The Story of Tum Teav
Yeekae (yike) "Tum Teav" was performed two times at the Cambodian Buddhist temple of Silver Sprint MD:
1) during the Cambodian Festival September 11, 2016; click here for the video performance;
2) during the Khmer New Year Aprill 15, 2017; click here for the video performance.
Introduction
Tum Teav story is not a legend or a make-up story. It is based on a true story that actually happened during the Cambodia Lonvek era, an obscure era following a downfall of the glorious Angkor era starting from 1431. Lonvek era ends in 1593 when Cambodia moved its capital from Lonvek in the province of Kampong Chhnang to Oudong in the province of Kampong Speu after Siam conquered it.
We do not know exactly in what year the story happened. Most Cambodians believe to be a 16th century tragic love story that captured Cambodian people’s attention. The story had been told by word of mouth until a written version came to life in the early 20th century. According to the Cambodian Buddhist Institute, a well-known research and publication organization in Cambodia, there are two versions of the story. One version was written in 1915 by a monk named Som, an abbot of a Buddhist temple located in Kamprov commune, district of Sithor Kandal, province of Prey Veng. The story was written in a 7-words or 7-sound poetry and believed to be that of a true and untainted story. The second version was written in 1942 by a Khmer nobleman named Nou Kan in an 8-words or 8-sound poetry. Sir Nou Kan titled the story Teav Ek and had inserted his own opinion in the story.
The Yeekae Tum Teav show on September 11, 2016 in Washington DC Metropolitan area during the Cambodian festival is based on the story of the 1915 version of Abbot Som.
Regardless of the slight differences in the two written versions, the main idea remains the same. The story is a cultural landmark that gradually overtime causes Cambodia to abandon a pre-arranged marriage system. The story of Tum Teav creates a concept called in Khmer “Num Minthum Chieng Neal”, literally translated into English as “a cake cannot be bigger than the cup that holds it”. The concept of “Num Minthum Chieng Neal” is a concept that a child cannot be above his or her parents, that is, the parents are the sole decision makers on almost everything and in particular, the choosing of their children’s marriage. While the pre-arranged marriage worked for the most part in the Cambodian society back then, it did cause some Cambodian couples to bear a lifelong suffering causing some to revolt against this long-practiced system as manifested in the story of Tum Teav. The debate of “Num Minthum Chieng Neal” intensified in the 20th century as the story of Tum Teav was adopted into the Khmer literature of the Cambodian educational system. The following story is a translation by Ben Bao, President of the Cambodian Community Day organization. It is as close as possible to the meaning of the original Khmer verses in the poem, but not word by word.
STORY OF TUM TEAV, BY THE ABBOT SOM
Monk Tum
A young boy named Tum was raised by a single mother (no name mentioned in the story) who lived in a province of Baphnoum (currently a district of Prey Veng province). Tum grew up into an extraordinary handsome young man with a beautiful voice. When the time came, the mother sent Tum to become a Buddhist monk at a Buddhist temple nearby, a center where local Cambodians received their education at the time. Monk Tum met another young monk named Pich at the temple and they both became close friend. They referred to each other as brother. The Abbot of the temple had educated Tum and Pich to become fine monks. Tum had a natural talent as a melodic singer of Khmer poetry chanting known as Smoat) and Pich was a flute player. Together, they teamed up to be a Smoat vocalist. The Buddhist temple was supported by the Buddhist parishioners in the surrounding villages. Villagers donated rice and other produced to temple.
Some monks at the temple were good wood carvers who made furniture ornaments called Tauk which was traded for rice, money, or other commodities for the temple’s needs.
One day, Monk Tum had an idea. He discussed with Monk Pich that selling Tauk in the surrounding areas would not earn enough money or supplies to support the temple. But if they travel afar, they would sell more Tauk for the temple. They both agreed and went on to see the Abbot, the head of the temple. After listening to the reasoning of Tum and Pich, the Abbot agreed, but before he let them go on with the journey, he gave them words of advice reminding them they are monks and that they should not fool around with girls. Such an act was then and is still now against the rules of Buddhism. They thanked the Abbot for his advice, said goodbye to him, and set out a journey with an ox cart full of furniture ornaments and personal supplies.
