Seo Jeong-ju (May 18, 1915 – December 24, 2000) was a Korean poet who wrote under the pen name Midang (“not yet fully grown”). He is widely considered the best poet in twentieth-century Korean literature. He was nominated five times for Nobel Prize in literature and published 15 books of poetry consisting of around 1,000 poems. After his death the South Korean Government officially presented him with the Gold Order.
On seeing Mudung Mountain
Poverty? Mere tattered clothing, no more!
How can that conceal our natural flesh, our natural mind?
Those are like mountains in summer, that stand
exposing their dark green ridges under a dazzling sun.
All we can do is raise our children
as the green hills raise orchids in their shady laps.
When the afternoon lengthens
and declining life ebbs drop by drop away,
you husbands and wives
must sometimes sit
and sometimes rather lie side by side.
Then the wife should gaze into her husband’s eyes,
the husband lay a hand on his wife’s brow.
Though we lie among thorns or in wormwood ditches,
we should always think we’re like jewels, buried alone
and at least gather moss thick over us.
Fresh green
What ever shall I do?
Ah, I’ve fallen in love.
In secret, all alone, I’ve fallen in love!
Everywhere petals are falling;
new verdure is sprouting again
around me on every side.
Writhing in utter grief,
red petals drop and fall;
fluttering fluttering dropping, they fall
like the breath of an ancient Silla girl,
like the hair of an ancient Silla girl,
in the wind in the meadows they drop and fall.
Again this year they scatter before me,
trembling brrr they scatter. . .
Ah, I’ve fallen in love.
I cannot sing like the warbler’s cry
all alone I’ve fallen in wonderful love
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