At Sapyeong Station Kwak Jae-gu (1954 – ) The last train hadn’t come for a while. All night, outside the waiting room, snowflakes were piling. By every window, where a white gust of lilac was dazzling, a sawdust stove was burning red. Some were dozing like the last day of a month, some were coughing … Continue reading
The Farmer and The Poet Kim Yong Taik (1948-) My father Built a house With grass, tree, soil, wind, water, and sunshine And lived in the house As he tended the crops. And I, With what do I write a poem? I, like my father, Want to write a poem With grass, tree, soil, wind, … Continue reading
Chilseok Kwak Jae-gu (1954 – ) While picking the flower seeds by her worn palm, in the field of moss roses, my grandma left to the heaven, befriending the day moon that came to this world on an outing. An elegant, blue ramie jacket in the cedar chest followed my grandma to the heaven, … Continue reading
That Every Moment Is a Flower Bud Chong Hyon-jong (1939 – present) I regret at times. That moment, that event Could have been a treasure trove… The person of that moment The thing of that moment Could have been a treasure trove… Had I digged in more passionately And talked more passionately And listened more … Continue reading
Cricket Ra Heeduk (1966 – ) Buried in a cicada’s noise that shakes a tall branch, My cry is not yet a song. Between the narrow crack in the concrete wall of an underpass, Between the cries I pour out on the cold floor Where there is neither grass nor drop of dew coming down, … Continue reading
A Village Do Jonghwan (1954-) Perhaps because villagers live benignly, myriads of stars are in the sky. The village is clustered where a brook runs limpidly; cuckoo sounds and star shadows are scooped in a water dipper. When rice is rinsed with the water and spreads the cooking scent, I pass by the village where the … Continue reading
Auntie Yoon Jungsoon (1957-present) I really like my auntie because she looks like my mom. Her plump fingers and voice are alike too. When she gets down and looks into my eyes, She looks exactly like my mom. And when she suddenly grins, She’s prettier than my mom. Auntie doesn’t send me on an errand … Continue reading
Had We Been Snowflakes Ahn Do-hyun (1961-present) Had we been snowflakes, let us not become sleet that hesitantly scatters in the air. Even if the world is gusty, freezing, and dark, let us come down in big, cozy flakes to the lowest part of a town where people live. Had we been snowflakes, let us become letters … Continue reading
Classroom with a View of the Sea 10 – Cleaning Window Jeong Ilgeun (1958-) It’s truly clear: A sheet of glass window Which has been tenderly cleaned by Yeol, Yeol, Who can barely write his name Remote shoreline and loving brother islands, A sheet of autumn sea That is dazzling as it is Ah, Over … Continue reading
For “New Spring 1-8,″ click here New Spring 9 Kim Jiha (1941-present) Watching cherry blossoms falling, I like a green pine. Because I like a green pine, I even like cherry blossoms. 1994 (Translated by Jido Ahn, December 2015) learn more about the poet: Kim Jiha (1941-) 새봄 9 김지하 (1941~) 벚꽃 지는 걸 보니 푸른 솔이 좋아. … Continue reading
Ahn Translation 