Tag Archives: Autumn Poem

October by Moon In-soo

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Translated by Chae-Pyong Song and Anne Rashid

pumpkin

October by Moon In-soo

The spot I picked up the pumpkin,
the pumpkin had sat, pressing down the ground.
The center of autumn
caved in.
For awhile, I will suffer this way.

10월/문인수

호박 눌러 앉았던, 따 낸
자리.
가을의 한복판이 움푹
꺼져 있다.
한동안 저렇게 아프겠다.

출전: 시집, “동강의 높은 새” (세계사, 2000)

mooninsoophotoMoon In-soo (1945-) was born in Sungju, Gyeongsangbuk-do. He studied Korean literature at Dongkuk University in Seoul. He made his debut when he was forty two years old. He published such poetry collections as All the Roads In the World Lead To Home (1992), The Horn (1992), The Nesting Mountain (1999), Shhh! (2006), Umbilical Cord (2008) andThe Sound of Silence (2012). His prestigious literary awards include the Kim Dal-jin Literary Award (2000), the No Jak Literary Award (2003), and the Meedang Literary Award (2007).

This Azure Day by Seo Jung-ju

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Translated by Chae-Pyong Song and Anne Rashid

Photography by Peter Park

Photography by Peter Park

This Azure Day by Seo Jung-ju

On this blindingly azure day,
let us long for those we miss.

There, where autumn flowers sit,
green has given in to red.

Let the snow fall.
Let spring return.

What if you are alive when I die?
What if I am alive when you die?

On this blindingly azure day,
let us long for those we miss.

푸르른 날/서정주(1915~2000)

눈이 부시게 푸르른 날은
그리운 사람을 그리워하자.

저기 저기 저, 가을 꽃 자리
초록이 지쳐 단풍 드는데

눈이 내리면 어이하리야
봄이 또 오면 어이하리야

내가 죽고서 네가 산다면!
네가 죽고서 내가 산다면?

눈이 부시게 푸르른 날은
그리운 사람을 그리워 하자.

seojungjuphotoSeo Jeong-ju (1915 – 2000) was born in Gochang, Jeollabuk-do. He is considered the founding father of modern Korean poetry. Under the pen name Midang, he published at least 15 collections of poetry. He taught Korean literature at Chosun University, among others. He was also nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in literature. His grandmother’s stories and his interest in Buddhism had a strong influence upon his writing. His works have been translated into a number of languages, including English, French, Spanish and German.

The Old Hill by Lee Si-young

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Translated by Chae-Pyong Song and Anne Rashid

Photography by Hye Hyon

The Old Hill by Lee Si-young

In my hometown, Woosadool, persimmons may be ripening.
Coming home from school, I would climb the persimmon tree
suffering with a hungry stomach, and sing,
wishing that the autumn sunlight could ripen them,
wishing that the blue sky could ripen frost-laden persimmons.
Swinging my head between the branches,
I would sing mournful songs.
Ah, where did Giltay go?
Holding on to the tree till after the sunset,
Giltay would wipe his tears with his small fist,
gazing at his empty chimney where no smoke did rise.
Ah, where did Giltay go,
leaving behind his lame widow mother
below the persimmon tree?

옛동산/ 이시영

우리 고향 웃사둘 마을에는 감이 익겠지
학교에서 돌아오면 나무에 올라
주린 배를 참으며 노래 불렀지
가을볕 부신 햇살에 감이 익어라고
푸른 하늘 한가득 서리 묻은 감이 익어라고
가지 가지 사이로 머리통을 흔들며
노래 슬픈 노래 불렀지
아 길태는 어데 갔노
저녁이 지날 때까지 나무에 달라붙어
연기 오르지 않는 빈 굴뚝을 바라보며
작은 주먹으로 눈물 훔치던
아 길태는 어데 갔노
다리 저는 홀어머니 감나무 밑에 남겨둔 채

Lee Si-young (1949- ) was born in Gurye, Jeollanamdo. He studied creative writing at Seorabeol College of Arts. Since his literary debut in 1969, he has published poetry collections such as The Full Moon (1976), Into the Wind (1986), Friend, the Road Is Far (1988), The Song Dangling with Dew (1991), The Pattern (1994), The Gap (1996), The Quiet Blue Sky (1997), The Silver Whistle (2003), The Sea Lake (2004), The Aroma of Cow Dung(2005), and For Our Dead (2007). He has received many prestigious literary awards, including The Jung Ji-yong Literary Award (1996), The Dongseo Literary Award (1998), Modern Buddhist Literary Award (2004), The Jihoon Award (2004) and The Baeksok Literary Award (2004). For the last forty years, he has strived to write “poetry, resisting the reality and contradictions of the day.” He currently teaches creative writing at Dankuk University in Seoul.

