To me the best Khmer songs are the ones that are a bit "hokey" or "cutesy" but actually reflect a different culture. This classic is about a country guy who wants to get married but doesn't really have anything but farm animals and some land.
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ស្នេហ៏អូននឹកចង់តែរៀបការ
Love and miss oun just want to get married
សន្យាចាំបងមានលុយសិនថ្លៃ
I promise, sweetie -- just wait I'll have money very soon
គ្មានប្រាក់ រៀបការម្ដេចកើតទៅ
No money -- how can I possibly get married?
ពឹងម៉ែពឹងពុក គាត់មានតែស្រែ
Ask mom ask dad they have only ricefields
នឹកស្រមែ ចង់ក្លាយជាអ្នកមានដែរ
Dream of becoming a rich man indeed
នឹងប្រាប់អោយម៉ែ ចូលស្ដីជីវា
And tell them so mom goes to discuss the marriage
ធ្វើស្រែកើនស្រូវ ប្រឹងឡើងត្នោត
Work the fields so the rice grows, try hard to climb the palm trees
មានភ័ព្វ ត្រូវឆ្នោតមិនបាច់ វាចា
Have luck so don't need to win the lottery
(this particular one confused me)
ដូររទោះ យកឡាន រុះខ្ទមសង់វីឡា
Change the ox cart to a car, tear down the hut make a villa
ក្រោយរៀបការ លែងភ័យ
Afterwards marry and forget my troubles
មានច្រើនក្របី ជ្រូកសេះគោ
Have lots of oxens, pigs, horses, cows
មាន់ទាស្រែពិរហិកតា កេរយាយ
Chickens, ducks, two acres of ricefields
បើស្រូវហាងឆេង បានថ្លៃ
If the ricefields go up in value I will be rich
សេដ្ធីស្រុកស្រែគឺបង
The rich man of the ricefields will be me
តែនៅពេលនេះបងជិះក្របី នៅឡើយទេ
But now I am still riding the oxen
បងច្រឡំៗ សោះ
Wait I am confused
ស្មានថាជិះឡាន
I thought you were already driving a car
នឹកស្មានថាបានស្គាល់ឡានថ្មី
Thought that it was a new car
ជិះក្របីតាមវាលស្រែសោះ
But still riding the oxen through the ricefields
To me the best Khmer songs are the ones that are a bit "hokey" or "cutesy" but actually reflect a different culture. This classic is about a country guy who wants to get married but doesn't really have anything but farm animals and some land. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qzNwRUThW8 ស្នេហ៏អូននឹកចង់តែរៀបការ Love and miss oun just want to get married សន្យាចាំបងមានលុយសិនថ្លៃ I promise, sweetie -- just wait I'll have money very soon គ្មានប្រាក់ រៀបការម្ដេចកើតទៅ No money -- how can I possibly get married? ពឹងម៉ែពឹងពុក គាត់មានតែស្រែ Ask mom ask dad they have only ricefields នឹកស្រមែ ចង់ក្លាយជាអ្នកមានដែរ Dream of becoming a rich man indeed នឹងប្រាប់អោយម៉ែ ចូលស្ដីជីវា And tell them so mom goes to discuss the marriage ធ្វើស្រែកើនស្រូវ ប្រឹងឡើងត្នោត Work the fields so the rice grows, try hard to climb the palm trees មានភ័ព្វ ត្រូវឆ្នោតមិនបាច់ វាចា Have luck so don't need to win the lottery (this particular one confused me) ដូររទោះ យកឡាន រុះខ្ទមសង់វីឡា Change the ox cart to a car, tear down the hut make a villa ក្រោយរៀបការ លែងភ័យ Afterwards marry and forget my troubles មានច្រើនក្របី ជ្រូកសេះគោ Have lots of oxens, pigs, horses, cows មាន់ទាស្រែពិរហិកតា កេរយាយ Chickens, ducks, two acres of ricefields បើស្រូវហាងឆេង បានថ្លៃ If the ricefields go up in value I will be rich សេដ្ធីស្រុកស្រែគឺបង The rich man of the ricefields will be me តែនៅពេលនេះបងជិះក្របី នៅឡើយទេ But now I am still riding the oxen :( បងច្រឡំៗ សោះ Wait I am confused ស្មានថាជិះឡាន I thought you were already driving a car នឹកស្មានថាបានស្គាល់ឡានថ្មី Thought that it was a new car ជិះក្របីតាមវាលស្រែសោះ But still riding the oxen through the ricefields