# The Oldest Known Writing in Siamese: The Inscription of Phra Ram Khamhæng of Sukhothai, 1293 A.D./Translation

TRANSLATION.
NOTE:—Small figures indicate the number of the line in both Text and Transliteration. In romanized words all unmarked vowels are long—a departure from the regular philological practice necessitated by the exigencies of the press. Square brackets include words whose status is in considerable doubt, whether as regards text or syntax or rendering. Round brackets enclose words added in explanation of terms.
My father's name was Si Inthărathĭt. My mother's name His origin and family. was Lady Süăng. My elder brother's name was Ban Müăng (Warden of the Realm). $^2$ We, elder and younger born from the same womb were five; brothers three, sisters two. My elder brother $^3$ who was first, died and left me while yet little. When I grew up reaching $^4$ nineteen rice-harvests, Khŭn Sam Chŏn (Prince of Three Peoples), lord of Müăng Chawt, came to Müăng Tak. His youthful exploit in battle. My father went to fight $^5$ Khŭn Sam Chŏn by the right. Khŭn Sam Chŏn pressed on to meet him by the left. Khŭn Sam $^6$ Chŏn charged in force. My father's people fled in haste, broken and scattered. $^7$ I fled not. I bestrode the elephant Nekă Phŏn (Host of Warriors). I urged him into the mêlée in front of my father. I engaged $^8$ Khŭn Sam Chŏn in elephant-duel. I myself thrust Khŭn Sam Chŏn's elephant—the one called $^9$ Mat Müăng (Kingdom's Treasure) so that he was worsted. Khŭn Sam Chŏn was vanquished, fled. My father therefore raised my name $^{10}$ to the title Phră Ram Khămhæng, because I thrust Khŭn Sam Chŏn's elephant.
During $^{11}$ my father's time I was support and stay unto my His filial and brotherly devotion. father; I was support and stay unto my mother. If I got the body $^{12}$ of a deer or the body of a fish, I brought it to my father. If I got any fruit, tart or sweet, $^{13}$ that I ate and relished, ate and found good, I brought it to my father. If I went $^{14}$ to hunt elephants, and got them, I brought them to my father. If I went to hamlets or $^{15}$ towns, and got elephants, got elephant's trunks, got slaves, got damsels, got silver, got gold, I brought $^{16}$ and left them with my father. My father died. I continued to be support and stay unto my brother $^{17}$ just as I had been unto ​my father. My brother died. So I got the realm entire to myself.
$^{18}$ During the time of Prince Khŭn Ram Khămhæng this His prosperous reign. realm of Sŭkhothăi has prospered. In the water $^{19}$ are fish, in the field is rice. The lord of the realm takes them not. He would invest them in his people. Along the highways people $^{20}$ lead cattle to trade, ride horses to sell. Whoever wishes to deal Freedom and security. in elephants, deals; whoever $^{21}$ wishes to deal in horses, deals; whoever wishes to deal in silver, in gold, deals. Among common folk of the realm, $^{22}$ among lords or nobles, if any one soever dies or disappears from house and home, the Prince trusts, $^{23}$ supports, aids. They are always getting children and wives, are always growing rice, [these] folk of the realm, subjects of the Thai. Their groves of $^{24}$ areca, their groves of betel, the Prince trusts wholly to them to keep for their own Justice. children. If people of the realm, $^{25}$ if lords or nobles do wrong, fall out, are at at enmity with each other, he makes inquisition, gets at the $^{26}$ truth, and then decides the case for his subjects righteously, 'shares not with stealer, consorts not with $^{27}$ hider,'; 'sees another's goods and covets not, sees another's wealth and Generous treatment of visitors. rages not'. $^{28}$ Whoever comes riding his elephant to visit the city, comes to the moat and waits beside it for $^{29}$ me. Has he no elephants, no horses, no slaves, no damsels, no silver, $^{30}$ no gold, I give to him. Has he wealth to found towns and cities $^{31}$ to be foes and enemies, to be strongholds for war and fighting, I kill not nor smite him. $^{32}$ In the entering in of the gate is a bell hung up there. If folk aggrieved $^{33}$ within town or city have controversies or matters that distress them within and $^{34}$ cramp their hearts, which they would declare unto their lord and prince,—there is no difficulty. Go ring the $^{35}$ bell Appeal to the Prince. which he has hung up there. Khŭn Ram Khămhæng, lord of the realm, can $^{36}$ hear the call. When he has made investigation, he sifts the case for them according to right.
