K i m S o w o l —

translated by J a c k J u n g

Lament

Why aren’t you coming to me.

On the paper panels of a sliding door, moonlight casts plum blossom

Shadows in restless disarrangement.

Ah. I must shut my eyes and go to sleep.

I can hear it from so far away! 

The sound of spring’s rising tide

Water kingdom’s brilliant palace of many doors, the palace’s deepmost place,

The sleepless dragon princess dancing and singing, the sound of spring’s rising tide.

In my darkened heart’s every corner…

Inside the clear and bright mirror, where spring clouds have submerged,

Rain rains alone, the moon ringed with cloud.

All this and still, why aren’t you coming to me. Why aren’t you coming to me.

애모

왜 아니 오시나요.

영창에는 달빛, 매화꽃이

그림자는 산란히 휘젓는데.

아이. 눈 꽉 감고 요대로 잠을 들자.

저 멀리 들리는 것!

봄철의 밀물소리

물나라의 영롱한 구중궁궐, 궁궐의 오요한 곳,

잠 못 드는 용녀의 춤과 노래, 봄철의 밀물소리.

어둡은 가슴속의 구석구석……

환연한 거울속에, 봄구름 잠긴 곳에,

소솔비 나리며, 달무리 둘러라.

이대도록 왜 아니 오시나요. 왜 아니 오시나요.

Evil Dream

From spring daybreak’s evil dream

I wake up!

Crows and magpies cawing and chirping, sounding surprised,

What things are shown to your eyes.

Spring’s gentle daybreak, dews adorning blades of grass.

Look here, this is a time of comfort, but

O wild crows, o rambling magpies,

Do you see my ugly dream?

When spring wind quietly passes over spring’s empty field,

And petals finally scatter on the hill overlooking this village,

Listen to me, my woman, for the sake of love

As if all are raging portents, leave the heart be.

몹쓸 꿈

봄 새벽의 몹쓸 꿈

깨고 나면!

울짖는 까막까치, 놀라는 소리,

너희들은 눈에 무엇이 보이느냐.

봄철의 좋은 새벽, 풀이슬 맺혔어라.

볼지어다, 세월은 도무지 편안한데,

두새없는 저 까마귀, 새들게 울짖는 저 까치야,

나의 흉한 꿈 보이느냐?

고요히 또 봄바람은 봄의 빈 들을 지나가며,

이윽고 동산에서는 꽃잎들이 흩어질 때,

말 들어라, 애틋한 이 여자야, 사랑의 때문에는

모두다 사납은 조짐인 듯, 가슴을 뒤노아라.

A Night Spent Dreaming of the One

In the middle of night, firelight bright

Barely seen. 

Barely heard, barely unheard,

Footsteps

Staggering away.

No matter what one does lying alone with one’s body 

Lost sleep does not come back again.

In the middle of night, firelight bright

Barely seen.

그를 꿈꾼 밤

야밤중, 불빛이 밝하게

어렴풋이 보여라.

들리는 듯, 마는 듯,

발자국 소리.

스러져가는 발자국 소리.

아무리 혼자 누어 몸을 뒤재도

잃어버린 잠은 다시 안와라.

야밤중, 불빛이 밝하게

어렴풋이 보여라.

Smell of a Woman

Smell of the moon clothed in green clouds.

Smell of the sun clothed in red clouds.

No, smell of sweat, smell of grime,

Smell of clothes and skin drenched in rain.

Green ocean… a ship in disarray…

A soft and dearly missed life’s

Small and green and gloomy ghost

Clung to at an angle by skin in uproar…

Again, smell of a forest after funeral march.

Smell of a ghost-carrying wild ship’s hold.

Smell of the ocean in raw fish.

Smell of wandering the late spring sky.

Wind blows on a hill of sand and casts a net of mist

And distant streetlights cry the evening of the moon.

This smell is what I love about your body.

This smell is what I love about your body.

여자의 냄새

푸른 구름의 옷 입은 달의 냄새.