Tum and Pich at Po Cheung Khal
They travelled from one village to another selling Tauk at every stop. One day they arrived at Po Cheung Khal village, in Thbaung khmum district of Kampong Cham province. They were camping near a well where villagers came and fetch water for their household uses.
In the village of Po Cheung Khal lived the modest family of a household headed by a widow (known by-mouth story as Yeay (grandma) Phann, but no name is mentioned in the 1915 written version of Reverence Som). She had a beautiful daughter named Teav and a servant named Noh whom Teav trusted dearly on all matters in her life.
On the evening of the arrival of monks Tum and Pich, Noh went to fetch the water from the well as usual. She noticed there was a large crowd nearby the well listening to the Smoat (a poetry chanting) performed by monk Tum and Pich. She was struck by Tum’s handsomeness and his beautiful voice. She was impressed with the beautiful sound of flute that Pich played. She could not wait to tell Teav about what she saw at the well. Back at home, Noh told Teav that Tum knew how to read and sing a poem written on a palm leaf called Slekrit (many literatures were written on this medium at that time).
Teav Chaul Malub
Teav believed every words Noh told her. She was very excited and wanted to hear and see them personally with her own eyes. But she could not leave the house because she was undergoing the practice of “Chaul Malub,” (entering the “shade”), a then-practiced temporary seclusion in one’s own home of an adolescent girl by her parents and elders when she reached womanhood. Chaul Malub is a tradition that Cambodians no longer practice nowadays, but it was very significant back then in the 16th century Cambodia. It is a period ranging from three months to a year that the adolescent girl must hide herself in her own home and not to be seen by others except her immediate family.
Teav developed a strong desire to see monks Tum and Pich after hearing Noh’s story. She brought the subject to her mother, Yeay Phann, and asked if she could invite them to the house for a Smoat performance. Yeay Phann was also anxious to see Monk Tum and Pich perform. So she went to invite them to perform the Smoat at her house.
Tum at Teav’s house
Monk Tum agreed to go to Yeay Phann’s house, but Monk Pich disagreed citing that it was against the advice of the Abbot. He wanted to stay behind to take care of the oxen and to guard their belongings. So Tum went alone to Yeay Phann’s house. Pich was unhappy that Tum ignored the Abbot’s advices.
When Tum arrived at the house, he was well-received and performed an amazing Smoat. Teav watched from behind a curtain as she was prohibited from being seen. She was anxious to see Tum, so she peeked from the edge of the curtain behind her mother. Teav stared at Tum and Tum stared back at Teav. Yeay Phann did not see it. Only Noh did. Teav signaled for Noh to come to her. She gave Noh a small rounded container full of an ointment and a beautiful silk cloth called Phahum. She asked Noh to give them as offerings to Monk Tum. Noh slipped the offerings to Tum, who took them. Yeay Phann was very impressed with Monk Tum’ Smoat. She asked him to be her godson. Tum accepted. When Smoat session was over, Tum said goodbye to Yeay Phann and returned to the camp near the well where Monk Pich was waiting so anxiously. Tum knew that Pich was unhappy with him and tried to smooth things out. He told Pich about Teav, praised her beauty, and vowed that one day he will come back to Teav and marry her.
Tum back at temple feeling sad
When all of the Tauk (wooden furniture ornaments) was sold, monks Tum and Pich proceeded to return to the temple. Tum could not stop thinking about Teav. He had never seen any young woman as beautiful as Teav. The more he thought about Teav, the more worried he became that Teav will marry someone else. He discussed his feelings towards Teav openly with his friend Pich, but the latter tried in vain to persuade Tum not to think too much about Teav.
