From Denial to Serving

So Phina is an internationally renowned writer in Cambodia and the cofounder of the independent publishing house Kampu Mera Edition.

We met Phina during our previous project in 2022 in Phnom Penh. She was not one of our interview partners this year; however, she is part of the recent publication Bong Bong – Cambodian German Entanglements, edited by Vera Lossau and Lilla von Puttkamer, which was also produced in collaboration with the Goethe-Zentrum and designed by Simona Koch. As an introduction to this publication, Phina wrote this wonderful poem for us in Khmer:

ប្រសិនបើ «ស្តាប់» ប្រែដូច «ដី»
ម៉្លេះរុក្ខជាតិក្តីមានផ្កាផ្លែ
ផ្តល់រុក្ខផលជាហូរហែ
ដីមិនប្រកែបដិសេធ។
ប្រសិនបើ «ស្តាប់» ប្រែដូច «ទឹក»
ត្រីគរសន្ធឹកអាហារស្រេច
ដល់មនុស្សម្នាជាប់មិនដាច់
ទឹកគុណបំណាច់ផលអនេក។
ទឹកដីនិងស្តាប់បើដូចគ្នា
ម៉្លេះសម្រួលគ្នាសព្វអម្រែក
បានយល់បានដឹងល្អជាងស្រែក
ប្តូរពីប្រកែកស្តាប់ហើយធ្វើ។
ភ្នំពេញ, ១៤កុម្ភៈ២០២៦
សូភីណា

English translation:

If ‘listening’ were like soil,
Plants shall provide flowers and fruits,
Bearing and giving all year long,
Never denies her roles.
If ‘listening’ were like water,
Plenty fishes, foods are served
For humans all year long
Countless abundant blessings.
If water, soil, and listen were the same,
All would be peaceful.
Excel in knowledge and understanding,
Changing from denial to serving.