An Autumn Day by Lee Si-young

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Translated by Chae-Pyong Song and Anne Rashid

Photography by Lee Won-kyu

An Autumn Day by Lee Si-young

A dragonfly sat on the end of a persimmon branch
and dozed off all day.
Even with wind, it did not shake;
even with a cold rain smacking the branch,
it did not move over.
When I quietly approached it,
I was startled to see,
right there, it had arrived in Nirvana.

가을날/ 이시영

잠자리 한 마리가 감나무 가지 끝에 앉아
종일을 졸고 있다
바람이 불어도 흔들리지 않고
차가운 소나기가 가지를 후려쳐도
옮겨앉지 않는다
가만히 다가가보니
거기 그대로 그만 아슬히 입적하시었다

Lee Si-young (1949- ) was born in Gurye, Jeollanamdo. He studied creative writing at Seorabeol College of Arts. Since his literary debut in 1969, he has published poetry collections such as The Full Moon (1976), Into the Wind (1986), Friend, the Road Is Far (1988), The Song Dangling with Dew (1991), The Pattern (1994), The Gap (1996), The Quiet Blue Sky (1997), The Silver Whistle (2003), The Sea Lake (2004), The Aroma of Cow Dung(2005), and For Our Dead (2007). He has received many prestigious literary awards, including The Jung Ji-yong Literary Award (1996), The Dongseo Literary Award (1998), Modern Buddhist Literary Award (2004), The Jihoon Award (2004) and The Baeksok Literary Award (2004). For the last forty years, he has strived to write “poetry, resisting the reality and contradictions of the day.” He currently teaches creative writing at Dankuk University in Seoul.

Gingko Tree by Kwak Je-gu

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Translated by Chae-Pyong Song and Anne Rashid

Gingko Tree by Kwak Je-gu

When I stand under your yellow umbrella
I am reminded of the eyes of the old Russian writer
who said, “the beautiful will cover the world.”
In the clear wind you purposefully
lower your two shining eyebrows,
and write beautiful love letters on the sidewalk
for those who have loved someone deeply.
It is mystical to read
someone’s old memories written on every leaf.
Love dyes even our hearts with golden memories.
On this street, nobody can sing hopelessness any more.
A few cocoons of the nettle worm twirl upon the naked branches.
Even though someone in power often misreads this world,
hangs upon the end of the branch his own nettle worm,
and steps illegally upon the soil once more,
when I stand under your yellow umbrella
looking up at several thousands of yellow people,
hope will engrave itself into our hearts as a burning image.

은행나무/ 곽재구

너의 노오란 우산깃 아래 서 있으면
아름다움이 세상을 덮으리라던
늙은 러시아 문호의 눈망울이 생각난다
맑은 바람결에 너는 짐짓
네 빛나는 눈썹 두어 개를 떨구기도 하고
누군가 깊게 사랑해 온 사람들을 위해
보도 위에 아름다운 연서를 쓰기도 한다
신비로와라 잎사귀마다 적힌
누군가의 옛 추억들 읽어 가고 있노라면
사랑은 우리들의 가슴마저 금빛 추억의 물이 들게 한다
아무도 이 거리에서 다시 절망을 노래할 수 없다
벗은 가지 위 위태하게 곡예를 하는 도롱이집* 몇 개
때로는 세상을 잘못 읽은 누군가가
자기 몫의 도롱이집을 가지 끝에 걸고
다시 이 땅 위에 불법으로 들어선다 해도
수천만 황인족의 얼굴 같은 너의
노오란 우산깃 아래 서 있으면
희망 또한 불타는 형상으로 우리 가슴에 적힐 것이다.

Autumn Poem by Kwak Je-gu

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Translated by Chae-Pyong Song and Anne Rashid

Painted by Kang Jang-won

Autumn  Poem by Kwak Je-gu 

All afternoon
on a ferry
I rode along the river bank.
The arrowroot flowers you love dearly
were in full bloom on the verdant bank,
and the sky sank on the water’s surface like a wet dream.
The arrowroot flowers that landed on the water
took off their dresses abashedly
in the middle of the water.
The wind was blowing and driving,
and, amidst the fragrance billowing from heaven to earth,
my little ferry
at last lost its way.

가을의 시/ 곽재구

오후 내내
나룻배를 타고
강기슭을 따라 내려갔습니다
당신이 너무 좋아하는 칡꽃 송이들이
푸른 강기슭을 따라 한없이 피어 있었습니다
하늘이 젖은 꿈처럼 수면 위에 잠기고
수면 위에 내려온 칡꽃들이
수심 한가운데서
부끄러운 옷을 벗었습니다
바람이 불고
바람이 불어가고
지천으로 흩날리는 꽃향기 속에서
내 작은 나룻배는
그만 길을 잃고 맙니다