Eulogy of King Narai
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Eulogy of King Narai (Thai: โคลงเฉลิมพระเกียรติสมเด็จพระนารายณ์มหาราช) is a Thai poem composed during the reign of King Narai (1656–1688). It is a major example of the Thai genre of royal panegyrics. The identity of the author is uncertain. The poem relates the key events of the reign, the king’s power, his palace at Lopburi, the beauties of the forest, and an elephant hunt.
The poem was probably composed in the early 1680s as no event after 1680 is mentioned in the text.[1] As with most old Thai literature, the author is not identified. Some authorities attribute authorship to Luang Si Mahosot,[2] while others including Winai Pongsripian[3] favour Phra Maharatchakhru, a head of the Brahman department, and author of several other poetic works.
Significance
The royal panegyric is a prominent genre in Thai poetry, possibly influenced by the Praśasti genre in Sanskrit. Praise of the king is a large element in Yuan Phai, a 15th-century war poem. The first work framed and titled specifically as a royal panegyric was the Eulogy of King Prasat Thong about King Narai’s father and predecessor.
King Narai (1656–1688) is best known for his involvement with the British and French in the later part of his reign.[4][5] This poem dates before the climax of that involvement. It portrays Narai as the ruler of a powerful and flourishing Ayutthaya Kingdom. It describes his power stretching in all four directions, the grandeur of his palace at Lopburi, the beauty of the forest, and the excitement of an elephant hunt.[6][7]