល លើកនេះលើកមុខ ស្នេហ៍អូនលុះ គ្រាក្សិនក្ស័យ	Just love me,  For I will lift and take care of you Sing and hold you gently,  Take care of you so you don’t have to worry These words I say are true,  My love is only for you This moment, last moment, I will love you until I cease to live
រៀមនិង ថ្នាក់ថ្នម បីបមឆោមកែវនិមល រៀមស៊ូអត់ធន់ ទ្រាំទុក្ខលំបាករីងរៃ គេថាផ្លូវថ្នល់ រថយន្ដជា គូរនិស្ស័យ ដួងចៃ ដួងចៃ បងក្ស័យតាមស្រីជានិច្ច	I will take care of you, Hold you, my darling I will persevere, Endure hardships They say the road Is destined with the car Love, Love, I will die for you always
ឱ!ស្នេហ៍មាសបង បើនួនល្អង ព្រមរួមប្រាណ ល្អណាស់កល្យាណ បើស្នេហ៍ ប្រែជាទឹកមន្ដ ឱ្យក្ស័យក៏បងព្រមក្ស័យ មិនស្ដាយ ជីវិតឡើយអូន ភ័ក្រ្ត មូលដូចចន្ទ បងសូមរួម រក្ស័លុះក្ស័យ	Oh my dearest love,  if you are willing to be together Very good, my darling If our love turns to magic, If I were to die, I would be willing to die I won’t regret my life, my dear Round face like the moon I hope to be with you until I die.
ឱ!ស្នេហ៍មាសបង បើនួនល្អង ព្រមរួមប្រាណ ល្អណាស់កល្យាណ បើស្នេហ៍ ប្រែជាទឹកមន្ដ ឱ្យក្ស័យក៏បងព្រមក្ស័យ មិនស្ដាយ ជីវិតឡើយអូន ភ័ក្រ្ត មូលដូចចន្ទ បងសូមរួម រក្ស័លុះក្ស័យ	Oh my dearest love,  if you are willing to be together Very good, my dearest If our love turns to magic, If I were to die, I would be willing to die I won’t regret my life, darling Round face like the moon I hope to be with you until I die.