A New Mandala reader in Bangkok has reported that the notorious rightist song nak phaen din (หนักแผ่นดิน) “has been playing frequently as a ditty on Army radio for the past week or so”. This is a virultently anti-communist song from the 1970s that was played repeatedly in the lead-up to the massacre of students at Thammasat University in October 1976. Ben Anderson makes reference to the song in his book, Spectre of Comparisons:
Radio stations controlled by rightists, and especially the extremist Armored Division Radio, commissioned and played incessantly violent songs such as “Nak Phaendin” (Heavy on the Earth) and “Rok Phaendin” (Scum of the Earth). Kitti Wuttho’s dictum that Buddhism endorsed the killing of communists was given wide and constant publicity. Nor, of course, was the violence merely verbal. As mentioned earlier, the spring and summer of 1976 witnessed a whole series of physical outrages. (p.171)
Thongchai also makes reference to the song in his 1996 commemoration of the 1976 massacre:
The public were first worried, then scared off by the polarizing politics and violence. They gradually turned away from both confronting forces. This deprived the left wing of popular support, a vital element for the radical student movement. Meanwhile military propaganda had dehumanized the radical students, labeling them ‘scum of the earth’ (nak phaendin), the enemy of the “Nation, Religion and the Monarchy”, or lackeys of communist aliens (Vietnam in particular). A right-wing monk asserted that killing of leftists was not a religious sin since it killed the Evil One (Mara). In retrospect, the eradication of the radicals and the return of military rule might have been inevitable. Yet, that brutality of that Wednesday morning was far beyond anybody’s anticipation.
A brief history of the song, its lyrics and a sound file are available on Thai Wikipedia. Translation of lyrics is not my strongpoint, but with some help from my friends I will have a go at the first verse:
They call themselves Thai and they look like Thais.
Living in the golden Bo tree of the King, but they have destruction in their hearts.
They regard the Thai as slaves, they look down on the Thais.
But they live off Thai wealth and enslave the Thai people.
Scum of the earth, scum of the earth, scum of the earth ….
I am sure New Mandala readers can provide a full (and better) translation of this noxious song!
My understanding is that the term “nak phaen din” (literally, heavy on the earth) derives from a Buddhist tale in which the ambitious and arrogant Phra Tewatat attempts to kill the Buddha. He is punished for his sins by being sucked into the earth (suup phaen din). Phra Tewatat is the stereotypical villain who, as one friend put it, “betrays parents, nation, religion or king.” It is not hard to see who is being cast as Phra Tewatat in the current political climate. And his followers, of course, are the scum of the earth.
16 responses so far ↓
1 Lleij Samuel Schwartz // Sep 11, 2007 at 8:32 pm
Well, here is my try at a translation. I had it checked by a native speaker, so I hope their are no glaring errors. Any mistakes, of course, remain my own.
I was struck by the agrarian imagery in the first verse, I’m thinking of phrases like “แผ่นดินของราชันย์” and “แต่ยังฝังทำกิน,” which I think was a good rhetorical choice to combat the potential appeal of communism to the rural population, especially of the Maoist flavor. So with this in mind, I translated “หนักแผ่นดิน” as “A blight upon the earth”
Translation:
คนใดใช้ชื่อไทยอยู่ กายก็ดูเหมือนไทยด้วยกัน
Any person who calls themself Thai, and whose physical features resembles a Thai, too;
ได้อาศัยโพธิ์ทองแผ่นดินของราชันย์ แต่ใจมันยังเฝ้าคิดทำลาย
Living off the golden Bodhi tree and the land of the King, but in their hearts conspiring to harm…
คนใดเห็นไทยเป็นทาส ดูถูกชาติเชื้อชนถิ่นไทย
Any person who sees the Thai as slaves, looking down upon the whole Thai nation;
แต่ยังฝังทำกิน กอบโกยสินไทยไป เหยียดคนไทยเป็นทาสของมัน
But yet still digging for sustinance and scooping up Thai wealth, while despising the Thai as if they were their slaves…
(สร้อย)
หนักแผ่นดิน หนักแผ่นดิน คนเช่นนี้เป็นคนหนักแผ่นดิน (หนักแผ่นดิน!)
A blight upon the earth, a blight upon the earth. A person like that is a blight upon the earth. (A blight upon the earth!)
หนักแผ่นดิน หนักแผ่นดิน คนเช่นนี้เป็นคนหนักแผ่นดิน (หนักแผ่นดิน!)
