do they not all belong to me? (Text 52) [page 49] And also: Snow covers the mountain village and buries the stony road. Do not open the wicket because no one will come to see me. But at night the moon shines brightly; Can I say it is my friend? (Text 53) This was capped by the kisaeng Ch’ŏn Kŭm (千錦): Night covers the mountain village; a dog barks in the distance. I look out of the wicket and see only the moon in a cold sky. What can that dog be doing, barking at the moon and the bare hills ? (Text 54) Even the minor figures produced memorable poems. Here is the civil servant Song Sun (宋純 1493—1582) in the office on a winter morning: The morning is cold and frosty, yet yellow chrysanthemums Overflow their golden bowl and bring Spring to the Jade Hall. Do not dream of peach and plum blossoms but consider the (Text 31) King’s will. It is said that king sent the flowers to the archive house requesting a poem. The Myŏngjong (明宗) people there were unable to write one and got Song Sun to do it for them. Yi Hang-bok (李恒福 1555—1618) who had been prime minister under king Sŏnjo (宣禪) left a poem which is touching and, in Korean, exceedingly beautiful: [page 50] O cloud stopping to rest on the top of Ch’ŏllyŏng pass, This lone retainer’s bitter tears are like your rain. Would that you might take them away and rain them on the palace. (Text 45) Yi Hang-bok was passing through on his way into exile for having opposed the Kangwŏndo deposition of Queen In-mok (仁穆), when he came to (鐵嶺). The story goes that this Ch’ŏllyŏng song was taken back to Seoul, and was sung to the King Kwanghaegun (光海君) while he was drinking. It moved him to weep. This tone, however, is lowered in songs like this carousal of Yi Hang-bok’s great friend, Yi 1561 Tŏk-hyŏng (李德馨 —1613):
do they not all belong to me? (Text 52) [page 49] And also: Snow covers the mountain village and buries the stony road. Do not open the wicket because no one will come to see me. But at night the moon shines brightly; Can I say it is my friend? (Text 53) This was capped by the kisaeng Ch’ŏn Kŭm (千錦): Night covers the mountain village; a dog barks in the distance. I look out of the wicket and see only the moon in a cold sky. What can that dog be doing, barking at the moon and the bare hills ? (Text 54) Even the minor figures produced memorable poems. Here is the civil servant Song Sun (宋純 1493—1582) in the office on a winter morning: The morning is cold and frosty, yet yellow chrysanthemums Overflow their golden bowl and bring Spring to the Jade Hall. Do not dream of peach and plum blossoms but consider the King’s will. (Text 31) It is said that king Myŏngjong (明宗) sent the flowers to the archive house requesting a poem. The people there were unable to write one and got Song Sun to do it for them. Yi Hang-bok (李恒福 1555—1618) who had been prime minister under king Sŏnjo (宣禪) left a poem which is touching and, in Korean, exceedingly beautiful: [page 50] O cloud stopping to rest on the top of Ch’ŏllyŏng pass, This lone retainer’s bitter tears are like your rain. Would that you might take them away and rain them on the palace. (Text 45) Yi Hang-bok was passing through Kangwŏndo on his way into exile for having opposed the deposition of Queen In-mok (仁穆), when he came to Ch’ŏllyŏng (鐵嶺). The story goes that this song was taken back to Seoul, and was sung to the King Kwanghaegun (光海君) while he was drinking. It moved him to weep. This tone, however, is lowered in songs like this carousal of Yi Hang-bok’s great friend, Yi Tŏk-hyŏng (李德馨 1561 —1613):