Tum’s sadness and worry intensified as days went by. He caressed the cloth and used the ointment that Teav gave him. He was convinced that these were a token of love. One day, he could no longer bear his suffering. He discussed with Pich about quitting the monkhood and becoming an ordinary citizen so that he could travel anywhere he wanted to. Pich concurred on the idea. They went to the Abbot’s residence. They lit incense and candles as offerings to Lord Buddha and recited the Dharma.
After the Buddhist ceremonial gesture was completed, they turned and kneeled down in front of the Abbot. They told him about leaving the monkhood and going back home to care for their ill mothers who, they claimed according to a fortune teller, would get better if their sons quit the monkhood.
The Abbot, who was himself a soothsayer, knew that this was not the true reason. He told them that the real reason they wanted to quit the monkhood was because of a woman whom they met during the trip to sell Tauk. However, he did not object to their request but rather, asked them to wait until the time was right. He told them that if they did it now, they would suffer a severe casualty in the future. He said Pich could quit during the lunar month of Bos (January-February timeframe) about 30 days from the present time (November-December timeframe). As for Tum, he had to wait until the lunar month of Pisak (May-June timeframe) about six months later. He told Tum that if he were to do it now, he would suffer a life casualty, but that if he waited until Pisak, he will be rewarded with good luck.
It should be noted that in Buddhism, to become a monk, an initiation rite must be performed. Likewise, to quit the monkhood, a termination rite must be also performed properly. Quitting without doing so is a stigma in the Khmer society. Hearing that he would have to wait that long, Tum became even sadder. His desire for Teav had grown stronger day-by-day. He wondered if Teav had the same feelings towards him. Not knowing Teav’s true feelings made him feel worse.
Tum and Pich leave monkhood
When the lunar month of Bos came, Pich quit the monkhood with full blessings from the Abbot. Tum tried to sense if the Abbot may have changed his mind to allow him to quit earlier, but Pich told him that the Abbot’s advice remained the same. This made Tum even lonelier.
In the meantime, Teav was anxiously waiting for Tum to return. She missed Tum every day, the same way Tum missed her. She asked Noh how long it had been since Tum left and why he had not returned. Noh assured Teav that Tum will quit monkhood one day and come back to her, that it was just a matter of time. Noh’s advice made Teav a bit happier. Before she went to bed every night, Teav prayed to Lord Buddha to grant her wish to meet Tum soon.
Back at the Ba Phnom temple, Tum was very sad. Every day was a longer day for him as he anxiously awaited the time to quit the monkhood. After sunrise one morning, he paid a visit to his mother who was very happy to see him. Tum told her that he had not been feeling well and that he could no longer be a monk. He suggested that his mother go to the temple to ask the Abbot’s permission, which she did. She told the Abbot that her son was very ill and wanted to quit monkhood. The Abbot told her that Tum was not sick. He wanted to quit because he was in love with a girl and that he would have to wait until due time or he would suffer a life threatening event in the future. (Cambodians believed in fortune telling back then and even now to some degrees). So Tum’s mother tried to comfort her son asking him to be patient and to wait for his turn. She asked him to continue learning more Dharma so that he may feel better. That disappointed Tum greatly.
Tum’s love for Teav was so strong that he did not listen to advice from the Abbot or his own mother. The only thing he wanted to do at the present time was to meet and confess his love to Teav even though it could mean death. So he packed his personal belongings, incense sticks, candles, fruits, and cakes. He left the temple and in a wood nearby, found a good place where he laid down his offerings. He knelt down, prayed, and asked Lord Buddha for forgiveness. He then took off his monk clothing, put on clothes made of silk and set out to meet Pich who was very pleased to see him. Pich was disappointed that Tum did not heed the advice of the Abbot and quit without proper ritual. He suggested that Tum go back to the temple to ask for the Abbot’s forgiveness. Tum and Pich then went to the temple to pay respect to the Abbot. While he was not happy, the Abbot told them that he, just like any teacher in the world, would never wish to harm their own students. But he did what he needed to do for the sake of Tum’s well-being; he forgave Tum and wished him well. Tum respected the Abbot’s advice, thanked him, and said goodbye.
