Happy New Year! 새해 복 많이 받으세요!
It's been so long since I last posted. The past few months have been very busy with work and applying to various fellowships. Working on my translation projects has taken a backseat to all of the holiday preparations and obligations of the season.
I've been working on this poem off and on. Like everything, translation requires constant practice or else it feels like your gears begin to rust. The most difficult parts of translating this poem was the tense--despite studying Korean for many years, the decision to place something in the past or present is still difficult and, especially in the case of poetry, it can change the feel of the text. I'm not exactly happy with it, I think there are some problems with the title and the progression of the phrases. I also haven't read a lot of Ki's poetry so I'm not entirely certain of his style. I think I will write a third draft but I wanted to put my second draft up first to see if anyone has any suggestions for improvement.
Who is Ki Hyongdo?
Ki Hyongdo (1960-1989) was a modern South Korean poet, whose only book of poetry was published posthumously and has since undergone more the 65 re-printings (see Wikipedia). Like many poets of his generation, Ki's work actively responded to and criticized Korean politics and society. His formal debut was when he won Donga Ilbo's New Year's Literary Contest for his poem, "Fog (안개)" (Wikipedia does not have a year for this but I'm assuming it was either '84 or '85 based on the chronology). In '84, Ki began working as a reporter for JoongAng Ilbo while studying at Yonsei University, working in the politics section before requesting a transfer to Culture. In '88, he spent the summer in London and Paris, and later in the year transferred to the Editing section.
While researching Ki to translate this poem, I found that his alleged homosexuality is the most often referenced in Western sources. Perhaps it is because of the somewhat mysterious and scandalous circumstance in which his body was discovered. On March 7th, 1989, Ki's body was found outside the Pagoda Theatre, which Gabriel Sylvian describes as a "gay sex venue" in his article for The Three Wise Monkeys (see link below). Ki's sexuality has long been kept out of public discourse, with Korean scholars often referring to it casually and not in-depth. If you are interested, check out the four poems Sylvian published on The Three Wise Monkeys. He has apparently also translated the complete works so perhaps my translation of this poem is obsolete but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It is unfortunate that it seems Ki's work has been approached rather one-dimensionally by scholars. The layers to Ki's misfortunes are plentiful and he turned to poetry to express his deep thoughts and feelings following his sister's death, his father's illness, Korean society and politics, and his own relationships.
http://thethreewisemonkeys.com/2010/05/17/gi-hyeong-do-a-misunderstood-modern-gay-korean-poet/
추억에 대한 경멸 / 기형도
손님이 돌아가자 그는 마침내 혼자가 되었다
어슴푸레한 겨울 저녁, 집 밖을 찬바람이 떠다닌다
유리창의 얼음을 뜯어내다 말고, 사내는 주저앉는다
아아, 오늘은 유쾌한 하루였다, 자신의 나지막한 탄식에
사내는 걷잡을 수 없이 불쾌해진다, 저 성가신 고양이
그는 불을 켜기 위해 방안을 가로질러야 한다
나무토막 같은 팔을 쳐들면서 사내는, 방이 너무크다
왜냐하면, 하고 중얼거린다, 나에게도 추억거리는 많다
아무도 내가 살아온 내용에 간섭하면 안 된다
몇 장의 사진을 들여다보던 사내가 한숨을 쉰다
이건 여인숙과 다를 바 없구나, 모자라도 뒤집어 쓸까
어쩌다가 이봐, 책임질 밤과 대낮들이 아직 얼마인가
사내는 머리를 끄덕인다, 가스 레인지는 차갑게 식어 있다
그렇다, 이런 밤은 저 게으른 사내에게 너무 가혹하다
내가 차라리 늙은이였다면! 그는 사진첩을 내동댕이친다
추억은 이상하게 중단된다, 그의 커다란 슬리퍼가 벗겨진다
손아귀에서 몸부림치는 작은 고양이, 날카로운 이빨 사이로
독한 술을 쏟아붓는, 저 헐떡이는, 사내
Key Vocabulary- Definitions from Naver Dictionary
어슴푸레하다: dim, faint, vague; 빛이 약하거나 멀어서 어둑하고 희미하다.
뜯어내다: remove, take[tear, pick] off, take away, dismantle, dismount; 전체에서 일부분을 조각조각 떼어 내다.
