Thai Prophecy Verse

Thai Prophecy Verse (th: เพลงยาวพยากรณ์กรุงศรีอยุธยา, RTGS: Phleng yao phayakon krung si ayutthaya, the verse prophesying the future of Krung Si Ayutthaya) is a poetry forecasting the future of Thailand. It was composed on a par with Maha Supina Jataka in Tripitaka, the Jataka features the reply of Buddha to King Pasendi of Kosala about the King's sixteen-fold dream.

The Verse was official published in the Book "Athibai phaen thi phra nakhon si autthaya" (th: อธิบายแผนที่พระนครศรีอยุธยา, Explanations for the maps of Ayutthaya Kingdom) for fist time, the Book was edited by Phraya Boranratchathanin (Phon Dechakhup) (th: พระยาโบราณราชธานินทร์ (ผล เดชคุปต์)), Governor General of Ayutthaya Monthon and Vice President of the Royal Institute of Thailand at that time. The book was presented to Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramen Maha Vajiravudh in the Royal Ceremony on Merit Marking in Dedication to the Late Kings in 1926.

There are various suspicions concerning the Verse, one of these is that the verse was composed in Ayutthaya Period. However, many academicians could not decide whom was the author of which, even at the foot of the Verse stated that "The prediction about the Kingdom by Somdet Phra Narai, King of Nopburi, ends here."

Prince Damrong Rachanuphap, father of the Thai histories, explained in "Athibai phaen thi phra nakhon si autthaya" that:

It is manifested in "Kham hai kan chao krung kao" (th: คำให้การชาวกรุงเก่า, Testimony by the People from the Old Kingdom) that the Verse was composed by Somdet Phra Sanphet Thi Paet (th: สมเด็จพระสรรเพชญที่ ๘, King Sanphet the Eighth; reigned 1703—1708). The academicians greatly supported this, and suspected that the Verse was composed with the royal purpose to use as political psychology. King Sanphet the Eighth might use the Verse to erode public faith and trust that the government could not maintain the national security. In present periods, Thai rulers also use this poetic work on political intentions.

Furthermore, it could be summarised that the composer of the Verse should be a person holding high wisdom on astrology, poetry and psychology, as well as the high rank up to a kingship. As producing the unfavourable work like this could be dangerous for the producer except he was not a commoner.

The Verse (Unofficial Translation)

1. May your attention be dragged to the Kingdom of Ayutthaya

2. where the royal religion ["Royal religion" means Buddhism.] is splendidly upheld,

3. where the graceful honours of which are immeasureable,

4. as manifested and narrated.

5. The eulogy of Ayutthaya can be heard everywhere and everyway.

4. All cities, territories and realms

5. throughout the world as well as the visitors and the businessmen

6. from all the twelve countries

7. count on Ayutthaya incessantly.

8. All the people are without illnesses and perils

9. as well as sorrows and pains.

10. The gracious king

11. whom enthrones, brings about the Kingdom the peace and happiness.

12. As the rule of law is maintained,

13. the people lives in peace and security.

14. It is the home of everyone on the earth,

15. it is the dwelling of every deities over the earth,

16. as well as of all the extractions, of the humans, of the noblemen,

17. of the riches, of the priests and of the wise men;

18. identical to the great tree with copious branches,

19. identical with the great river

20. where is in need of all hungry ones.

21. Owing to the might of the King,

22. the adversaries are no more in everywhere,

23. the inspiration rises in all countries and realms

24. to become friends and servants.

25. Ayutthaya, the productive Kingdom

26. where the royal honours are extensively increased,

27. where is thoroughly covered by the great peace and happiness,

28. until the Era [It is still undefined which is the sort of the Era mentioned therein, whether it is Phutthasakkarat, Chunlasakkarat, Mahasakkarat, or any other.] meets its 2000th year.

29. At that time, all species of animal and human

30. will meet the inevitable hazards,

31. as the wholesomeness of the King will be no more.

32. There will be sixteen-fold miraculous calamity.

33. The weather will be anomalous.

34. The accidents will be in everyplace.

35. The sky will become red as if it is burnt by the underworld's fire.

36. The unwonted presentiments will be occurred in every houses and cities.

37. The rivers will be crimson on a par with the bird's blood.

38. The heart of the Kingdom ["The heart of the Kingdom" means the earth.] will be in the unrest and the amber mood.

39. The wild spirits will run and possess all the cities. [Meaning there will be full of the immoral persons.]

40. The guardian spirits will run away and conceal themselves in the forest. [Meaning the moral persons will be unable to live in the society.]