Tum and Pich back at Po Cheung Khal
Tum went on to say goodbye to his mother and all of his neighbors. He asked them to help take care of his aging mother if the need arose. He and Pich set out on a journey to see Teav. They travelled through the forest as ordinary men, enjoyed the scenery of all kinds of trees, flowers, and fruits, all kinds of birds flying and singing, all kinds of animals grazing in the pasture. Despite all of these beautiful around his journey, Tum was not feeling easy. He was wondering if Teav still remembered him, whether she was still single or had already married someone. Along the way, he stopped at some villages and asked some young men if they knew Teav and what happened to her. They told him that Teav lived far from there and was still single. Tum was happy with this news. Finally, they arrived at the village of Po Cheung Khal and at Teav’s residence. Tum hesitated to get into the perimeter of the house. What if they do not remember him, he said to Pich. Pich told Tum not to worry because Teav’s mother had already accepted Tum as a godson and therefore, she would not forget him. Once they got into the house, Teav’s mother recognized Tum and was very happy to see him and Pich come to visit her. Tum told Yeay Phann that he had come back for Teav. Yeay Phann did not pay attention to what Tum was saying. She was just happy to see her godson again and that he had come to live nearby. Teav and Noh were nowhere to be seen. Teav was still undergoing Chaul Malub (the shaded period).
Lord Oar Choun
There was a wealthy family of a very powerful lord named Oar Choun. He had a son named Meun Ngourn. Oar Choun and his wife discussed that it was time for Meun Ngourn to get married and build a family of his own. They heard about Teav’s beauty. They believed that despite Yeay Phann’s widow status, she had raised Teav well and had many things in her possession, enough that they could become in-law without lowering their social status. They sent off elders and servants carrying many gifts to Teav’s house. They came to ask Yeay Phann for Teav’s hand in marriage for their son. Yeay Phann felt very happy. For one, she was poorer than Oar Choun. She was just an ordinary person with no power or social status. This marriage arrangement would boost her status greatly. Additionally, Oar Choun was a powerful lord of the land, only shorter than a mountain, that he always got what he wanted and that he would eliminate anybody who stood in his way. So she was afraid. She told the elders that she would ask her daughter first.
Once Oar Choun’s elders and servants were gone, she told Teav that she should marry Meun Ngourn. Teav refused. Yeay Phann became angry. She told Teav that refusing the marriage was just like rolling an egg against a rock, a comparison of her helplessness against the most powerful man in the region. Teav still strongly refused, telling her mother to marry her other daughters instead of her, knowing full well that she was her mother’s only child. Yeay Phann became angrier, reminding Teav of the old adage, “Num Minthum Chieng Neal,” the concept of “a cake cannot be bigger than the cup that holds it”—the tradition of empowering parents against their own children in a decision making process.
Tum meets Teav
The news about Teav’s marriage arrangement with Meun Ngourn reached Tum and Pich who lived nearby. Tum asked Pich what to do in this situation. Pich advised Tum to forget about Teav. He said that a woman who says one thing and does another will lead a man to a trap that might cost him his life. Tum said that this might be true for other women, but not for Teav. The Phahum and the ointment was a token of that. Tum was determined to have Teav even if he had to die. Tum went to Teav’s house without Pich. Yeay Phann was not home at the time, attending a ceremony at a temple. Tum was sitting in front of Teav’s house feeling very nervous. Teav saw Tum and asked Noh to invite him in and to ask the purpose of his visit. Tum told Noh that he came for Teav. Noh was perplexed because she did not recognize Tum who is now an ordinary man. Tum told Noh that he had been at the house a while back as a monk doing Smoat. He showed Noh the Phahum that he wore around his head and told her that it was a gift from Teav. When Teav heard the conversation, she was overjoyed. She opened the door and came out of her room to face Tum. They engaged in a long conversation:
Teav: I gave you the Phahum but did not ask you to use it to wrap around your head. Why do you see it as a token of something? Please go away.