Thus it is that in $^{37}$ this city of Sŭkhothăi the people The capital city. are everywhere establishing plantations of areca and betel throughout the city. $^{38}$ Cocoanut groves and groves of lang are $^{39}$ plenty in ​this city. Mangoes and tamarinds are $^{40}$ plenty in this city. Whoever plants them has them secure to himself. $^{41}$ [Within] this city of Sŭkhothăi there is a gushing rock-spring of water as clear in color and as good to drink of $^{42}$ as is the water of the Khong in the dry season. Around this city of Sŭkhothăi [the circuit] $^{43}$ reaches to three thousand four hundred fathoms.
People in this city of Sŭkhothăi $^{44}$ are given to alms, Religion. are given to observing the precepts, are given to making offerings. Prince Khŭn Ram Khămhæng, $^{45}$ lord of this realm of Sŭkhothăi, with the matrons and nobles of the city, their retinues of servants and maidens, $^{46}$ the gentry one and all, both male and female, $^{47}$ and the mass of common folk, have reverence for the teaching of Buddha. Every one of them keeps the precepts during $^{48}$ Wasa (Buddhist Lent). When Wasa is over, there are the offerings of Khăthĭn for a month before they $^{49}$ are ended. In these presentations there are all sorts of money, all sorts of fruits, $^{50}$ all sorts of flowers; there are cushions for sitting and cushions for reclining to accompany the yellow robes $^{51}$ offered year by year; and they take with them lan leaves to designate the recipients of the Khăthĭn, going even unto the $^{52}$ forest-monastery yonder. When they would return into the city, they stretch in line from the forest-monastery $^{53}$ yonder unto Huă Lan Dăm, making the air resound with the sound of timbrels and lutes, $^{54}$ the sound of carolling and singing. Whoever likes to sport, sports; whoever $^{55}$ likes to laugh, laughs; whoever likes to sing, sings.
This city $^{56}$ of Sŭkhothăi has four gates exceeding great. Objects of Interest. The people throng and press each other fearfully there, when they $^{57}$ come in to see him (the Prince) burn candles, to see him play with fire within this city of Sŭkhothăi. $^{58}$ In the midst of this city of Sŭkhothăi there are temple-buildings, there are $^{59}$ bronze images of Buddha;—there is one eighteen cubits high. There are images of Buddha $^{60}$ that are great, there are images that are $^{61}$ beautiful. There are temples that are great, there are temples that are beautiful. There are reverend $^{62}$ teachers, there is . . . ., there are venerable monks; there is a Măhathen (Arch-priest). Toward sunset $^{63}$ from this city of Sŭkhothăi is a forest-monastery. Prince Khŭn Ram Khămhæng made of it $^{64}$ an ​offering unto Phră Măhathen, the Arch-priest, the scholar who studied the Trĭpĭtăkă unto its end, $^{65}$ the head of his order, and above every other teacher in this realm. He came here from $^{66}$ Sithămmărat. In the midst of that forest-monastery is a temple-building that is $^{67}$ large, lofty, and exceeding fair. It has an eighteen-cubit image standing erect. $^{68}$ Toward sunrise from this city of Sŭkhothăi there are temples with venerable teachers. $^{69}$ There is a great lake; there are groves of areca and betel, there are plantations and fields, there is inhabited country $^{70}$ with villages great and small, there are groves of mango and tamarind, as lovely as if made only to be looked at. $^{71}$ Towards bed's-foot (north) from this city of Sŭkhothăi there is a [public] market place, $^{72}$ there is a Phră ăchănă, there is a royal palace, there are groves of cocoanut and $^{73}$ lang, there are plantations and fields, there is inhabited country with villages great and small. Toward $^{74}$ bed's head (south) from this city of Sŭkhothăi there are monk's cells, and a temple with venerable teachers $^{75}$ dwelling there. There is Sridăphŏngs there are groves of cocoanut and lang, of mango and tamarind; $^{76}$ there are upland waters. In yonder mountain is a demon-spirit, Phră Khăphŭng, that $^{77}$ is greater than every other spirit in this realm. If any Prince ruling this realm $^{78}$ of Sŭkhothăi reverences him well with proper offerings, this realm stands firm, this realm $^{79}$ prospers. If the spirit be not reverenced well, if the offerings be not right, the spirit in the mountain does not protect, does not $^{80}$ regard;—this realm perishes.
