Sophia Chun Excerpts from Final Project
For my final project, I wanted to focus on creating space in language. I translated Korean poetry about their occupation at the hands of the Japanese and American soldiers, into the language of the occupiers, Japanese and English. By translating Korean poetry into Japanese and English, I reverse the relationship between the languages and make the Korean “occupy” the Japanese and the English. Japan, during the time of its occupation, outlawed the speaking and writing of Korean. As a result, a generation of Korean people grew up without knowing how to write in Korean, a shame that still has a powerful hold over some Koreans today. America’s occupation of Korea during the Cold War, after Korea was released from Japanese occupation, was a period of turmoil whose aftereffects are felt to this day. Most notably, because of the Cold War, Korea was split in two. In Korea, English is seen as the superior language and your fluency is a sign of your class.
The poet Ko Un (b. 1933) is considered by many as the “national poet” of Korea. He had been imprisoned many times due to his role in the campaign for Korean democracy. Ko was still a teenager studying at Gunsan Middle School when the Korean War broke out in 1950. Many of his relatives and friends died and during it he was forced to work as a grave digger. He became so traumatized that he even poured acid into his ears to shut out the war’s noise, leaving him partially deaf in both ears. His poem, Saeriko, is reflection on Korea during the Cold War.
Additionally, I have also selected works from a collection of “trilingual renshi” poetry. From Japanese, renshi is a collection of linked poetry, and a traditionally frequent vehicle for poets of different languages to collaborate. Four poets from Japanese, Chinese, and Korean descent wrote a collection of poems in those languages divided into three sections: “Rice,” “Sea,” and “Sun.” I picked three Korean poems, two from Kim Hyesoon and one from Mindy. Each selected poem positions itself in relation to Japan (“the Sun Republic”) and Japanese. By translating these poems, I hope to explore their relationship with the Japanese, and bring the Korean experience into the Japanese.
번역자 : 천 소피아
ソフィア・チュン翻訳
Translated by Sophia Chun
서리꽃
Saeriko
花氷
Hanagori
Hoarfrost Flower
고은영
宵火
Ko Eun Young
생의 한계를 넘어서서
saeng-ui hangyeleul neom-eoseoseo
人生の限界を超えて、
jinsei no genkai o koete
Beyond limits of life,
수정 같은 영혼의 시편을 그려내는
sujeong gat-eun yeonghon-ui sipyeon-eul geulyeonaeneun
結晶の霊魂を描く
kesshō no reikon o kaku
Drawing a crystalline psalm of spirit
그것은 시리고 투명한 압화다
geugeos-eun siligo tumyeonghan abhwada
霜の花
shimo no hana
A flower of frost
대롱대롱 이슬이 머문 자리
daelongdaelong iseul-i meomun jali
ぶらりぶらり 露が留まっ桁
furari furari ro ga tomakketa
Drip drop dew on branches
무형의 기억으로 유동 된
muhyeong-ui gieog-eulo yudong doen
無形の記憶に流動された
mukei no kioku ni ryūdō sa reta
Flowing into intangible memory
황홀한 일기다
hwangholhan ilgida
妖花日記である
youka nikku dearu
That enchanting diary
하얗게 엉긴 월 삯의 꽃
