Over two hundred years ago, on June 26, 1786, the wife of a humble Rayong divine then living in Bangkok gave birth to a baby boy. In due course, the little boy was given the name of Phu. When he grew up, his genius as a poet was quickly recognised, and he won the esteem of kings and commoners alike. Finally, after many vicissitudes in the course of a colourful career, he attained the distinction of Poet Laureate and was created Phra Sunthorn Voharn. Today, Sunthorn Phu is accepted as one of the greatest poets Thailand ever produced, and he holds his place among theleading poets of the world.
Sunthorn Phu was born in the fifth year of the reign of King Rama I. His father was a native of Muang Klaeng, a township in the province of Rayong, but his married life was spent in Bangkok. Soon after young Phu was born, his parents divorced. His father went back to Muang Klaeng and took holy orders there. His mother married again and later became the wet-nurse of a princess in the royal palace. Young Phu stayed with his mother and thus spent his early years in the palace.
Like the youth of his time, the future poet received standard education in a monastry now known as Wat Sri Sudaram, situated at Klong Bangkok Noi. Leaving school, he obtained the post of a clerk in the government service. But the only work that was congenial to him was the writing of verse. In this he was adept even as a mere boy. Before he came of age, he wrote a long poem based on the story of Khobutra which, however, was left unfinished. Nevertheless, the work showed promise of a genius that was later to attain full development.
It was about this time that the youthful poet fell in love with one of the ladies of the palace whose name was Chan, a woman who had considerable influence on his work. But in those days it was a heinous offence to love one of the palace ladies, and as a consequence of his romantic folly, both he and his mistress were put in prison. On their release in 1806, Suthorn Phu left the capital, accompanied by two disciples, to pay a visit to his father whom he had not seen since he was a little boy. On his way, he wrote his first great poem Nirat Muang Klaeng, in which he described the journey and addressed many tender lines to his lady love.
Suthorn Phu's original intention was to join his father and enter the monkhood for a term. But soon after he arrived at Muang Klaeng he fell seriously ill with fever, and had to return to Bangkok as soon as he recovered. He was with his father for only two months, and had been away from the capital for three. His return saw a happy ending to his love affair. He married his Chan, and a son was duly born to them.
The course of true love, however, did not run smooth. The young poet became too fond of the bottle, and this caused frequent quarrels between him and his wife. It ended with her finally leaving him for another man, but not before he had immortalised her name in many of his works.
Suthorn Phu soon made his name as a court poet of exceptional merit. At the age of twenty-one, he accompanied one of the young princes to the shrine of Phra Buddha Bat, and wrote a beautiful poem called Nirat Phra Bat, in which he described his experiences and referred to the differences that had arisen between him and his wife.
In 1809, King Rama I died and King Rama II succeeded to the throne. King Rama II was himself a poet of genius, and he saw in Sunthorn Phu a kindred spirit. Soon after his accession, therefore, His Majesty gave the young poet a position at court. Sunthorn Phu quickly proved his worth. When the King was writing his Ramakien, he often consulted the port on different points connected with versification and always found him with a ready answer. His Majesty was therefore very pleased with him and created him Khun Sunthorn Voharn and kept him near his person whenever he was writing.
Unfortunately, however, Sunthorn Phu could not leave off drinking, and this soon got him into trouble. One day, when he was drunk, he had a quarrel with his mother. One of his uncles tried to intervene, and the poet turned on him and severely injured him. This came to the ears of the King. His Majesty was strongly displeased and ordered the unruly young man to be put in prison.
This term of imprisonment actually proved to be a blessing in disguise, for it was while he was in prison that he conceived the idea of writing a long imaginative romance, with two princely brothers as heroes living adventures in a world full of magic charms and enchantments and strange beings. This was the beginning of the famous Phra Abhai Mani, one of the greatest imaginative works ever written. It was not completed until the poet was middle-aged, but he was able to sell many cantos of it in manuscript form to a delighted public while he was in prison, and thus earned a handsome income for himself.
As might have been expected, he did not remain in prison long. He was far too useful to the King. One day, His Majesty had urgent need of hi