In 1214 of the era, year of the Great Dragon, Prince Khŭn The inscribed stones. Ram $^{81}$ Khămhæng, lord of this realm of Si Săchănalăi-Sŭkhothăi, [having] planted this grove of palm trees $^{82}$ fourteen rice-harvests [before], caused workmen to hew slabs of stone and to set them up in the open space $^{83}$ in the center of this palm grove. From the day when the moon was quenched and reappeared, for eight clays, $^{84}$ and from the clay when the moon filled out her orb, for eight days [more], a company of venerable teachers, reverend priests, with the Arch-priest, $^{85}$ went up and sat above the slabs of stone, intoning the Law unto the laity and to the multitude $^{86}$ of people who were observing the precepts. If it were not a clay for reciting the Law, Prince Khŭn Ram Khămhæng, $^{87}$ lord of this realm of Si Săchănalăi-Sŭkhothăi, went up ​and sat above the slabs $^{88}$ of stone, and had the mass of lords, of nobles, and of soldiers pledge themselves together unto home $^{89}$ and realm. On the days of new and of full moon, he had the white elephant named Ruchasi arrayed $^{90}$ with trappings and housings all of gold and ivory . . . . . . right . . . , . . and $^{91}$ Prince Khŭn Ram Khămhæng mounted and rode forth to worship the Buddha Their location. [in the forest]-monastery, and $^{92}$ came [again]. One inscription is in Müăng Chăliăng, built into the (pagoda) $^{93}$ Phră Sri Rătănăthat. One inscription is in a cave called the cave $^{94}$ of [Phră R]am, situate on the bank of the stream Sămphai. One inscription is in the cave $^{95}$ [Rătănă]than (Sparkling Brook). In the midst of this palm grove are two Salas: one called $^{96}$ Sala Phră Mat (of the Golden Buddha), one called Phuttha B . . . . This stone slab, named $^{97}$ Mănăng Sĭla Batră (Thought lodged in Stone), is set here that all may see [that] $^{98}$ Prince Khŭn Phră Ram Khămhæng, son of Prince Khŭn Sĭ Inthărathĭt, is $^{99}$ lord in this realm of Sĭ Săchănalăi-Sŭkhothăi, alike over Ma, Kao, Lao, $^{100}$ and Thăi of regions under the firmament of heaven, . . . . . Thăi dwelling on the U, dwelling on the Khong.
When was $^{101}$ reached 1209 of the era, year of the Hog, The sacred relics. he had the sacred relics exhumed that all $^{102}$ might see. He made solemn sacrifice in reverence to the relics for a month and six days; and then $^{103}$ interred them in the heart of the city Si Săchănalăi, and built over them $^{104}$ a pagoda, six rice-harvests until it was done. And he built a stone wall about the sacred $^{105}$ relics, three rice harvests till it was done.
Heretofore these strokes of Siamese writing were not. $^{106}$ The first Siamese writing. In 1205 of the era, year of the Goat, Prince Khŭn Ram Khămhæng sought and desired $^{107}$ in his heart, and put into use these strokes of Siamese writing. And so there are these strokes of Siamese writing because $^{108}$ that Prince [put them to use.]
That Khŭn Phră Ram Khămhæng sought $^{109}$ to be ruler Epilogue. and lord unto all the Thăi;—sought to be $^{110}$ preceptor and instructor to teach all the Thăi to know $^{111}$ true virtue and righteousness. Among men that live in the realm of the Thai, for $^{112}$ knowledge and insight, for bravery and daring, for energy $^{113}$ and force, there cannot be found a man to equal him—able to subdue hosts of $^{114}$ enemies with ​cities wide and elephants many. Eastward he conquered and secured to his realm $^{115}$ Să: Luang (Phichĭt), Sawng Khwæ (Phĭtsănŭlok), Lămbachăi, Săkha, up to the banks of the Khong $^{116}$ and on to Wiăng Chăn and Wiăng Khăm. Southward $^{117}$ he won the men of Phră Bang, (Nakhawnsăwan) Phræk (Săngkhăburi), Suphănăphum, $^{118}$ Rachăburi, Phĕchăburi, Sithămmărat, and the shore of the $^{119}$ ocean sea. Westward he won Müăng Chawt, $^{120}$ Müăng . . . . Hŏngsawădi (Pegu), with the ocean for $^{121}$ boundary. Northward he won Müăng Phlæ, Müăng Man, $^{122}$ Müăng . . . . . . ., Müăng Phluă, and beyond the banks of the Khong, $^{123}$ Müăng Chăwa (Luăng Phrăbang), securing them to his realm. He planted and nurtured a host of sons of his city $^{124}$ and realm to be in accord with righteousness every one.
Ladies and gentlemen:—I think you will agree with me that we have here something far more valuable and important than a unique philological document, however important a document of that kind it may be. We have something more important than a unique historical document, which undoubtedly it is. We have here what some one has called a 'human document' of uncommon richness and power. We have a glimpse of the heart and the ideals of a man. The heart was one that could conceive, and the hand was one that for his brief day could bring to some realization that ideal toward which we all are still yearning—a Siam united, free, and good.
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