주저앉다: drop, sink, collapse; 서 있던 자리에 그대로 힘없이 앉다.
유쾌하다: happy, cheerful, pleasant, enjoyable, delightful, joyful; 즐겁고 상쾌하다
나지막하다: low; 소리가 꽤 나직하다.
불쾌하다: (be) unpleasant, disagreeable, uncomfortable, cheerless, displeased, ill-humored; 못마땅하여 기분이 좋지 아니하다.
걷잡다: (막다) check (the enemy´s advance), keep 《a danger, a disease》 at bay, control
성가시다: annoying, bothersome, troublesome, tiresome; 자꾸 들볶거나 번거롭게 굴어 괴롭고 귀찮다.
나무토막: a piece[chip, chunk, splinter] of wood, a block(큰 것); 잘라지거나 부러져 생긴 나무의 동강이.
추억거리: a remembrancer, a reminder, a memento
간섭하다: interference, interfere, meddle, intrude, butt in; 직접 관계가 없는 남의 일에 부당하게 참견하다.
장 (場): place; 어떤 일이 행하여지는 곳.
여인숙 (旅人宿): inn; 규모가 작고 값이 싼 여관.
뒤집어쓰다: cover, get covered (in) (죄·책임 등을); 가루나 액체 따위를 온몸 또는 신체 일부에 덮어쓰다.
가혹하다: severe, hard, harsh, cruel, brutal, merciless; 몹시 모질고 혹독하다.
내동댕이치다: fling, hurl, throw; 아무렇게나 힘껏 마구 내던지다, 어떤 것을 버리거나 포기하다.
중단되다: be ceased, be on hiatus; 중도에서 끊어지다.
손아귀: in one's clutches, one's grasp, one's grip; 손으로 쥐는 힘, 엄지손가락과 다른 네 손가락과의 사이, 세력이 미치는 범위.
몸부림치다: struggle; writhe; flounce; wriggle; flounder; squirm; 심하게 온몸을 흔들고 부딪다.
날카롭다: sharp, pointed, keen, acute; 모양이나 형세가 매섭다.
헐떡이다: gasp; 숨을 가쁘고 거칠게 쉬는 소리를 내다.
With the customers gone, at last he was alone
A dim/faint/vague winter night, a cold wind drifted behind the house/dwelling/residence
(After) Removing the ice upon the window pane, the man collapsed/drop/sink/sit
Ah, ah, Today was a happy/cheerful/pleasant day, one's low groan
the man unable to stop became unpleasant, that annoying/bothersome cat
in order to turn on the light he had to cross the room
The man, raising an arm like a piece of wood, the room was very big,
Because of this, and murmuring, to myself as well there were many memories
No matter what the content of my life I cannot meddle/interfere in
Having looked through/scrutinized a few pictures of places, the man let out a sigh
I know nothing except for this inn, even insufficient as I am, can I be responsible for it?
By chance/haphazardly/casually, look over here/hey!, how many days and nights have I been responsible for?
The man nodded his head, the gas stove froze up
That's it, on a night like this, it is brutal/harsh on this lazy man
If I were an old man! He threw the photo album
Memories strangely ceased/frozen/in hiatus, his large/huge slippers flung off
Within/In his grasp/hands a small struggling/wriggling/squirming kitten, beside the sharp/pointed tooth
pouring (like 'spending' feeling, downing?) strong alcohol, that gasping, man
Second Draft
As soon as the guests left, he was finally alone
A gloomy winter's night, a cold wind drifted behind the inn
Finishing off cleaning the ice from the windows, he collapsed to the ground
Ah, ah, today was a happy day, with a low sigh
He became unpleasant, he couldn't help it, that annoying kitten
In order to turn on the light, he had to cross the room
The man, while raising his tree-like arm, the room is large
Because, and murmuring, to myself too there are many mementos
No one else can meddle with the lived contents of my life
Having looked through a few pictures of past places, the man let out a sigh
I know nothing except for this inn, even insufficient as I am, will I be suffice?
Occasionally look here, how many more days and nights yet will I be responsible for?
The man nodded his head, the gas stove was going cold
That's right, a night like tonight was harsh on this lazy man
If I were an old man! He threw the photo album
The memories unnaturally ceased, his large slippers coming off
Within his grasp a small struggling kitten, through pointed teeth
gulping down strong alcohol, that gasping, man
It's been so long since I last posted. The past few months have been very busy with work and applying to various fellowships. Working on my translation projects has taken a backseat to all of the holiday preparations and obligations of the season.