hayahge eong-gin wol sags-ui kkoch
白く凝っ月賃の花
shiroku kogo tsuki chin no hana
White flowers ensnare wages
빙점에 비로소 심장이 베이고
bingjeom-e biloso simjang-i beigo
氷点下に初めて心臓が切る
hyōtenka ni hajimete shinzō ga kiru
At last, freezing point enters the heart, and
서러움이 피는 찰나 완성된 초현실주의
seoleoum-i pineun chalna wanseongdoen chohyeonsiljuui
悲しみが咲く刹那完成した超現実主義
kanashimi ga saku setsuna kansei shita chō genjitsu shugi
Surreal sorrow spreads like wings
하얀 피를 흘리는 그리움의 배후에
hayan pileul heullineun geulium-ui baehue
白い血を流す懐かしの背後に
shiroichi wo nagasu natsukashi no haigo ni
Behind nostalgia white blood drips
끝내 말 못한 눈물의 결정으로
kkeutnae mal moshan nunmul-ui gyeoljeong-eulo
口無しができなかった涙の結晶で
kuchi-nashi ga dekinakatta namida no kesshō de
Tears decided words unspoken in the end
섭섭한 혼을 열어 날개를 펴는
seobseobhan hon-eul yeol-eo nalgaeleul pyeoneun
さびしい魂を開いて翼を広げる
sabishī tamashī o aite tsubasawohirogeru
Mourning soul unfurls into winter skies
슬픈 유언이다
seulpeun yueon-ida
悲しい遺言である
kanashī yuigondearu
The air is cold where our testament stands
밥
米の巻
Rice
김혜순
惠
Hyesoon
우리는 별의 혈육이듯 쌀의 혈육이다
ulineun byeol-ui hyeol-yug-ideus ssal-ui hyeol-yug-ida
私たちは、星の血肉であるように、米の肉と血である
watashitachi wa, boshi no ketsunikudearu yō ni, mei no niku to chidearu
We are flesh and blood of rice, as we are the flesh and blood of stars
흰 밥알을 삼켰을 뿐인데 어째서 빨간 피가 돌까?
huin bab-al-eul samkyeoss-eul ppun-inde eojjaeseo ppalgan piga dolkka?
白い米粒を飲み込んだだけなのに、どうして真紅の血は変わるのですか？
shiroi kometsubuo nomikonda dakenanoni, doushite shinku nochi wa kawarunodesu ka?
Why does crimson blood churn when I’ve only swallowed a single grain of white rice?
밥을 먹지않는 곳으로 간 아이들이 별처럼 빛났다
bab-eul meogjianhneun gos-eulo gan aideul-i byeolcheoleom bichnassda
ご飯を食べていないところに行った子供たちが星のように輝いていた
gohan o tabete inai tokoro ni itta kodomo-tachi ga hoshinoyōni kagayaite ita
In that place that flickers like stars, those children will no longer be eating rice
태양
太陽の巻
Sun
김혜순
惠
Hyesoon
올빼미는 저 빛이 얼마나 아플까?
olppaemineun jeo bich-i eolmana apeulkka
梟はその光がどのくらい痛い？
fukurō wa sono hikari ga dono kurai itai?
How painful must that light be for the owl?
동굴 속 박쥐는 저 빛이 얼마나 아플까?
dong-gul sog bagjwineun jeo bich-i eolmana apeulkka?
洞窟の中の飛鼠はその光がどのくらい痛い？
dōkutsu no naka no hiso wa sono hikari ga dono kurai itai?
How painful must that light be for the bat in the cave?
다락방에 숨은 소녀는 저 빛이 얼마나 아플까?
dalagbang-e sum-eun sonyeoneun jeo bich-i eolmana apeulkka?
屋根裏部屋に隠れ少女はその光がどのくらい痛い？
yaneuraheya ni kakure shōjo wa sono hikari ga dono kurai itai?
How painful must that light be for the little girl hiding in the attic?
밖에서는 불의 군대가 금빛 갈기를 앞세우고 행진해 오는데
bakk-eseoneun bul-ui gundaega geumbich galgileul apse-ugo haengjinhae oneunde
外では火の軍隊が金色のたてがみを前面に出して行進してくる
Sotode wa hi no guntai ga kin'iro no tategami o zenmen ni dashite kōshin shite kuru
Outside, an army of fire marches towards me with a golden mane at its head
새벽의 마지막 샛별을 움켜쥔 나는 얼마나 무서울까
saebyeog-ui majimag saesbyeol-eul umkyeojwin naneun eolmana museoulkka
夜明けの最後の明星を握った私は何恐ろしいか
Yoake no saigo no myōjō o nigitta watashi wa nani osoroshī ka
How frightened must I be, clasping at dawn’s last morning star