A blight upon the earth, a blight upon the earth. A person like that is a blight upon the earth. (A blight upon the earth!)
คนใดยุยงปลุกปั่น ไทยด้วยกันหวังให้แตกกระจาย
Any person who agitates Thais to fight against each other, hoping to break and scatter them;
ปลุกระดมมวลชนให้สับสนวุ่นวาย เพื่อคนไทยแบ่งฝ่ายรบกันเอง
Mustering a mob, giving rise to confusion and chaos; to split up the Thais into factions that fight each other.
คนใดหลงชมชาติอื่น ชาติเดียวกันเขายืนข่มเหง
Any person who is lost, admiring other nations, while their own nation they allow to be oppressed;
ได้สินทรัพย์เจือจานก็ประหารไทยกันเอง ทีชาติอื่นเกรงดังญาติของมัน
Seizing assets so that they may kill their fellow Thais, but respecting other nations like their own relatives…
(สร้อย)
คนใดขายตนขายชาติ ได้โอกาสชี้ทางให้ศัตรู
Any person who sells themself and their nation, creating an opportunity to point the way for the enemy
เข้าทลายพลังไทยให้สลายทางสู้ เมื่อศัตรูโจมจู่เสียทีมัน
To collapse Thai power and destroying the will to fight, so when the enemy pounces, we will lose.
คนใดคิดร้ายราวี ประเพณีของไทยไม่ต้องการ
Any person who thinks ill of Thai mores and traditions, Thais have no use [for him].
เกื้อหนุนอคติ เชื่อลัทธิอันธพาล แพร่นำมันมาบ้านเมืองเรา
Supporting bias and immorality, they come to spread their filth in our villages.
(ซ้ำท่อนสร้อย 2 ครั้ง)
2 Andrew Walker // Sep 11, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Thank you!
3 jonfernquest // Sep 11, 2007 at 10:01 pm
Thanks. Good to be reminded that Buddhism can get pulled into politics like this, but don’t see how Thailand’s experience can be analysed in isolation from it’s Asian neighbors, e.g. Indonesia (c. 1965), South Korea (c. 1945-1950), China (c. 1949), Vietnam…etc. friends back in San Francisco hailing from Taiwan always reminded me that their landlord uncles were beheaded by the communists, and later Chiang Kai Shek massacred Taiwanese, and so on, across Asia there were mirror image problems depending on which country you were in, military conflict is a bad thing in itself in which people talk themselves into paroxysms of killing. It’s still going on in Burma. Even worse than Thailand, was Indonesia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overthrow_of_Sukarno#Massacres
[This raises the question of warfare catalysing/perpetuating ideologies in the premodern era which would have to be religiously or ethnically based since modern ideologies like Communism didn't exist. One thing is for sure, **Buddhist relics** played a big role starting with the Mahaparinibbana Sutta with warfare over relics that later saturates Sri Lankan history in the Culavamsa and Mahavamsa, later echoed in Burmese warfare.]
(Also see Lecture at UC Berkeley Buddhist Studies, Thursday, September 27, 2007, Padmanabh S. Jaini, UC-Berkeley (Emeritus)
Buddhism and Warfare: A Note on Mahāvaṃsa)]
So is Phra Tewatat (the stereotypical villain who… betrays parents, nation, religion or king) still implicated in this song?
Does anyone know in which part of the Tipitaka Phra Tewatat can be found and when he started to be used in political ideologies?
4 Lleij Samuel Schwartz // Sep 11, 2007 at 11:21 pm
Re: jon> “Phra Tewatat” is the Thai pronouncation of Devadatta, the Buddha’s cousin who caused the first schism in Buddhism and then attempted to kill the Buddha. He appears early on in the Buddhist cannon as he is a major part of the life story of the Buddha. He is refered to as “Phra” because he will eventually be redeemed in one of his future lives and is destined to become a Buddha himself.
5 serf // Sep 12, 2007 at 12:47 am
If the people who you really wish to complain about are ‘untouchable’, you take it out on the peasants instead. These lyrics are the weasel words of those who are too lazy to figure out what the real problem is.
6 fall // Sep 12, 2007 at 5:54 pm
Today’s Thairath newspaper editorial really push the class-conflict button.
Whether it would ignite a spark or fizzle out remain to be seen.
But the name of the columnist sure highlight his/her topic: กล้าได้กล้าเสีย
http://www.thairath.co.th/news.php?section=society05&content=60731
Oh, Giles would be proud.