I've been working on this poem off and on. Like everything, translation requires constant practice or else it feels like your gears begin to rust. The most difficult parts of translating this poem was the tense--despite studying Korean for many years, the decision to place something in the past or present is still difficult and, especially in the case of poetry, it can change the feel of the text. I'm not exactly happy with it, I think there are some problems with the title and the progression of the phrases. I also haven't read a lot of Ki's poetry so I'm not entirely certain of his style. I think I will write a third draft but I wanted to put my second draft up first to see if anyone has any suggestions for improvement.
Who is Ki Hyongdo?
Ki Hyongdo (1960-1989) was a modern South Korean poet, whose only book of poetry was published posthumously and has since undergone more the 65 re-printings (see Wikipedia). Like many poets of his generation, Ki's work actively responded to and criticized Korean politics and society. His formal debut was when he won Donga Ilbo's New Year's Literary Contest for his poem, "Fog (안개)" (Wikipedia does not have a year for this but I'm assuming it was either '84 or '85 based on the chronology). In '84, Ki began working as a reporter for JoongAng Ilbo while studying at Yonsei University, working in the politics section before requesting a transfer to Culture. In '88, he spent the summer in London and Paris, and later in the year transferred to the Editing section.
While researching Ki to translate this poem, I found that his alleged homosexuality is the most often referenced in Western sources. Perhaps it is because of the somewhat mysterious and scandalous circumstance in which his body was discovered. On March 7th, 1989, Ki's body was found outside the Pagoda Theatre, which Gabriel Sylvian describes as a "gay sex venue" in his article for The Three Wise Monkeys (see link below). Ki's sexuality has long been kept out of public discourse, with Korean scholars often referring to it casually and not in-depth. If you are interested, check out the four poems Sylvian published on The Three Wise Monkeys. He has apparently also translated the complete works so perhaps my translation of this poem is obsolete but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It is unfortunate that it seems Ki's work has been approached rather one-dimensionally by scholars. The layers to Ki's misfortunes are plentiful and he turned to poetry to express his deep thoughts and feelings following his sister's death, his father's illness, Korean society and politics, and his own relationships.
http://thethreewisemonkeys.com/2010/05/17/gi-hyeong-do-a-misunderstood-modern-gay-korean-poet/
추억에 대한 경멸 / 기형도
손님이 돌아가자 그는 마침내 혼자가 되었다
어슴푸레한 겨울 저녁, 집 밖을 찬바람이 떠다닌다
유리창의 얼음을 뜯어내다 말고, 사내는 주저앉는다
아아, 오늘은 유쾌한 하루였다, 자신의 나지막한 탄식에
사내는 걷잡을 수 없이 불쾌해진다, 저 성가신 고양이
그는 불을 켜기 위해 방안을 가로질러야 한다
나무토막 같은 팔을 쳐들면서 사내는, 방이 너무크다
왜냐하면, 하고 중얼거린다, 나에게도 추억거리는 많다
아무도 내가 살아온 내용에 간섭하면 안 된다
몇 장의 사진을 들여다보던 사내가 한숨을 쉰다
이건 여인숙과 다를 바 없구나, 모자라도 뒤집어 쓸까
어쩌다가 이봐, 책임질 밤과 대낮들이 아직 얼마인가
사내는 머리를 끄덕인다, 가스 레인지는 차갑게 식어 있다
그렇다, 이런 밤은 저 게으른 사내에게 너무 가혹하다
내가 차라리 늙은이였다면! 그는 사진첩을 내동댕이친다
추억은 이상하게 중단된다, 그의 커다란 슬리퍼가 벗겨진다
손아귀에서 몸부림치는 작은 고양이, 날카로운 이빨 사이로
독한 술을 쏟아붓는, 저 헐떡이는, 사내
Key Vocabulary- Definitions from Naver Dictionary
어슴푸레하다: dim, faint, vague; 빛이 약하거나 멀어서 어둑하고 희미하다.
뜯어내다: remove, take[tear, pick] off, take away, dismantle, dismount; 전체에서 일부분을 조각조각 떼어 내다.
