On the Hmannan Yazawin

Its Editions and Their English and French Translations

Abstract

The complete name of the so-called Hmannan Yazawin is “The Great Royal Glass-Palace Chronicle of the Kings of Burma”. The Ist edition was published, in four or five volumes (?), at Mandalay in 1857-1878 under the Burmese dynasty. Only the Ist volume (perhaps the Ist of the three volumes) was published in 1900 at Mandalay. Then in 1907, 1908 (two different editions), 1921, 1936-41, and 1955-1957, the three-volumes editions were published, but I cannot ascertain at present if the 3rd volume of the 1936-41 edition was ever published.
The English translation by U Pe Maung Tin and G. H. Luce is that of the 3rd, 4th and 5th part (but the last three chapters of the 5th part is not translated) of the Hmannan Yazawin. The French translation by E. Huber is that of the last five chapters of the 5th part. As for the translation itself, the former is wholly accurate, but the latter is less accurate and a great deal left out. So, for the time being, we had better adopt the former, when we have to make use of the Hmannan Yazawin from the 3rd part to the 5th.
Now the contrast and comparison of the English translation with the Ist volume of 1936-41 edition which I have now at hand has revealed that there are some differences between the two in the spelling of proper-nouns and in some other points. So it is necessary to revise the above-mentioned various editions and make a standard book.