Tum: I am not a fool. I have travelled very far just to see you. I will not leave without having you.
Teav: I am a stem of flower and you are a bee who comes to consume the flower juice and wander away.
Tum: I am a lion and you are a cave. Lion needs a cave and will never abandon it.
Teav: I am a port and you are a ship that docks at the port and then sails away.
Tum: I am a fish and you are the water. Fish needs water and never goes away from it.
Teav: I am a tree and you are a bird that finds a sanctuary temporarily, tires of it, and then moves on to a different tree.
Tum: I am a tiger and you are a jungle. Tiger is never tired of living in the jungle.
Teav: I am a branch of tree and you are a colony of bees that needs the tree branch to reproduce and then abandons it when it is done.
Tum: I am an elephant and you are a sugar cane. Elephants like sweet sugar cane and never get tired of it.
As they talked, Tum was getting closer and closer to Teav. He grabbed her and kissed her. At first, Teav resisted; later, she succumbed allowing Tum to be her lover. Noh saw the situation, quietly moved away to give them privacy. Teav was deeply concerned that Tum will not love her enough and that one day he will leave her. Tum assured Teav that he will love her until death. They exchanged vows. They stayed together until midnight. At that time, Yeay Phann came back. Teav knew and let Tum out of the room. Noh and all the servants came out to greet Yeay Phann as if nothing happened. When Yeay Phann saw Tum there, she asked when and why he was at her house. Tum replied that he had come since daytime on a business to buy cattle for farming and needed a place to stay. He reminded Yeay Phann that he is her godson and that he had previously performed a Smoat for her. Yeay Phann asked how long he will be staying. Tum said for a while, until he completed his business transaction. Yeay Phann happily agreed and asked the servants to prepare a room for Tum. Tum and Teav secretly consumed their love and Yeay Phann never suspected their affair. Meun Ngourn, the son of Lord Oar Choun, came to visit Teav from time to time bringing all kinds of gifts for Teav. He praised Teav’s beauty and vowed to take after her after the marriage. Teav ignored the gifts and did not say a word.
King heard about Tum and Pich
Meanwhile, a King and many of his wives lived happily in the Royal Palace of Longvek. The King heard the news about Tum being an excellent reciter of Smoat and about Pich as an outstanding musician in the Thbaung Khmum district. So he ordered a decree asking a Palace official and servants to go and bring Tum and Pich to the palace. The official went to Lord Oar Choun’s residence and asked him to summon Tum and Pich, on order of the King. Lord Oar Choun brought Tum and Pich to the official who told them to prepare themselves to travel to the Royal Palace to meet the King. Tum told Teav on that night that the King had ordered him to appear before Him. Teav was saddened by the news, knowing that she will be alone again. She prepared the clothing and supplies for Tum for his trip. She asked Tum not to forget her and to come back and to take her to the palace one day; Tum agreed.
The next day, Tum and Pich were on the way to the city of Longvek, but first he went to his native village of Baphnom. While traveling, Tum was feeling very sad. He could not stop thinking about Teav. When he saw two birds sitting side by side on a tree branch, he fantasized that the birds were just like him and Teav, happily together. When he smelled the flowers on the pathway, he thought it was the smell of Teav. He looked up at the sky above and saw a cloud blown away by a wind—just like the wind blew him away from Teav. When he heard the birds sing, he imagined that it was Teav talking to him.
They arrived at Baphnom. There, he told his mother that his reputation as a good Smoat reciter with a beautiful voice, and Pich’s reputation as a very talented musician had reached the King who had now ordered him to move to the city to become His personal entertainers. Tum’s mother was very happy with the news and gave Tum and Pich some good advice. She told them to be diligent and prudent on all matters and not to fool around. Tum thanked his mother and said goodbye to her. He and Pich went on to pay a visit to their former teacher, the Abbot at the Buddhist temple where they stayed when they were monks. He reiterated the good news about him and Pich to the Abbot. The Abbot told Tum and Pich that they must serve the King wholeheartedly, be prudent and not interfere with royal affairs, stay away from the young women at the palace otherwise the King will punish them. He told them not to sneak into the Royal Palace on their own, not to flirt with the Queen because it is a serious offense which could cost them their lives. Tum and Pich thanked, said farewell to the Abbot, and then went to a port where a boat was waiting to carry them to the palace. On the boat, Tum’s heart ached for Teav. When he saw fish swimming around the boat, he daydreamed that he and Teav were swimming happily together.
