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A Village scrap

by Choi Seung-Hogo link October 19, 2016

Author Bio 작가 소개

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Choi Seung-Ho

Choi Seung-Ho is a poet and associate professor of creative writing at Soongsil University. He has received the Midang Literary Award, Hyundae Literary Award, and Daesan Literary Award. His poetry collection Flowers in the Toilet Bowl has been published in English, and his poems have been featured in PO&SIE. His books have been translated into Japanese, German, Spanish, and French.

I want to go on a picnic like a butterfly.
I want to go on a picnic like a butterfly.
A child who writes poetry and a peaceful man go on a picnic.
And on a day when a ball will roll in play
the peaceful man will cheer on the child
who tumbles to the ground but rises to run again.

Why a landslide in the dead of night
that smashes the houses in the valley?
Why a bear who assaults the village
and a mountain fire that spreads to the hills near the village?
In the dead of night, the sound of raised torches.
In the dead of night, the stir and commotion of the village.

In this village of hedgehogs
we all hone our quills.
Though the peaceful man locks his door
he will still be chased by the bear in his dreams.

We build our stone walls high
around the houses of the hedgehogs.
The peaceful man will sigh
and read Chuang-tsu in the long, howling winter night.
 

Translated by Won-Chung Kim and James Han

 

Writer 필자 소개

Choi Seung-Ho

Choi Seung-Ho

Choi Seung-Ho is a poet and associate professor of creative writing at Soongsil University. He has received the Midang Literary Award, Hyundae Literary Award, and Daesan Literary Award. His poetry collection Flowers in the Toilet Bowl has been published in English, and his poems have been featured in PO&SIE. His books have been translated into Japanese, German, Spanish, and French.

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