Review by Myint Zan
THE author U Thaw Zin (1913-1990) was a scholar who apparently was proficient in Pali, Sanskrit, Bengali and Hindi languages. His book ကဗျာလမ်ညွှန် (‘Guide to Poetry’) was first published in 1965. In June 2022 Seikuchocho publications republished it.
The book is divided into four Parts. They can roughly be translated as: (1) ‘Basic tools necessary for poetry’, (2) ‘Elements necessary to create the characteristics of poetry’, (3) ‘The “jewels” that beautify poetry’ (4) ‘Making poetry alive’.
The basic and overarching approach of the book can be said to be orthodox. U Thaw Zin mentions and refers to a Sanskrit text on poetry composed several hundred or even a thousand years ago. Perhaps (not?) parts of that Sanskrit treatise might have been translated into Burmese. He asserts that not even one in a hundred Burmese poets have heard of the Sanskrit text. Indeed. But the reviewer would mischievously add: ‘So what is the matter with this non-familiarity’?
U Thaw Zin also urges that a long narration of the techniques he described has been composed by Manlei Sayadaw (a Burmese Buddhist monk) in a 1000 Burmese word poem. Those who want to make ‘poetry alive’ writes U Thaw Zin should learn by heart from this long poem which he reproduced in five pages of his book (page 264 to 268). One wonders how many among a random sampling of a thousand Burmese poets who flourished during the past 100 years have learned by heart this poem of Manlei Sayadaw.
In each of the four Parts of this book, U Thaw Zin provides examples of Burmese poetry in explaining his various techniques of poetry. One of the ‘latest’ poems which were mentioned in the book was by Salay U Pon Nya which were mainly composed during or before the mid-19th century. Apart from a brief mention of Thakin Ko Daw Hmaing, none of the poetry in various genres including but not limited to Khitsan (‘testing the Age’) poetry nor that of other genres of Burmese poetry of the 20th century was discussed. (Perhaps most of the poems of the early to mid20th century did not quite adhere to U Thaw Zin’s techniques which he so eruditely explained in his treatise.)
When U Thaw Zin’s book was first published in 1965 there were Burmese political poems which also (shall we say) diverge from the themes, messages and writing styles of pre-World War II ခေတ်စမ်း poetry. Did the ခေတ်စမ်း poems as well as the political (mainly) left-wing poetry from the 1950s to mid-1960s follow the techniques, guidelines and criteria of what is good Burmese poetry as recommended by U Thaw Zin? The late Saya Maung Tha Noe (1932-2022) is considered to be one of the pioneers of modern Burmese poetry which started around 1965 the year U Thaw Zin’s ‘Guide to [Traditional] Poetry’ was published. The writer is curious whether U Thaw Zin or Maung Tha Noe had reviewed each other’s work concerning Burmese poetry,
U Thaw Zin passed away in 1990. By that time what can be called ‘Modern Burmese poetry,’ မော်ဒန် ကဗျာ had begun to play a non-negligible role. Do the Mawdan Myanmar ကဗျာ poems fulfil the criteria which learned Saya (teacher) U Thaw Zin meticulously explained?
The reviewer uses the word ‘erudite’ and ‘learned’ without irony and in sincere compliments if not praise. The reviewer has learned a lot from U Thaw Zin’s treatise. A few (maybe some) of Saya U Thaw Zin’s expositions the reviewer does not fully comprehend. But learned he did from the book first published 57 years ago. Those interested in Burmese literature (and influences of foreign especially Sanskrit and Pali literature on it) and of course potential and even established Burmese poets can benefit by reading the book. The Seikuchocho publication is to be complimented for reproducing it.
