The Tale of Khun Chang Khun Phaen
This is the first-ever translation of the most outstanding classic in the Thai language, a folk epic combining the social panorama of a nineteenth-century novel with the grand storytelling of an ancient saga. The plot is a love triangle, ending with the tragic and enigmatic death of the heroine.
Possibly dating to 1600 and originally developed in an oral tradition of storytelling, the tale has a fast-paced blend of romance, tragedy, and farce spiced with sex, warring, adventure, and the supernatural. The tale was written down, adapted, and extended at the nineteenth-century Siamese court with two kings among the authors. The great Thai linguist, William Gedney, believed that “if all other information on traditional Thai culture were to be lost, the whole complex could be reconstructed from this marvellous text.”
This translation is based on Prince Damrong Rajanubhab’s edition of 1917–18 with over a hundred passages restored from earlier versions. The edition is fully annotated, with four hundred original line drawings, ten maps, and an essay on the history and background of the tale. A companion volume includes alternative versions, additional episodes, and other ancillary material.
About the Translators
Chris Baker formerly taught Asian history in Cambridge University and has lived in Thailand for over thirty years. Pasuk Phongpaichit is professor of economics at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. Together they have written A History of Thailand, Thailand: Economy and Politics, Thaksin, and published several translations.
About the Illustrator
Muangsing Janchai, a native of Suphanburi, the cradle of the tale, was trained in Thai painting, and studied further in Tibet, India, Nepal, Burma, Laos, and China. He has executed several temple murals, including a series on the tale at Wat Palelai, Suphanburi.
