Thai poetry

The Siamese poetical medium consists of five main forms, known as khlong, chan, kap, klon and rai; some of these developed indigenously while others were borrowed from other languages.

Prose writing as a literary form was introduced as a Western import during the reign of King Mongkut (1851–68) and gradually gained popularity, though poetry saw a revival during the reign of King Vajiravudh (1910–25), who authored and sponsored both traditional poetry and the newer literary forms.

Poetry's popularity as a mainstream form of literature gradually declined afterwards, although it is still written and read, and is regularly employed ceremonially.

This was likely derived from when the Thai language had three tones (as opposed to today's five, a split which occurred during the Ayutthaya period), two of which corresponded directly to the aforementioned marks.

[2] In khlong, a stanza (bot, บท, [bòt]) has a number of lines (bat, บาท, [bàːt], from Pali and Sanskrit pāda), depending on the type.

The two differ in the number of syllables in the second wak of the final bat and inter-stanza rhyming rules.

[2] The khlong si suphap (โคลงสี่สุภาพ, [kʰlōːŋ sìː sù.pʰâːp]) is the most common form still currently employed.

It developed during the Ayutthaya period, and became a prominent poetic form, but declined afterwards until it resurfaced in a 1913 revival.

[3] The inthrawichian chan (อินทรวิเชียรฉันท์, [īn.tʰrá.wí.tɕʰīːan tɕʰǎn], from Indravajra, a form of Sanskrit poetry and meaning Indra's thunderbolt) has two bat per stanza, with eleven syllables in each bat, following the pattern HHLHH LLHLHH (H represents heavy and L represents light syllables): The rhyming scheme (which is identical to that of kap yani, see below) is shown here in two stanzas: Transcription: Translation: The evening settles as the sun crosses the sky.

Its last rays flicker, and the sky turns from red Into a clear glowing indigo, so bright and pure.

The wasantadilok chan วสันตดิลกฉันท์, [wá.sǎn.tà.dì.lòk tɕʰǎn], from Sanskrit vasantatilaka) has fourteen syllables per bat, with the pattern HHLHLLLH LLHLHH: The following plan shows the rhyme structure in two stanzas.

Like a bright lantern, Of the great prophet-teacher, shining into each being's character, Bringing light to foolish hearts.

A less common form is surangkhanang sam sip song (thirty-two), with eight wak per stanza.

In the narrow sense it refers to a more recently developed form where a stanza has four wak, each with the same number of syllables.

Transcription: The rai (ร่าย, [râːj]) is probably the oldest Thai poetic form and was used in laws and chronicles.

Thamnong sano reading is often featured in student competitions, along with other forms of language-related performances.