Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Master Sijo Poems from Korea -- Classical and Modern --
This is available at UC Berkeley's East Asian Library, with number
PL 975 .6 M3 1982 EAST
published by 'Sisa' and translated by Jaihun Joyce Kim.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
some of translated poems I collected include works of U T'ak, Yi Pangwon, ..., etc.
=============================================================================
U T'ak (1262-1342)
was one of the first Koryo scholars to be concerned with neo-Confucianism. When most of the sijo written by scholars are lacking in humor, U's work contains humor and ironical laugh.
Holding thorns in one hand
and a stick in the other,
I tried to block with thorns the road to age
and strike the white hair with my stick.
But the grey hair knew better than I
and outwitted me by a short-cut.
=============================================================================
Yi Pangwon (1367)
later became King T'aejong as the fifth son of King T'aejo, founder of the Yi dynasty. An eminent general, he was largely responsible for his father's successful achievements. A legend says that Yi Pangwon tried to win the support of the influential figures of the old regime of the Koryo dynasty. He toasted to Chong Mongju, the loyal subject of Koryo, with a taunting song at a party, in an effort to persuade him to join the new regime.
What does it matter
if you do this or that?
Who cares if the arrow-roots
go entangled on Mansu Hill?
We could be like those vines,
enjoying ourselves for a hundred years.
PL 975 .6 M3 1982 EAST
published by 'Sisa' and translated by Jaihun Joyce Kim.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
some of translated poems I collected include works of U T'ak, Yi Pangwon, ..., etc.
=============================================================================
U T'ak (1262-1342)
was one of the first Koryo scholars to be concerned with neo-Confucianism. When most of the sijo written by scholars are lacking in humor, U's work contains humor and ironical laugh.
Holding thorns in one hand
and a stick in the other,
I tried to block with thorns the road to age
and strike the white hair with my stick.
But the grey hair knew better than I
and outwitted me by a short-cut.
=============================================================================
Yi Pangwon (1367)
later became King T'aejong as the fifth son of King T'aejo, founder of the Yi dynasty. An eminent general, he was largely responsible for his father's successful achievements. A legend says that Yi Pangwon tried to win the support of the influential figures of the old regime of the Koryo dynasty. He toasted to Chong Mongju, the loyal subject of Koryo, with a taunting song at a party, in an effort to persuade him to join the new regime.
What does it matter
if you do this or that?
Who cares if the arrow-roots
go entangled on Mansu Hill?
We could be like those vines,
enjoying ourselves for a hundred years.
