17 Friday Oct 2014
흔들리며 피는 꽃 – 도종환
흔들리지 않고 피는 꽃이 어디 있으랴
이 세상 그
어떤 아름다운 꽃들도
다 흔들리면서 피었나니
흔들리지 않고 가는 사랑이 어디 있으랴
젖지 않고 피는 꽃이 어디 있으랴
이 세상 그 어떤 빛나는 꽃들도
다 젖으며 젖으며 피었다니
바람과 비에 젖으며 꽃잎 따뜻하게 피웠나니
젖지 않고 가는 삶이 어디 있으랴
Flowers That Bloom When Shaken – Do Jong-hwan
Where is the flower that blooms without shaking?
Any of the beautiful flowers of this world
all bloom while being shaken
They shake on stems that grow upright
Where is the love that goes without
shaking?
Where is the flower that blooms without being soaked?
Any of the shining flowers of this world
bloom as they are soaked
Soaked by wind and rain, petals bloom warmly
Where is the life that goes without being soaked?
(English Translation by: //instantstogether.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/flowers-that-bloom-when-shaken-%ED%9D%94%EB%93%A4%EB%A6%AC%EB%A9%B0-%ED%94%BC%EB%8A%94-%EA%BD%83/)
Hello, friends 🙂 Today I brought my favorite Korean poem to introduce to you guys! When I was 6th grade in elementary school, my home room teacher introduced the poem to me and since then it has been my favorite poem.
The “flowers” in the poem represents “us”, and “being shaken” and “being soaked” symbolizes the “troubles” that we meet through our lives. Ultimately, the poet is trying to say through the poem that there is no life and love without hardship by using the image of flowers that bloom with being shaken.
The poem is instructive and the poet’s mood is soft and mild. Every time when I get depressed, I read this poem, because I can be comforted by reading it. Why don’t you find your own poem which can comfort you when you are under difficulties?
Where have flowers bloomed but never trembled?
Even those most beautiful
all trembled as they blossomed,
and as they shook, stalks grew firm.
Where is there a love which is never shaken?
Where have flowers bloomed though never been made wet?
Even those most brightly sparkling
were soaked and soaked again as they blossomed.
Battered by wind and rain, their petals opened
warmly.
Where is there a life which is never been drenched?
흔들리지 않고 피는 꽃이 어디 있으랴
이 세상 그 어떤 아름다운 꽃들도
다 흔들리면서 피었나니
흔들리면서 줄기를 곧게 세웠나니
흔들리지 않고 가는 사랑이 어디 있으랴
젖지 않고 피는 꽃이 어디 있으랴
이세상 그 어떤 빛나는 꽃들도
다 젖으며 젖으며 피었나니
바람과 비에 젖으며 꽃입 따뜻하게 피웠나니
젖지 않고 가는 삶이 어디 있으랴
Do Jong-Hwan (1954–) was born in Cheongju in the province of North Chungcheong. He graduated from Chungbuk National University with a degree in Korean language education and went on to work as a lecturer. His literary work was first published in the small literary magazine Age Divided (분단시대) in 1984.
His published collections of poetry include You, My Hollyhock (접시꽃 당신), In Godumi Village (고두미 마을에서), A Flower Falls in the Village of People (사람의 마을에 꽃이 진다), and The Root of Sorrow (슬픔의 뿌리).
Where is the flower that blooms without shaking? – Do Jong-hwan 흔들리지 않고 피는 꽃이 어디 있으랴 젖지 않고 피는 꽃이 어디 있으랴
Any of the beautiful flowers of this world
all bloom while being shaken
They shake on stems that grow upright
Where is the love that goes without shaking?
Where is the flower that blooms without being soaked?
Any of the shining flowers of this world
bloom as they are soaked
Soaked by wind and
rain, petals bloom warmly
Where is the life that goes without being soaked?
이 세상 그 어떤 아름다운 꽃들도
다 흔들리면서 피었나니
흔들리지 않고 가는 사랑이 어디 있으랴
이 세상 그 어떤 빛나는 꽃들도
다 젖으며 젖으며 피었다니
바람과 비에 젖으며 꽃잎 따뜻하게 피웠나니
젖지 않고 가는 삶이 어디 있으랴
– 도종환
Heard this poem while watching ‘School 2013’. It’s really meaningful… Facing a lot of problems now. I don’t even know how to handle them. Don’t even know who I can ask from help from. Sometimes I wonder whether I’m taking things too seriously. Whether I’m being too uptight. I wonder why I care so much… Band juniors, studies, doing well for band, love…. Seriously it’s giving me a headache.
But after hearing this poem, it sort of gave me strength. Which flower don’t have to go through rain and wind just to bloom and become beautiful? They all have to. And it applies to life right? We have to go through hardships and challenges which will mould us into someone even stronger and we would be able to find who we really are. This poem came just at the right time.
‘School 2013’ is a Korean drama that tells about the life of students in the South Korean education system. There similar dramas last time as well. When I first watched ‘Jungle Fish 2’ which also tells about the South Korean education system, I didn’t believe their education system is that stressful until I went to do a little research. It’s really no joke. South Korea is not like Singapore where you have options of going to a Poly or JC. Their only option is to enter high school and get into college. Or there’ll be not much future for them. ‘School 2013’ is another drama that depicts this issue and many other problems that the students face in their route to pursue their dreams.
I think we seriously got the easy way out in studying in Singapore seriously. But at this point in time now, I feel that it’s just too hard to cope.
Never mind, on a happier note, Lee Jong Suk and Kim Woo Bin is so damn hot in the drama!!! KYAAA LOVE LOVE!!! Highly recommended to watch!!!
Sad I only watch bits and pieces of it since it’s ‘O’ Levels year, don’t have much time to watch it.
But weirdly, I feel that everyday, I seem to be learning something valuable….