””’Lilit Taleng Phai””’ ({{lang|th|ลิลิตตะเลงพ่าย}}) is a poetic work in the [[Lilit]] form in 439 stanzas composed by [[Prince Paramanuchitchinorot|Somdet Phra Maha Samana Chao Krom Phra Paramanuchit Chinoros]] and [[Prince Phubanborirak|Phra Chao Borom Wong Thoe Krom Muen Phubanborirak]] to glorify the heroism of [[Naresuan|King Naresuan the Great]]. It was written for the royal celebration of the restored buildings of [[Wat Pho|Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn]] during the reign of [[Rama III]]. The word “Taleng” (ตะเลง) refers to the [[Mon people]], but in this poem it describes the war between the Siamese and the Burmese. It was composed on the occasion of the restoration and consecration ceremony of [[Wat Pho|Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn]] in 1832 CE.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pathumpit.ac.th/online-covid-64/1-thai/nunthaca/nan-2-64/u-3/khow-3.pdf |title=“khow-3.pdf” |publisher=Pathumpit School |access-date=2025-10-13}}</ref>
””’Lilit Taleng Phai””’ ({{lang|th|ลิลิตตะเลงพ่าย}}) is a poetic work in the [[Lilit]] form in 439 stanzas composed by [[Paramanuchitchinorot]] and [[Prince Phubanborirak|Phra Chao Borom Wong Thoe Krom Muen Phubanborirak]] to glorify the heroism of [[Naresuan|King Naresuan the Great]]. It was written for the royal celebration of the restored buildings of [[Wat Pho|Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn]] during the reign of [[Rama III]]. The word “Taleng” (ตะเลง) refers to the [[Mon people]], but in this poem it describes the war between the Siamese and the Burmese. It was composed on the occasion of the restoration and consecration ceremony of [[Wat Pho|Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn]] in 1832 CE.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pathumpit.ac.th/online-covid-64/1-thai/nunthaca/nan-2-64/u-3/khow-3.pdf |title=“khow-3.pdf” |publisher=Pathumpit School |access-date=2025-10-13}}</ref>
==Origin==
==Origin==
Lilit Taleng Phai (ลิลิตตะเลงพ่าย) is a poetic work in the Lilit form in 439 stanzas composed by Paramanuchitchinorot and Phra Chao Borom Wong Thoe Krom Muen Phubanborirak to glorify the heroism of King Naresuan the Great. It was written for the royal celebration of the restored buildings of Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn during the reign of Rama III. The word “Taleng” (ตะเลง) refers to the Mon people, but in this poem it describes the war between the Siamese and the Burmese. It was composed on the occasion of the restoration and consecration ceremony of Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn in 1832 CE.[1]
Origin
The authors drew inspiration from:
- The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya, Pan Chantanumat version
- Earlier literary works such as Lilit Yuan Phai and Lilit Phra Lo
- Their own imagination, especially in the elegiac and romantic passages.
Purpose
- To honor the glory of King Naresuan the Great.
- To commemorate the renovation of Wat Pho during the reign of King Rama III.
- To accumulate spiritual merit for the authors, who expressed the wish that upon completing the work, they might attain Nirvana.
Form
The poem is written in the lilit suphap style, combining various Thai verse forms—rai suphap (elevated prose verse), khlong song suphap, khlong sam suphap, and khlong si suphap—arranged alternately throughout its 439 stanzas. Its structure follows the model of Lilit Yuan Phai, composed in the early Ayutthaya period. The lilit form is comparable to an epic poem and belongs to the panegyric genre, celebrating a monarch.
Synopsis
The poem opens with praise for the majesty and might of King Naresuan. It then follows the historical narrative: when Nanda Bayin of Burma learned that King Mahathammarachathirat of Ayutthaya had passed away and that Naresuan had ascended the throne, he consulted his ministers, suspecting that the two brothers—King Naresuan and Prince Ekathotsarot—might vie for power. He decided to send troops toward Ayutthaya as a preemptive measure. His ministers approved, and he ordered the Crown Prince to lead the army, joined by the King of Chiang Mai. The Crown Prince hesitated, citing astrologers’ predictions of ill fortune, but Nanda Bayin rebuked him, comparing him unfavorably to Naresuan and even ordering him to wear women’s clothes if he refused to go. Shamed and fearful, the Crown Prince gathered troops from various cities and marched toward Ayutthaya.
At the time, King Naresuan was preparing to invade Cambodia in retaliation for its prior attacks during Siam’s wars with Burma. Upon hearing news of the Burmese invasion, he immediately withdrew his army to confront the enemy, positioning his vanguard at Nong Sarai. Meanwhile, the Burmese Crown Prince, commanding 500,000 soldiers and accompanied by the King of Chiang Mai, advanced through the Three Pagodas Pass, admiring the forests and mountains and lamenting his consorts along the way until he captured Kanchanaburi without resistance. Proceeding through Phanom Thuan, he encountered bad omens—strong winds breaking the royal umbrella—and encamped at Traphang Tru.
King Naresuan and Prince Ekathotsarot led their forces by water via Pak Mok before marching overland to Nong Sarai, where they encountered Burmese scouts. Realizing the enemy’s intentions, Naresuan ordered his vanguard to feign retreat to lure the Burmese into complacency. In the ensuing battle, the royal elephants of Naresuan and Ekathotsarot, both in musth, charged into the enemy ranks. The two brothers were momentarily separated from their troops. Naresuan then challenged the Burmese Crown Prince to a royal elephant duel and emerged victorious, cleaving his opponent’s head with his royal halberd—later named the Phra Saeng Khongao Chao Phraya Saen Phon Phai (พระแสงของ้าวเจ้าพระยาแสนพลพ่าย). Prince Ekathotsarot likewise defeated Mangcha Charo in single combat.
After the Burmese defeat, King Naresuan ordered the construction of a stupa to honor the slain Crown Prince and then returned triumphantly to Ayutthaya, concluding the story.[2]
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