Minthuwun’s Centenary
Minthuwun is a well known name in
He was a great poet and Burmese professor
He has a great number of followers in the nation
His poetry gives pleasure, poetics and patriotism.
I remember reciting his poems of Thabyenyo Kabyar
When I was in early teen in my native Monywa
It instilled in me love of poetry and Burmese literature
That increased as I grow older till I became a writer.
Thabyenyo poems gave me pleasure and purpose
It made me recite whenever I was in trough
Down with mishaps, malcontent and misery
It refreshed my resolve and resurrected me.
Young children love his poems by singing
Verses like “Ka Kazun Bin Ye Hmar Shwin”
Water Cress Grows Well in Water, it means
Children thus acquire love of poetry and singing
Valuing vegetables and usefulness of simple things
He thus instilled love of nature and natural surroundings.
He was an educational psychologist too
His children stories and fables are morally true
To the concept of honoring honesty and bravery
Promoting perseverance, selflessness and sobriety
Many matured through “Ko Khwe Ma Khwe” poetry
His other writings contributed much in uplifting morality.
(Saya Zaw Gyi and Saya Minthuwun, Two Khitsan Poets)
His writings on Burmese literature abound
Burmese literati and lecturers love them all along
He covered a lot of subjects and topics of the town
From orthography, history to linguistic grounds
Serious, not so serious and lightly touched forms
Minthuwun was an encyclopedic crown!
He was one of the “Khit San” literati
That emerged from the
He continued blossoming since 1930s
He became a master of “Khit San” poetry
He left precious purposeful poems for posterity
Without them, Burmese poetry would be in jeopardy.
Minthuwun also contributed translation in the country
He was one of the founders of the Burma Translation Society
And he headed Translation Department of Rangoon University
He had translated English classics into Burmese vocabulary
Shakespeare’s King Lear was his very last commission
He was awarded the National Literary Prize distinction.
I have the fortune of meeting him personally
He was modest, well mannered and meekly
He treated us as friends frankly and warmly
I felt so honored to be treated as such honestly
Actually he was more than that and really great
Let us join together to celebrate his 100th birthday
May he be remembered for ever in worthy ways!
Dr Maung Maung Nyo
15.01.2009 (original)
Note: (1) Composed to celebrate the Centenary of
Minthuwun’s Birth on 10th February 2009 ,
but a public ceremony was held on 10th March 2009
in Yangon.So I waited until now to upload the poem.
MMN 30.03.2009
(2) Kabyar = Poetry o Poem
(3) Khitsan = Time testing
(4) Thabyenyo = Eugenia Leaves, Burmese symbol of victory
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