Do not be afraid.
Darkness is the mother of light.
Ms. Kim Mi Hyung, a poetess from Korea, the Land of Morning Calm, shares her poem
Poet Kim Mi Hyung was born in Namhae, Gyeongnam. She began her literary career in 2003 with the literary magazine Muji, and has published several poetry collections, including You Within Me, The River Where Destiny Flows, and Dawn of Varanasi. A number of her poems—such as Love Song of Dumulmeori, Family, At Jinyang Lake, and The River Where Destiny Flows—have been adapted into songs. She currently serves as Vice President of the World Korean Literature Association, is a member of the Lyric Literature Research Committee of the Korean Writers’ Association, a board member of the Gangdong Literary Association, and a member of the Modern Buddhist Literary Association. She was awarded the 7th Hwang Jini Literary Award.
Dreaming of Karan*
Where could it be?
Even in pitch-black darkness,
If you lower your breath
And look around carefully,
They say light is there.
They say you must walk that path slowly, not in haste.
Light and darkness, they are like the inhale and exhale of our lives.
Like the baobab tree,
Rooting wider than its height during a long drought,
The tendons of your soul will grow strong.
Go, climb the ridgeline.
There, trees all stand as if bowing in one direction—
It’s because they do not resist the wind’s path.
Human life is no different.
Do not be afraid.
Darkness is the mother of light.
*Karan: “Light” in Sanskrit
***
빛을 꿈꾸다
어디에 있을까
칠흑 같은 어둠에도 숨소리를 낮추고
사방을 섬세하게 둘러보면 빛이 있단다
그 길은 서두르지 말고 느리게 걸어야 한단다
빛과 어둠은 들숨과 날숨 같은 우리 삶이란다
긴 가뭄에 키보다 더 넓게 뿌리내리는
바오밥나무처럼
그대 영혼의 힘줄이 탄탄해 질게다
산등성이에 가보려무나
나무들이 모두 한곳을 바라보며 인사하듯 서 있단다
바람의 길을 거슬리지 않아서란다
사람 살아가는 모습도 다르지 않단다
두려워하지 말아라
어둠은 빛의 어머니란다
*카란: 산스크리스트어의 ‘빛’
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