41. The country's protectors will get by only themselves.

42. The undercover agents will come into and spy upon the Kingdom.

43. The Queen of the Earth [A goddess.] will beat her chest and cry.

44. The King of the Death will be mournful and cry.

45. The prediction never missed its exactness.

46. Consider and you will see such exactness.

47. It is not the season of summer; however, it is greatly sweltering.

48. It is not the season of wind; however, it is greatly windy.

49. It is not the season of cold; however, it is greatly cold.

50. It is not the season of rains; however, the rains fall down greatly.

51. All trees, all grasses, all kinds of which

52. will globally be collapsed in various means.

53. The divines whom protects the moral ones

54. will protects the immoral ones only.

55. The wise will surrender to the unwise.

56. The friend will kill his friend.

57. The wife will kill her husband.

58. The miscreant will kill the gentlemen.

59. The student will overwhelm his teacher.

60. The senior will be forced to become a junior.

61. The government will lose its power.

62. The learnt ones will be in decline and obscurity.

63. The cement will float upon the water.

64. The calabash which floats will submerge.

65. The family of virtuous ones will become extinct,

66. as it will copulate with the despicable ones.

67. The venerable ones will lose their virtues,

68. as they will commerce with the meretricious ones.

69. The royal commands will lose their effectiveness.

70. The Kingdom will lose its faith and fame.

71. The untrustworthy ones will rise their fame.

72. The truths will be fallen so deep.

73. The mighty ones will become coward.

74. The academies will all be withered.

75. The riches will lose their assets.

76. The broad-minded ones will become narrow-minded.

77. The ages will be declined from months to years.

78. The customary practices will be fluctuated chronically.

79. The plants and the earth will become nugatory.

80. The savours of the fruits will all be degenerated.

81. The medical plants will all be eccentric.

82. Things proffering marvelous values will all be depreciated.

83. The plentiful excellences of the plant

84. will all be receded and unconventional.

85. The human's foods will be in famine and the human's expenditures will be in feast.

86. There will lengthily be waterless.

87. The arm clashes will ensue.

88. The ghosts will disguise in the men.

89. All countries, all cities, all capitals

90. will be amongst the upheaval.

91. The citizens will all be discouraged.

92. Both men and women will globally be amidst the commotion.

93. The priests and the laymen will both be perturbed.

94. The varieties of accursed difficult will be occurred.

95. The bedlam of humans killing each other will be occurred.

96. The uncountable deaths will be occurred.

97. The watercourse will be dried and finally become land.

98. The cities will be disordered and finally become the forest of tigers.

99. However, the infinite fierce animals will come to replace the human's land.

100. The finale: all men, all animals

101. will meet the end of their race.

102. Owing to the fire that will burn the world,

103. the wars will meet the end,

104. Ayutthaya will meet the end,

105. the triple gems will meet the end.

106. Until the last year, the last moth and the last date

105. of the 5000th Era.

106. The splendid Ayutthaya

107. where the city of angels could not compare with

108. will become licentious and unscrupulous.

109. It will gradually be deteriorated. Wellaway.

The prediction about the Kingdom by Somdet Phra Narai, King of Nopburi, ends here.

Notes

References

* หนังสือ อธิบายแผนที่พระนครศรีอยุธยากับคำวินิจฉัยของพระยาโบราณราชธานินทร์ ฉบับชำระครั้งที่ 2 ฉบับโรงพิมพ์คุรุสภา พ.ศ. 2509
* เรื่องศิลปและภูมิสถานอยุธยา ของกรมศิลปากร ฉบับโรงพิมพ์คุรุสภา พ.ศ. 2509
* หนังสือ คำให้การชาวกรุงเก่า โดย อนันต์ อมรรตัย สำนักพิมพ์จดหมายเหตุ 2544
* บทความ เพลงยาวพยากรณ์กรุงศรีอยุธยาโดย จุลลดา ภักดีภูมินทร์
* นิตยสารสกุลไทย ฉบับที่ 2700 ปีที่ 52 ประจำวันอังคารที่ 18 กรกฎาคม 2549 [http://www.sakulthai.com/DSakulcolumndetailsql.asp?stcolumnid=4849&stissueid=2700&stcolcatid=2&stauthorid=13]