Likewise, at the village of Po Cheung Khal, Teav was feeling very distressed. She could not sleep. She could not eat or drink. She looked ill. Noh was worried about the well-being of her mistress and tried to comfort her as best as she could. She told Teav that sooner or later Tum will come back. This made Teav feel slightly better.
Tum gets new title
Once they got to the city, the King’s official sent a messenger to the Royal Palace informing the King that Tum and Pich were now in the city. The King told his servants to organize a concert-like event in which Tum and Pich will perform. The event was spectacular. The King and Queen, surrounded by their beautiful entourage, were eager to hear Tum sing. When the performance was over, the King was very happy. He said that He knew from the start that Tum and Pich would not disappoint Him. He liked Tum so much that He asked Tum to stay in the city and granted him an official rank of Meun Ek. With this title, Tum had the privilege of coming in and out of the Royal Palace at all times, similarly to other Royal officials. He would serve the King as His personal entertainer. Tum received this rank with some sadness, because he knew that now, he could not go back to Teav, at least for a while.
King desires for another wife
After some time, the King became bored and wanted another wife. He sent out his servants to all around the areas of Longvek and Rolea Pha Ear, as well as to other of Cambodia’s provinces to search for a beauty queen. The King told them that it did not matter whether the girl is Khmer, Chinese, or Vietnamese, nor did it matter whether the girl is the daughter of a high ranking official or that of a pauper. The Royal servants set out a journey to all corners of Cambodia. They could not find any girl that they liked. One day, they got to Tbaung Khmum and settled around the well of Po Cheung Khal village. On that evening, Teav and Noh were strolling around the well for leisure. The servants saw Teav and discussed among themselves that they have found a true beauty. They went to ask the villagers nearby about Teav. The villagers told them that Teav lived nearby and that her mother already gave her to Meun Ngourn, the son of Lord Oar Choun. The servants asked whether the marriage had already taken place. The villagers said Meun Ngourn was just her fiancé. The servants went to Lord Oar Choun’ s house and told him that they were going to take Teav to the King. They then went to Teav’s house. Yeay Phann was thrilled. She told Teav to prepare for a trip to meet the King. The next morning, they all left Tbaung Khmum, sailed a boat along the Tonlé Sap river passing by Phnom Penh, then a commercial city. On the boat, Teav was saddened by her predicament. The only man in her mind was Tum. She quietly hid her distress at the thought that she would become the King’s lover. This was against her will but she was helpless. No one knew that Teav was sad. Her mother thought that Teav was happy to become the King’s wife.
King admires Teav’s beauty
At the Royal Palace, the servants brought Teav to attend to the King. The King admired Teav’s beauty. He turned around and asked His other wives if they thought Teav was beautiful and deserved to be yet another wife for Him. They all affirmed. The King asked Tum and Pich to perform for him. Tum recognized Teav and was very nervous and upset. Instead of singing on a normal note like he used to, he sang a story about him and Teav who had been
in love with each other. At first, the King was angry at Tum. But then he thought to himself that if the story was true like Tum claimed, it was against the virtue of Dharma to separate them. So he turned to Teav and asked her whether it was true that she and Tum were in love. She replied that it was true. Then the King ordered all officials and servants to prepare a wedding ceremony for Tum and Teav the next day. Tum and Teav were happy again.