7 jonfernquest // Sep 12, 2007 at 8:49 pm
“Devadatta” in Pali, in the Thai the names look so unfamiliar, now I understand, he’s in the Jatakas a lot, the part about him being sucked into the ground, I didn’t remember, guess these are important little but meaningful details that people later reinterpreted for their own political purposes. Thanks.
8 James Haughton // Sep 14, 2007 at 3:21 pm
I note that the infamous Kittiwuttho was also compared to Phra Tewathat in the leadup to the ‘76 coup (Somboon Suksamran “Political Monks”). The rhetoric can be appropriated by either side.
9 Sidh S. // Sep 14, 2007 at 5:19 pm
I agree with jonfernquest – it is a song from a particular era and must be viewed in that context. It is probably quite irrelevant today and reflects ‘Thaksin-phobia’ amongst the military elite if anything. However, if Samak become PM, they’ll be a reversal of fortunes so in that sense some of the fear is based on actual threats (and never underestimate money).
I think the Thairath article attached by fall is quite powerful, highlighting the middle-class hypocrisy. However, this distrust and despise of the rural poor isn’t merely a Bangkok-Thai middle-class phenomenon, but is global and Western middle-class voters are as guilty, gullible and patronizing when it comes to perceptions of the poor and ‘Third World’ countries (always two-steps removed from ‘First World’).
But Thairath is probably oversimplifying in saying that it is also extreme selfishness that the Bangkok middle-class come out to “topple the government” – when in fact they wanted to force Thaksin’s resignation which is a democratic right. It is also oversimplifying in saying that the middle-class see “military dictatorship as better than civilian dictatorship” going so far to say that Thailand increasingly resembles Myanmar – a statement that is sensationally irresponsible and needs a lot of qualification. If the CNS did not promise a timetable and pathway back to democracy, the Thai middle-class will not accept and most likely come out in force to protest.
The point on different aspirations and desires between the middle-class and rural poor is well known and valid. The rural poor wants economic development and improvements in their lifestyles and the government that can deliver, while the middle-class wants less corruption and more effective and transparent use of their taxes (the majority of government revenues – and they know that). The politicians know that very well and exploit it for their electoral gain…
10 Srithanonchai // Sep 14, 2007 at 10:18 pm
“guilty, gullible and patronizing when it comes to perceptions of the poor and ‘Third World’ countries (always two-steps removed from ‘First World’)” >> That can easily be solved by the “Third World” countries: They could stop importing everything they need from the “First World” and start developing their very own law, medicine, science, and technology, i.e. as fundamentally different from what the West has to offer. But who wants to give up aircon, computers, cars, root canal treatment, and western academic degrees? And even within Western countries, differences in performance standards are reflected in perceptions.
11 Dickie Simpkins // Sep 15, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Hey Srithanonchai,
you said:
”
easily be solved by the “Third World” countries: They could stop importing everything they need from the “First World” and start developing their very own law, medicine, science, and technology, i.e. as fundamentally different from what the West has to offer.
”
Could never have guessed you were a strong proponent of the principles of Sufficiency Economy! Good for you!
Guess even you’re endowed with the strong belief of ‘kwam pen thai’ as much as the anti-Thaksinites you like to criticize for being pro-militaristic, etc.
12 Srithanonchai // Sep 15, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Dickie: See, traditional northern German Christian protestantism and Thainess are almost the same!
13 Dickie Simpkins // Sep 17, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Srithanonchai,
B-b-but the Thai people already have developed everything on their own!
their own law –> where in the world can people running for elections pledge to overturn the law (ie Samak) or create their own laws (ie coup). This is a Thai-style phenomena.
their own medicine –> I never knew that ‘ya mong’ was a cure all cream. Lets not forget the aab ob nuad method to cure stress…
their own science –> who needs r&d or government spending on science when you got jatukam ramathep?
their own technology –> TUK TUK, AMULETS produciton in aeroplanes.
14 Srithanonchai // Sep 17, 2007 at 11:29 pm
Dickie: B-B-but… but, yes, it does sound rather sufficient…, although the Tuk Tuk is probably Japanese.
15 James Haughton // Sep 18, 2007 at 4:19 pm
I’m pretty sure the Burmese Junta promised a constitution and a timetable and pathway back to democracy too. They’ve been promising for about 30 years now.
16 PAD in California // Jan 9, 2009 at 1:40 pm
I stumble onto this webpage through google. I am surprised at the interest and various comments on the Thai situation and song, as well as the various attempts at their translations. First off, let me commend the comments herein, particularly the translations of Thai words and phrases. They are generally quite good. Any correction, if I may, are minor in nature. I am commenting as a Thai and will focus mainly in the Thai meanings and their translations.
