khlong si suphap
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 khlong si suphap、traditional Thai four-part verse form
This is a traditional Thai verse form whose stanzas consist of four sections governed by set rules for length, tonal patterns, and rhyme.
khlong si suphap、traditional Thai four-part verse form
A traditional Thai poetic form in which each stanza has four sections and follows a prescribed metrical and rhyming structure.
-
บทนี้แต่งเป็นโคลงสี่สุภาพ bòt níi tɛ̀ŋ pen khlooŋ sìi sùphâap This poem is composed in the khlong si suphap form. บทนี้แต่งเป็นโคลงสี่สุภาพ details
Learning notes
Explanation
Khlong si suphap is one of the best-known forms of traditional Thai poetry. The name combines โคลง, a type of regulated verse; สี่, “four”; and สุภาพ, which here indicates the standard, orderly form rather than simply “polite.” Each บท, or stanza, contains four บาท. Every บาท is divided into two วรรค, or segments. The form regulates not only length but also rhyme and the positions of designated เอก and โท tonal patterns. Typically, the first three บาท contain segments of five and two syllables, while the fourth contains segments of five and four syllables. Short supplementary phrases called สร้อย may sometimes be added to the first and third บาท.
Usage
The term is mainly used in discussions of Thai literature and in language-arts classes, especially when identifying a poem’s form, studying its metrical rules, or composing traditional verse. A common expression is แต่งโคลงสี่สุภาพ, “compose a khlong si suphap poem.” It is not common in ordinary daily conversation.
Caution
The word สี่, “four,” does not mean that any poem printed in four lines belongs to this form. Its four บาท must follow specific rules for length, rhyme, and เอก–โท tonal positions. Do not confuse it with กลอนสุภาพ, which is a different verse form with its own structure and meter.