Teav’s mother fakes her sickness
Yeay Phann went back home feeling betrayed by Tum. She felt sorry for Teav to marry Tum, a poor man. She was determined to do everything to separate Teav from Tum. Her desire to take revenge on Tum grew stronger and stronger, and she could not rest until she got her daughter back. One day, she went to Lord Oar Choun’s residence and plotted with them to bring Teav back to marry Meun Ngourn. Yeay Phann was very angry at Tum. She could not see right from wrong. Lord Oar Choun and Meun Ngourn also felt betrayed by Tum who dared to have an affair with Teav. Tum’s act was a direct challenge to tarnish their reputation and honor. They went along with Yeay Phann’s plan. Yeay Phann asked someone she knew to write a letter to Teav faking her grave illness, that she was about to die and wanted to say a few last words to Teav. When Teav received the letter, she trembled with sadness and worry about her mother. So she asked Tum to hurry up and prepare a trip back home to catch her mother’s last breath.
When she arrived at Po Cheung Khal, Tbaug Khmum, she dashed to her house and saw all the food, fruits, cakes, and many gifts. She thought those were the offerings to the spirits so that her mother would get better, a tradition that Khmer people held when a person was sick. Yeay Phann came out and was happy to see her daughter back. She began convincing Teav to leave Tum who was poor and to marry the richest man in the area, Meun Ngourn. Teav was perplexed and angry. She could not believe what her mother was doing. For her, there was only one love and it was for Tum. It was an irreversible action. She preferred death. Unable to convince Teav to change her mind, Yeay Phann became angrier than ever. She started scolding Teav and vowed the wedding would go on without Teav’s consent.
King’s letter
Teav felt very sad and helpless. She composed a letter and found a trusted friend to carry it back to Tum telling him what was happening at Tbaung Khmum. When Tum received the letter, he was outraged by the trick of Teav’s mother. He went to the Royal Palace and told the King about the situation. The King was equally upset. He summoned the Royal councils and ministers to the palace for a special meeting. He told them that Oar Choun had challenged his authorities. He married Teav to Tum for the reason that they loved each other. Now, Oar Choun took Teav against her will to marry his own son, Meun Ngourn. This contradicted the King’s action. The royal councils and ministers deliberated the matter for a while and came up with an official letter designed to stop the illegal wedding. They gave the letter to Tum and told him to go and present it to Oar Choun. If they refused, Tum must come back and report this to them. Tum took the letter and asked Pich to accompany him to Tbaung Khmum. Tum was so worried that the wedding was already over and that by the time he got there, Ngourn may have Teav already. He wished he had wings to fly there to stop them in time.
Tum looses control
Meanwhile at Tbaung Khmum, Teav waited anxiously for any news from Tum. She knew that her mother did not change her mind and pressed on with the wedding. Not hearing from Tum made her even sadder. Yeay Phann went to Oar Choun’s residence again and told him that the wedding must not be delayed. It must happen now before Tum knows about it and comes to take Teav away. Lord Oar Choun and his wife agreed. He told his servants to prepare for the wedding. The servants went fetching beef, pork, lamb, chicken, ducks, wine, and fruits. They constructed wedding tents and prepared all kinds of food and cakes. They had all the clothes and got the elders, musicians, and guests ready for the ceremony. The wedding day began with a sound of wedding music that could be heard around the area.
When Tum arrived at Tbaung Khmum, he asked Pich to confirm that the sound of music he heard was actually the wedding music of Teav and Ngourn. He began to doubt Teav’s fidelity. He kept drinking wine and became drunk. Pich asked Tum to take it easy. They dressed up nicely. Tum wore green cloth made from silk and Pich wore purple cloth. Tum put the King’s letter on his waist and wrapped it with a piece of cloth. They arrived at the wedding place and saw people eating and drinking, laughing and having fun. So many of them. Some were drunk. The organizers lost track of who were guests, who were not. Tum and Pich sneaked in without fear through the crowd and got to a place where musicians were playing. Tum was drunk and determined to test Teav’s fidelity. He and Pich took control of the music. He sang a song asking Teav if she still considered him as her husband and if so to come out and pour him a glass of wine. Teav came out and did what Tum asked. Tum hugged and kissed Teav and told her to get ready to go back to the palace with him.
