The Story of King Lo

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Highly regarded as an important part of the poetic heritage of Thailand, The Story of King Law received royal acclaim in 1914 and is included in official school curricula. All students of Thai literature memorize parts of it and retain them for decades. The story has been extolled as beautiful and deeply moving poetry, with admirable and virtuous protagonists. It has also been vilified as undignified vulgarity, as a piece of ancient titillation unworthy of attention in the modern day. And, for admirers and critics alike, it has proven to be a source of great confusion and unresolvable obscurity. Robert Bickner uses comparative and historical linguistics as the foundation for his examination and interpretation of the poem and with this translation guides readers through the many complexities of this fascinating text.