솔과학 출판사 신간 [Tears, Such Beautiful Waterdrops](Poems by Yi Gi-cheol, Translated by Brother Anthony of Taizé) 안내입니다.

도서명 : [Tears, Such Beautiful Waterdrops](Poems by Yi Gi-cheol,

Translated by Brother Anthony of Taizé)

 

[책 소개]

 

“Tears, Such Beautiful Waterdrops”

It’s been fifty-three years since I started writing poetry. I have tried to make a set of clothes that can withstand the cold wind with every stitch.

 

A poet is someone who hands a bunch of warm words to the world. Each bunch of words is a bag containing the poet's unique fragrance. When the bag is opened, the fragrance goes flying toward the world. Therefore, a poet is a lover of words, a companion of words, a servant of words. Even on painful days, on meeting him, the pain gets better.

 

The Poet’s Words

 

“Waterdrops are round. Waterdrops are beautiful.

The waterdrops that have soaked my whole body then returned, are teardrops.

Just as blades of grass bend, holding waterdrops for a long time, I will accept this separation and endure it for a long time.

I will wash away the utterly wretched separation with teardrops.

Before the earth grows old, we must share green love.”

1. 출판사 서평

 

Tears, such beautiful waterdrops

 

The name sorrow lives in sorrow.

Like a tree waiting for spring, I live by waiting.

I walk to the world’s remote house

embracing beautiful longing like a book.

Tough the silver thread of sunlight breaks,

the string of waiting does not break.

When I call your name, you flocks of butterflies

with tens of thousands of wings come to me,

and the wind blows to the end of the world made by sorrow.

Family, my eternally dependent family,

you body of time that share my heart

like leaves sharing dew in the air,

you to whom I want to give the most precious thing,

the only precious thing I have is tears,

and tears only moisten, they do not break.

tears, such beautiful waterdrops

 

2. 목차

 

Contents

 

I hope your weeping will become music 11

Tears, such beautiful waterdrops 13

The stars in the early evening wash my face 15

My Poetry 17

The East Sea 19

The whole of a day’s life is today 21

Kakbuk 23

Don't make the word ‘love’ lonely 25

Paper airplane 27

Sometimes sorrow is warm 29

I hope you fall asleep leaning on my shoulder 31

Things happening 33

Snow 35

I write poetry to connect hearts 37

Names 39

The strength to be lonely 41

Mountain 43

Coming back home in a train 45

Washing Birds 47

Winter sky 49

Thoughts beneath a magnolia tree 51

Resumé of Balsam-flower nail-dying 53

Camellias 55

The word poetry 57

Autumn comes from afar 59

Sending off a bird and waiting for a bird 61

Wild roses 63

Practice with the crescent moon 65

Tell the birds what I say 67

Snug as a chick under a hen's feathers 69

Patchwork shadow 71

Let's go together 73

A sick person 75

New Year's greetings 77

Poem written at dawn 79

Give me your arms 81

A baby's cry 83

Sorrow to joy 85

Autumn evening 87

A single maple leaf 89

Departed days 91

Today is twilight 93

Wake up, today is the first day of October 95

Time to turn on the lights 97

Love 99

A small greeting to the face 101

An empty house 103

The dream of the grass seed 105

Puddle mirror 107

A poetry collection whose title I can't remember 109

French countryside 111

Like That 113

The present 115

 

3. 본문 중에서

 

My Poetry

 

I often fall asleep at night with the words on, then even

in my sleep I wander around looking for warm words like

cotton clothes. It’s been fifty-three years since I started

writing poetry. I have tried to make a set of clothes that can

withstand the cold wind with every stitch. I have tried to

write poems like the sound of rain falling on sesame leaves,

the wind blowing through reeds, the green leaves where bugs

sleep, the first flower buds hanging from the tips of branches,

apricot blossoms that I see when I get off at a small station,

I have tried to write poems like a scarf knitted by my own

hands after picking up the fallen stitches, like the warmth of

a blanket that I put my frozen hands in when I come back

from school on a cold day. It’s still unfinished, please wait.

For this small promise, I will walk steadily without resting for

the rest of my days. Even though my steps are slow, I will go

toward you, soothing my sore feet, if you just wait, if you just

endure and wait.

(p.17 중에서)

 

The word poetry

 

The word poetry breaks my ears open in a flash,

scales I had never heard before are reborn.

The wind bringing a congratulatory address,

the clouds reading a farewell address then leaving,

the green willow leaves of the reservoir waking up

and a tray of sunlight

rustling as it asks me to put something in it.

The blades of grass that have shaken off dew bring noon.

Someone keeps throwing the future in front of him.

A bouquet of words

brings to birth a constellation that was not there before.

A heart that asks where beauty is

is that beauty.

The shoes are heading toward a new life.

(p.57 중에서)

 

Sorrow to joy

 

No matter how much I sing, the stars are not happy.

No matter how much I dance, the butterflies are not happy

 

I walked alone to meet joy.

The wild flowers frowned, asking to be called by my name.

The weight of sorrow cannot be measured

even if I hold it in my hand.

 

But today, I am happy alone.

 

I got a letter saying that after reading my poems,

you hugged the book tightly,

copied out a line, then fell asleep.

(p.85 중에서)

 

The dream of the grass seed

 

I was buried under the asphalt.

I want to see the sunlight,

I want to hear the cicadas and the cranes,

I'm hungry.

I live only on water.

It's been a year since I started living here.

Kick me out.

I want to go out into the world

with green leaves

and bloom pretty flower buds like ribbons.

Can you hear my voice?

I won't cry.

Kick

this hard asphalt.

Please.

(p.105 중에서)

 

The present

 

What I am writing is called the present.

The present is alive.

 

This is the truth

 

And

my everything.

(p.115 중에서)

 

4. 저자 및 역자 소개

저자 : Poems by Yi Gi-cheol

Yi Gi-cheol was born in Geochang and has been publishing poetry since 1972.

He has published more than twenty poetry collections, eight collections of essays, and two novels. He has played an active role in the literary life of the city of Daegu and is an emeritus professor of Yeongnam University in Daegu. he has received many Awards culminating in the Kim Su-young Awards(1993), Park Mok-wol Awards, and Mun Deok-su Awards in 2022.

 

영어번역 : Translated by Brother Anthony of Taizé

Brother Anthony entered the Community of Taizé in 1969 and has lived in Korea with other brothers since 1980. He has published some 60 volumes of English translations of contemporary Korean poetry, as well as a considerable number of translations of Korean fiction, as well as other books related to Korea. He is an emeritus professor at Sogang University. He recently received the 2024 Manhae Literary Award.