Tum meets his fate
Yeay Phann saw the whole thing. She was totally blinded by the situation. Her mind was full of anger and hatred. She went to Oar Choun and asked him to take Tum away and kill him. Oar Choun ordered his servants to tie Tum with a hard rope so that Tum experienced maximum pain. Teav begged the servants not to use rope, but to use a piece of cloth instead if they had to tie him. They refused to listen to her and dragged Tum out of sight to a place nearby the village of Po Cheung Khal where they killed him. Before he died, Tum prayed and begged for forgiveness of his sins
from Lord Buddha and that he could enter heaven after death. Pich was very scared. He ran from the wedding place to the port and took a boat back to the palace.
Teav and Noh commit suicide
Meanwhile, the news that Tum had been killed reached Teav in a middle of the night. Noh overheard people talked about it. She sneaked out of the house with Noh early in the morning. She found Tum’s body, cried intensively. Her mind was full of sorrow that her husband was dead. Her life no longer had a meaning, so she took a knife from Noh, prayed for a grace of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and killed herself. Noh saw Teav, a dearest person in her life, killed herself in front of her. She was blinded with sadness so she also took her own life.
The children who played around the cattle and herd, and whom Teav asked before she killed herself, went to Oar Choun’s house to sing a song asking people who Meun Ngourn was marrying to because Teav already committed suicide. People first did not believe the children who brought the news. They began looking for Teav and Noh who were nowhere to be seen. Yeay Phann blamed her servants as being careless for allowing Teav and Noh to sneak out. She scolded them. The servants had enough of her and fought back telling Yeay Phann that Teav and Noh were grown up and that it was not their faults not to keep them in one place. They continued on to say Yeay Phann was a sole person responsible for everything because she knew quite well that Teav was already married to Tum and yet still forced her to marry Ngourn for wealth and fame. They told her that she got what she had asked for.
King’s letter is uncovered
Later at Oar Choun’s house, news that Teav and Noh were all dead was confirmed. Yeay Phann, for the first time, realized that she had made a big mistake. She cried and cried, but it was too late. Oar Choun, his wife and son Meun Ngourn went out and found the bodies of Tum, Teav and Noh. They attempted to bury them in order to conceal their action. They dragged Tum’s body and removed his clothes. The letter from the King was uncovered. They were terrified when they read the letter. They knew their fate had arrived. The news about the King’s letter spread very quickly through the area. All people were scared and ran away from the region. For one thing, they were afraid of Oar Choun who poured his madness at them. Furthermore, they knew that the King will come and punish them.
The punishment
When the King heard everything from Pich, he became furious. He ordered to assemble soldiers, ministers and councils to go along with him to Tbaung Khmum in order to face Oar Choun. The King felt so sorry for Tum and Teav. He missed them so much. When he arrived at Po Cheung Khal, he camped away from Oar Choun’s house. The King sent a messenger to tell Oar Choun that he must build a road from his house to the camp and that Oar Choun must use this road to attend him. Oar Choun obeyed the order, cleared out a road, gathered all servants to bring lots of gifts to the King hoping he would forgive them. The King ordered his ministers and councils to form a tribunal court to find appropriate punishments. The ministers and councils were deliberating. Some said all who were involved must be punished by death. One wise minister gave a reasoning that the offenses were committed by two different levels of people. He gave a parable that a four-leg animal has front legs and rear legs. The rear legs just followed the front legs wherever the animal goes. Likewise, the Oar Choun‘s servants and villagers just followed Oar Choun’s order. They should be spared from harsh punishments. Oar Choun, his wife, Meun Ngourn, and Yeay Phann were the ring leaders. They should be punished by death. The citizen of Tbaung Khmum were labelled as “Neak Ngear” which means these people are untrustworthy, insubordinate and that people should not do any business with them. The punishments were carried out accordingly.
