Korean art and folk songs

Six selected songs by different composers with Sowol Kim’s poems (1-6)

1. Creeper song
(1) When creepers of a arrowroot are stretching, I feel “autumn is not coming back.” Ah! One certain frosty day, the leaves of a creeper have already withered. (2)When peach blossoms are flowering in spring, I feel “there are too many butterflies.” Ah! One certain late spring day, no butterflies are around. (3)When creepers of a gourd are stretching, I feel “it would cover the whole roof.” Ah! Before covering, there hang only a few small gourds.

+2. Optimism
Take comfort:
Such is life
The way it goes.

Such is life
The way it goes
While wind sobs
In the tree,
Its flowers and green
Leaves gone.

+3. Azaleas
If you go away
Through with me
I will gently let you go.

I will gather
An armful of azaleas
At Yaksan, Yongbyon
And threw them on your path.

Tread softly
Step by step
Upon the flowers as you go.
If you go away
Through with me
No tears I will show,
My painful tears.

+4. Silken Mist
When silken mist veils snow fields,
We are lost in memories:
We wept tears at reunion
Madly missing each other.

When silken mist veils snow fields,
The lonely soul must suffer:
Crossed in love, a maid died by hanging
On the snow-melted bough.

When silken mist veils snow fields,
The larks soar high into the sky:
We delight in things on earth-
The sky, the sea and the fields.

When silken mist veils snow fields,
We are lost in memories:
We first fell in love
And were parted for good.

+5. Invocation
A name broken to pieces!
A name vanished in mid air!
A name without response!
I will be calling it to my death.

O my love,
You are gone before I have said
What I have carved for you in my heart.
While in the west a glory burns the blue,
Even the deer weep in mourning.
Your name I call standing
On a lone hill.
I call you till my heart bleeds.
I call till my heart bleeds.
But my voice slips into the vast void
Between earth and sky.

I will be calling your name
Till my death even if
I should turn to stone.
O my love, my love.

+6. Golden Lawn
Lawn
After
Lawn
Amidst the golden lawn.

The flame in the deep mountain
Burns the lawn around
The grave of my love.
Spring is here.
Spring is come.

+Note; 2,3,4,5 and 6 are from ‘Azaleas’ (poems by Sowol Kim) translated by Jai hiun Kim, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Press

Four Songs with Traditional Tune (7-10)

7. Plum blossom
My love is away from me. My gaze rests on a bent branch of a plum tree, reflected on the window pane: The fragrance of the flower …I am moved…as if my love is coming back: I am still waiting and enjoying being alone.

8. Saying ‘I know not’
Life is so closely attached to the surrounding nature; mountain and creek. Asking them ‘do you know I am really waiting for my love?’
The mountain says ‘I know not.’
The creek says ‘I know not.’

9. Wild peach flower
A scenic view of a beautiful mountain village on an early spring day; deer are at the creek, birds are chirping and the peach flowers are standing out.

10. Drum
The drum is the instrument for accompanying traditional songs. It has all the tempos and expressions as a shadow behind the singer; however, the
drum knows all about singing as well as life.
You sing; I play.

Four Lyric Songs (11-14)

11. Missing beloved one
My love is at a place very far away where I can not reach at all. Without my knowing, I am at the creek. Ah! The water and moon stay still with me sobbing as if they have my mind.

12. My love is…
My love is palely seen on the water at dusk like a shadow…so calm;
My love is like a fallen leaf at dark night…soundless.

13. The sea
Longing for love;
The life at the sea to be told to you!

14. On each flower falling
Without a dear one, flowering in spring is meaningless. On the way to the Jin’gwan temple, I felt the pain on each flower falling.

Folk Songs (15-19)

15. A bachelor’s song
I want to marry you, maid!
Life together is a lot easier and happier!

16. Farmer’s song
The refrain has a more beautiful line than the solo.

17. Jin-do Arirang
The refrain is more fun.

18.About 5 hundred years
Life is suffering!

19. Southern sea chant
Vast sea, dark blue sea, and
the sea with higher waves!
Under captain’s commands, a boat moves well!
‘o ya ji yo… o ho ya!’ shouting together…