Επιμέλεια: Εύα Πετροπούλου Λιανού
Mr. Lee, Hee Kuk is a Korean poet. He was born in Seoul, South Korea. He is a pharmacist and Adjunct Professor at the College of Pharmacy, The Catholic University of Korea. He is a member of the Executive Board of PEN Korean Center of PEN International. He is the president of the Ieodo Literature Association and a Vice president of the Korean Association of World Literature. He has published five poetry books and has won four literature awards.
Greetings
The wind is a letter sent by the stars,
The faint breath of those who have departed.
Wandering by the dawn window,
When dawn breaks, it disappears suddenly once more.
Friends who spoke of hopes while looking at the stars,
People who shielded the wind in the fields of life,
When shaken in remote corners,
Connections that became a bridge.
In every moment of loss, come to a corner of the heart,
My friends who comforted me
Today again, someone shook the window of my study early in the morning.
The window was damp,
Before I could even read the greetings,
One by one, the stars were disappearing.
안부
바람은 별이 보내온 편지
떠나간 이들의 가녀린 숨결이다
새벽 창가를 서성이다가
동녘이 밝으면 또 홀연히 사라진다
별을 보며 소망을 이야기하던 친구와
삶의 들판에서 바람을 막아주던 사람들
외진 구석에서 초라하게 흔들릴 때
다리가 되어주던 인연들
상실의 시간마다 마음 한구석 찾아와
위로하던 벗들이여
오늘도 나의 서재 새벽 창문을 누군가 흔들고 갔다
창가는 눅눅하게 젖었는데
미처 안부를 읽기도 전에
별이 하나 둘 사라지고 있었다.
Shattered Dream
Creating shade on the park bench,
The speed that crawled relentlessly came to a halt.
Towards the sky once worshiped,
Climbing onto the roof,
Suddenly over the roof,
Wisteria vines climbing up the power lines
A house that stood in the sky for a long time,
Someone cut its foundation with a saw.
An area beyond the line,
Land severed.
The spring that hung from every branch
Even the lush purple flowers have all been lost.
Trees clinging to power lines, drying up,
Still attached to the sky,
Hanging in the air.
It dreamed of the sky,
But Its domain was the earth.
잘려진 꿈
공원 벤치에 그늘을 만들며
줄기차게 기어오르던 속도가 정지되었다
그토록 숭배하던 하늘을 향해
지붕으로 오르고
삽시간에 지붕을 넘어
전선까지 타고 오른 등나무 덩굴
오랫동안 하늘에 세운 집 한 채
누군가 톱날로 밑동을 잘라버렸다
선을 넘은 영역,
끊겨버린 땅
가지마다 매달던 봄도
무성한 보랏빛 꽃도 모두 잃어버렸다
전선줄을 붙잡고 메말라가는 나무
하늘을 버리지 못한 채
허공에 매달려 있다
그는 하늘을 꿈꾸었지만
그의 영역은 지상이었다.
Towel
Several old business cards are hanging on a line.
My uncle’s 80th birthday party from 20 years ago comes to life.
The first birthday party from 15 years ago is held again.
The inauguration ceremony from 10 years ago shows its face.
Years with stains and scars.
My uncle has passed away,
The child at the first birthday party becomes a young man.
The inauguration ceremony has turned into a retirement ceremony,
The towel still remains in its place.
Wrinkled and worn, the body has aged,
Yet it carries the evidence of that day like a tattoo.
Drying off the wetness,
Wiping away the stains,
These precious business cards of time.
Drying off the wet body,
Preparing to get wet once again.
수건
오래된 명함 몇 장 줄에 걸려 있다
20년 전 숙부의 팔순 잔치가 살아나고
15년 전 돌잔치가 다시 열리고
10년 전 취임식이 얼굴을 내민다
때 묻고 상처 입은 세월
숙부는 돌아가시고
돌잔치의 아이는 청년이 되고
취임식은 퇴임식이 되었지만
수건은 여전히 제자리를 지키고 있다
구겨지고 삶아져 몸은 바랬지만
그날의 증거를 문신처럼 품고 있다
물기를 말려주고
때를 닦아내는
소중한 시간의 명함들
젖은 몸을 말리고
또다시 젖을 준비를 하고 있다.