붉은 구름의 옷 입은 해의 냄새.

아니, 땀 냄새, 때묻은 냄새,

비에 맞아 축업은 살과 옷 냄새.

푸른 바다…… 어즈리는 배……

보드랍은 그립은 어떤 목숨의

조그마한 푸릇한 그무러진 영

어우러져 빗기는 살의 아우성……

다시는 장사 지나간 숲속에 냄새.

유령 실은 널뛰는 뱃간에 냄새.

생고기의 바다의 냄새.

늦은 봄의 하늘을 떠도는 냄새.

모래언덕 바람은 그물안개를 불고

먼 거리의 불빛은 달저녁을 울어라.

냄새 많은 그 몸이 좋습니다.

냄새 많은 그 몸이 좋습니다.

Powdered Face

In the firelight a fresh milky face rises,

Lonely smell suffuses from the face,

A cup shared by shared lips,

Slender hands are shimmering.

Blackening but also reddening 

And blurry until clear again

Is your voice on thread-thin shadows—

Is the moonlight floating over a thicket.

You and I and also the girl perhaps

Three of us having fun at night, three of us at night,

Once again above the cup of wine the long spring night

Slips out the window without a sound.

분 얼굴

불빛에 떠오르는 새뽀얀 얼굴,

그 얼굴이 보내는 호젓한 냄새,

오고가는 입술의 주고받는 잔,

가느스름한 손길은 아른대여라.

검으스러하면서도 붉으스러한

어렴풋하면서도 다시 분명한

줄그늘 위에 그대의 목노리,

달빛이 수풀 위를 떠 흐르는가.

그대하고 나하고 또는 그 계집

밤에 노는 세 사람, 밤의 세 사람,

다시금 술잔 위의 긴 봄밤은

소리도 없이 창밖으로 새여 빠져라.

Wife’s Body

After the rising tide pushes in and falls back 

Will the place from where the boat sailed out still remain.

You are a good wife and someone else’s body,

‘Before you are at last called mommy mommy.’

Smoke rises because it is a chimney and

Moths nest because it is inside of a rock.

You are a young yet youthful blue sky,

‘Those who do good shall go to heaven.’

아내 몸

들고 나는 밀물에

배 떠나간 자리야 있으랴.

어질은 아내인 남의 몸인 그대요,

'아주 엄마 엄마라고 불리우기 전에.'

굴뚝이기에 연기가 나고

돌바위 안이기에 좀이 들어라.

젊으나 젊으신 청하늘인 그대요,

'착한 일 하신분네는 천당 가옵시리라.'

Seoul Night

Red light.

Green light.

On wide open streets are green lights.

On dead-end alleys are red lights.

Lights shine.

Lights darken. 

Lights once again fall into gloom.

Lights stand watch over the dead silence of a long night.

Somewhere in my heart I know not

Somewhere where it is both dark and light

Red light gently weeps.

Green light gently weeps. 

Red light.

Green light.

Dark is the night sky far above.

Dark is the night sky far above.

They say Seoul streets are good.

They say Seoul nights are good.

Red light

Green light.

Somewhere in my heart I know not

Green light is alone.

Red light is alone.

서울 밤

붉은 전등.

푸른 전등.

넓다란 거리면 푸른 전등.

막다른 골목이면 붉은 전등.

전등은 반짝입니다.

전등은 그무립니다.

전등은 또다시 어스렷합니다.

전등은 죽은듯한 긴 밤을 지킵니다.

나의 가슴의 속모를 곳의

어둡고 밝은 그 속에서도

붉은 전등이 흐드겨 웁니다.

푸른 전등이 흐드겨 웁니다.

붉은 전등.

푸른 전등.

머나먼 밤하늘은 새캄합니다.

머나먼 밤하늘은 새캄합니다.

서울 거리가 좋다고 해요.

서울 밤이 좋다고 해요.

붉은 전등.

푸른 전등.

나의 가슴의 속모를 곳의

푸른 전등은 고적합니다.

붉은 전등은 고적합니다.