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BIRD


Flitting onto the vacant site in my soul
that has lived alone and will live forlorn
a bird sings with flowerbuds unfolding
the day I die
or the day after.

When a song is sung loudest
for the joy of living,
for things of beauty,
or for love,
I am a lonely bird
left in the ditch or sitting on a branch of a tree.

Seasons of tenderness,
weeks of sorrow and joy.
O bird,
sing aloud your age-old notes,
known, unknown or forgotten.

The bird cries
as if to say
that he has seen better days
and had bad luck too.




-- From "Korean Poetry Today : Selected and
translated with an introduction by Jaihiun J. Kim"
at UCB East Asian Library (PL 959.5 K68 1987 EAST)

==> Ch`on, Sangbyong (1930- )
Born in Ch`ang'won, south Kyongsang province, Ch`on went to Seoul
National University for a short period. His literary career started
with his first poems being published in 'Munye(Literary Arts)' in 1952.
He has three books of poems to his credit: 'Bird' (1971), 'At Tavern' (1972)
and 'Ch`on Sangbyong Is a Born Poet' (1973).