주저앉다: drop, sink, collapse; 서 있던 자리에 그대로 힘없이 앉다.
유쾌하다: happy, cheerful, pleasant, enjoyable, delightful, joyful; 즐겁고 상쾌하다
나지막하다: low; 소리가 꽤 나직하다.
불쾌하다: (be) unpleasant, disagreeable, uncomfortable, cheerless, displeased, ill-humored; 못마땅하여 기분이 좋지 아니하다.
걷잡다: (막다) check (the enemy´s advance), keep 《a danger, a disease》 at bay, control
성가시다: annoying, bothersome, troublesome, tiresome; 자꾸 들볶거나 번거롭게 굴어 괴롭고 귀찮다.
나무토막: a piece[chip, chunk, splinter] of wood, a block(큰 것); 잘라지거나 부러져 생긴 나무의 동강이.
추억거리: a remembrancer, a reminder, a memento
간섭하다: interference, interfere, meddle, intrude, butt in; 직접 관계가 없는 남의 일에 부당하게 참견하다.
장 (場): place; 어떤 일이 행하여지는 곳.
여인숙 (旅人宿): inn; 규모가 작고 값이 싼 여관.
뒤집어쓰다: cover, get covered (in) (죄·책임 등을); 가루나 액체 따위를 온몸 또는 신체 일부에 덮어쓰다.
가혹하다: severe, hard, harsh, cruel, brutal, merciless; 몹시 모질고 혹독하다.
내동댕이치다: fling, hurl, throw; 아무렇게나 힘껏 마구 내던지다, 어떤 것을 버리거나 포기하다.
중단되다: be ceased, be on hiatus; 중도에서 끊어지다.
손아귀: in one's clutches, one's grasp, one's grip; 손으로 쥐는 힘, 엄지손가락과 다른 네 손가락과의 사이, 세력이 미치는 범위.
몸부림치다: struggle; writhe; flounce; wriggle; flounder; squirm; 심하게 온몸을 흔들고 부딪다.
날카롭다: sharp, pointed, keen, acute; 모양이나 형세가 매섭다.
헐떡이다: gasp; 숨을 가쁘고 거칠게 쉬는 소리를 내다.
First Draft
With the customers gone, at last he was alone
A dim/faint/vague winter night, a cold wind drifted behind the house/dwelling/residence
(After) Removing the ice upon the window pane, the man collapsed/drop/sink/sit
Ah, ah, Today was a happy/cheerful/pleasant day, one's low groan
the man unable to stop became unpleasant, that annoying/bothersome cat
in order to turn on the light he had to cross the room
The man, raising an arm like a piece of wood, the room was very big,
Because of this, and murmuring, to myself as well there were many memories
No matter what the content of my life I cannot meddle/interfere in
Having looked through/scrutinized a few pictures of places, the man let out a sigh
I know nothing except for this inn, even insufficient as I am, can I be responsible for it?
By chance/haphazardly/casually, look over here/hey!, how many days and nights have I been responsible for?
The man nodded his head, the gas stove froze up
That's it, on a night like this, it is brutal/harsh on this lazy man
If I were an old man! He threw the photo album
Memories strangely ceased/frozen/in hiatus, his large/huge slippers flung off
Within/In his grasp/hands a small struggling/wriggling/squirming kitten, beside the sharp/pointed tooth
pouring (like 'spending' feeling, downing?) strong alcohol, that gasping, man
Second Draft
As soon as the guests left, he was finally alone
A gloomy winter's night, a cold wind drifted behind the inn
Finishing off cleaning the ice from the windows, he collapsed to the ground
Ah, ah, today was a happy day, with a low sigh
He became unpleasant, he couldn't help it, that annoying kitten
In order to turn on the light, he had to cross the room
The man, while raising his tree-like arm, the room is large
Because, and murmuring, to myself too there are many mementos
No one else can meddle with the lived contents of my life
Having looked through a few pictures of past places, the man let out a sigh
I know nothing except for this inn, even insufficient as I am, will I be suffice?
Occasionally look here, how many more days and nights yet will I be responsible for?
The man nodded his head, the gas stove was going cold
That's right, a night like tonight was harsh on this lazy man
If I were an old man! He threw the photo album
The memories unnaturally ceased, his large slippers coming off
Within his grasp a small struggling kitten, through pointed teeth
gulping down strong alcohol, that gasping, man
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