Spooked River– write by Kong Kwangkyu

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Spooked River

 

The river current rubs
the sky, the clouds, mountains, and flora onto its body
the sandy bank leaves
an imprint of the water’s humility on its body
the birds stamp
their footmarks intently onto the imprint
and humans, too, stamp
their footmarks firmly on top of it all
so the river is like rice paper a thousand miles long
like silk going on for tens of thousands of miles
like millions of mirrors used by
the sun and moon and clouds and birds to freshen up their faces
billions of gridded sheets
used by reeds to write poetry all day
and you’re going to do what?
spooked by the sound of iron and machinery
the river is frightened blue

놀란 강

강물은 몸에
하늘과 구름과 산과 초목을 탁본하는데
모래밭은 몸에
물의 겸손을 지문으로 남기는데
새들은 지문 위에
발자국 낙관을 마구 찍어대는데
사람도 가서 발자국 낙관을
꾹꾹 찍고 돌아오는데
그래서 강은 수 천리 화선지인데
수만 리 비단인데
해와 달과 구름과 새들이
얼굴을 고치며 가는 수억 장 거울인데
갈대들이 하루 종일 시를 쓰는
수십 억 장 원고지인데
그걸 어쩌겠다고?
쇠붙이와 기계소리에 놀라서
파랗게 질린 강

 

 

Translated by Cate Boram with Ko, Yujin

 

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