Andrew Walker’s writeup mentioned:
sucked into the earth (suup phaen din).
This should have been:
sucked into the earth (phaen din suub), which means the earth sucks (the person). The phrase ‘phaen din suub’ is well documented in Thai and has its root from Buddhism which is well explained by the author.
There were cases documenting the occurance during the time Buddha still walked on earth, that certain villains who committed great sins against Buddha were punished by being physically sucked into the earth which opened up. In Buddhism, a sin committed against a person carries unequal weights. A sin against a villain is lesser, as compared to that against a virtuous person. A sin against Buddha, who is the supreme virtuous person is so great. Tewatat attempted to assassinate Buddha, causing bleeding in Buddha. That great sin and others which he practised against the Buddha, caused Tewatat to be punished by the Law of Karma to be sucked into the earth, and upon death, his soul has been cast in hell for a long, long time (even now, and far into the future). Incidentally Buddha didn’t cause the death or the suction of the earth.
There was also a woman who took bribes from some jealous local religious leaders to discredit Buddha. She wore an apparatus to fake a pregnancy and accused Buddha in a big gathering that Buddha was the cause. That false accusation against Buddha too was a great sin. Some angels couldn’t bear the great accusation, caused the apparatus to fall off, exposing her lie. She too was punished by the Law of Karma and was sucked into the earth.
Nowadays we don’t hear of cases where a person is sucked into the earth for a great sin. Obviously we don’t have another Buddha walking the earth and don’t have sins of such a magnitude.
There is no usuage for “suup phaen din”, which means suck the land.
The phrase “nug phaen din” (หนักแผ่นดิน) is commonly used in Thai. Nug is simply weight, or heavy, as each person has a weight. But in “nug phaen din”, “nug” it is meant as “deadweight”. It implies a person is no good, and is a deadweight upon the land. Upon death, the land would be higher, not having to support such a deadweight. It is used as an insult.
The translation into English as “scum of the earth” is proper also. Just different usage in two different cultures for similar insults.
Lleij Samuel Schwartz’s translation for:
“ได้อาศัยโพธิ์ทองแผ่นดินของราชันย์ แต่ใจมันยังเฝ้าคิดทำลาย
Living off the golden Bodhi tree and the land of the King ..”
“โพธิ์ทอง” is golden bodhi leave in this usuage. Bodhi leave is a large leave from bodhi tree. Bodhi tree is the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment. Bodhi leaves from that specific bodhi tree still receives special reverance in most Buddhist countries, including Thailand. Some buddhists reported miracles from either that tree or its leave.
Bodhi leaves in this usuage is meant as (shade or) protection (by the King). This usuage is a carryover from the country of old, where a subject of the country was under the protection of the King for his security. Referring to the large bodhi leaf signifies the big protection as provided by the King.
ได้อาศัยโพธิ์ทองแผ่นดินของราชันย์ means “getting protection from the King and his land.”
On “คนใดหลงชมชาติอื่น ชาติเดียวกันเขายืนข่มเหง
Any person who is lost admiring other nations, while their own nation they allow to be oppressed”. It may be translated as:
Any person who is ignorantly admiring other nations, while oppressing his own nation (or his own people).
I think “oppressing his own people or his own nation” refers to communist rules which is known for oppressing its own people, or its own land.
“ได้สินทรัพย์เจือจานก็ประหารไทยกันเอง ทีชาติอื่นเกรงดังญาติของมัน
Seizing assets so that they may kill their fellow Thais, but respecting other nations like their own relatives… ”
“ได้สินทรัพย์เจือจาน” instead of “Seizing assets”, should mean (the villain, or the communists who received financial support from external Communist countries then) receiving monetary or financial contribution…
“คนใดขายตนขายชาติ ได้โอกาสชี้ทางให้ศัตรู
Any person who sells themself and their nation, creating an opportunity to point the way for the enemy”.
“ได้โอกาสชี้ทางให้ศัตรู” probably means point the way for the enemy, as opportunity arises.
“เกื้อหนุนอคติ เชื่อลัทธิอันธพาล แพร่นำมันมาบ้านเมืองเรา
Supporting bias and immorality, they come to spread their filth in our villages.” Maybe translated as:
Supporting bias and thug cult, spread them in our country.
“บ้านเมือง” are from two words. บ้าน means homes (or houses),
เมือง means city. In this usuage, it infers all the house and all the cities, to mean the country.
Cheers
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