Notes From the Land of the Morning Calm

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Korean Literature
Translations by Wayne &  Suk Ja

The Preface 
by Yoon Dong-ju

Needing to live until the day I die
without shame, looking toward  
the sky even the wind rising 
in the leaves hurts
I have to love everything dying
with a heart willing songs about the stars
walk the road I’m given
 

Still tonight the stars are grazed by the wind

When you leave here
Sick of me
What can I do, I'll let you go without a word

I'll take an armful
Of azaleas
From Yak Mountain and throw them in your way

Crush them lightly, gently
When you go
These azaleas I've thrown out there

When you leave here
Sick of me
What can I do, even if it kills me no tears will fall

ferry crossing into
wheat field trail

the traveller passes
like the moon between clouds.

southern road stretching
three hundred li,*

each village aged liquor
evening twilight burning,

the traveller passes
like the moon between clouds.

distant mountain trail twists turns, wanders away
with each twist, with every turn
sorrow rises on its own.....

the mountain trail seen and then gone

the mountain's distant echo echoing to go
the mountain's lonely echo turning to go.

......without reason, for no reason tears well and

like thought, like longing.....

the trail is the thread.

Spitting Blood 
by Ko Un 
Translated with Kang Ok Koo

Ah, let’s sing before sunset
let’s sing 
of pain and the season’s first snow

Let’s sing wholly to become one
of the night birds in bright daylight

Looking in any direction, it’s only yesterday’s sky
In that sky
snow falls, drifts deep in my heart

Ah, let’s sing before sunset    even suffering and alone we are so many

Ah, let’s sing before sunset   Let’s sing before sunset
I can’t be loved by anyone, just loved
staring at the snow 
on the distant mountain.  Ah the first snow falls, let’s sing and fall 

salt
by Rlu Shi-wha

not many people know
salt
is the ocean’s wound
salt is the ocean’s pain
not many people know that
when salt falls like white snow on the world’s dinner tables
it’s the ocean’s tears
not many people know that 
because of the tears
the world
has flavor

salt star
by Rlu Shi wha

people who live on the salt star
can’t shed a tear
if they cried
the star would dissolve
so the people blink
continuously
to hide their tears

the salt star blinks brighter
because of it

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