Yang Geum-Hee
Born in 1967 in Jeju, Korea, Yang Geum-Hee published three books – two collections of poetry: ‘Happiness Account’, ‘Ieodo, Island of Legend and Existence’, and one collection of essay ‘Happy Companion. She was the first president of the Ieodo Literature Association, the editor in chief of the Jejuin News. She worked as a research fellow of the Society of Ieodo Research. She served as a researcher at Jeju Sea Grand Center at Jeju National University and a special professor at Jeju International University. Currently, she is editorial writer of New Jeju Ilbo, special researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences of Jeju National University, vice-president of the Jeju Regional Committee of the Korean PEN center, Executive of the Jeju Institute for the Korean Unification and Executive of the Korean Association of Ethics. She won 4 Literary Awards.
Dream of the Goddess of Spring
Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter,
What colors make up the dream of the goddess of spring?
Amidst the yellow forsythia and violet,
Cherry blossoms and purple flowers unfold.
But by the melancholy stone, under the tree,
Afternoon speaks a different language, alone.
Clouds wander and roam,
Taking shape and disappearing in the sky.
A thousand years passed, and a thousand more,
Meditating on the grass, one dreams the goddess of spring.
Sand grains roll tirelessly, on and on,
Creating new worlds with each turn in her dreams.
Spring winds crash onto the tree’s back,
In the quiet afternoon, spring speaks in a blocked language.
***
봄의 여신의 꿈
제우스와 데메테르의 딸 페르세포네,
봄의 여신의 꿈은 어떤 색깔들일까?
노란 개나리, 제비꽃 속에서,
벚꽃과 보라색 꽃들이 피어나네
하지만 나무 아래에 있는 슬픔 어린 돌 아래에서
오후는 다른 언어로 말하며, 홀로 있지
구름들이 떠돌아다니고,
하늘에서 모양을 만들며 흩어지네
천 년이 지나고, 또 천년이 흘러도,
잔디 위에 앉아 명상하며, 한 사람은 봄의 여신을 꿈꾸지
모래 알갱이들이 끊임없이 굴러가고 굴러가도,
그녀의 꿈에서는 매번 새로운 세계가 창조되지
봄 바람이 나무 등을 때리고,
조용한 오후에 봄은 막힌 언어로 말하네
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