Is it because half the liquor has already been spilled?
Or is it the hope in our eyes that half the bottle still remains to be shared?
Inside the bottle of life, whose depths no one can truly know…
Hailing from Korea, the Land of Morning Calm, Dr. Lee Hye-Seon, born in 1950, is a poet, literary critic, Doctor of Literature, and professor of poetry writing. She made her literary debut in 1981. She has published several poetry collections, including Extinguishing with Fire, Burning in Water, Half of the Spilled Liquor, Every day is a good day, Birdsong Delivery, If You Happen to Meet the Wind, The One Who Knows Me Better Than Myself, and A Divine Being (One God). Additionally, she has authored books such as An Evening with Lee Hye-Seon’s Poetry, Lee Hye-Seon’s Stroll Through Famous Poems, Literature and the Transfiguration of Dreams, and My Father’s Educational Methods. She also compiled Corona? Korea! She has received numerous literary awards, including the Yoon Dong-Ju Literary Award, Korean Contemporary Poet Award, Korean Arts and Culture Grand Prize, Critics’ Association Criticism Award, Dongguk Literary Award, Pyoam Ikjae Literary Award, Korean Poetry and Literature Award, and Seonsa Literary Award. She has taught at various universities, including as a visiting professor at Dongguk University and Sejong University. She has also served as Vice Chairman of the Korean Writers’ Association, a member of the Literature Promotion Policy Committee at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Chairperson of the Korean Women Writers’ Association, and President of organizations such as the Dongguk Literary Society, Korean Poetry and Literature Writers’ Association, Gangdong Literary Association and Distinguished Scholar with IAE. Her current Positions are Advisor to the Korean Writers’ Association (KWA), Advisor to PEN International Korea Center, Honorary Chairperson of the Korean Women Writers’ Association and President of the Korean Association of World Literature. Her poetry has been translated and introduced in various countries, including Italy, Germany, Egypt, Greece, Belgium, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kosovo, Albania, Vietnam, Mexico, South America, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.
Half the Liquor Has Been Spilled
At a drinking gathering at that street-side drinking tent in Insadong,
The saying “Half the liquor has been spilled” became the evening’s theme.
While I read books or watched TV dramas, tears often gathering in my eyes, my husband would come over, tilt my chin upward, and tease,
“There goes our baby crying again.”
Yet these days, whenever he hears even the saddest tale, his eyes grow moist.
Today as well, he arrived in haste, saying he had been moved to tears by a radio program on his way home from work.
At the evening table, after the grown children have left the nest,
A husband and wife with silvering hair sit across from each other,
Exchanging glances of gentle compassion.
Is it because half the liquor has already been spilled?
Or is it the hope in our eyes that half the bottle still remains to be shared?
Inside the bottle of life, whose depths no one can truly know…
흘린 술이 반이다
그 인사동 포장마차 술자리의 화두는
‘흘린 술이 반이다’
책 읽으며 연속극 보며 훌쩍이는 내 눈, 턱 밑에 와서
남편이 “우리 애기 또 우네” 일삼아 놀리더니
요즘 들어 누가 슬픈 얘기만 해도 눈물 그렁그렁
오늘도 퇴근길에 라디오 들으며 울다가 서둘러 달려왔다는 그이
새끼제비 날아간 저녁밥상, 마주 앉은 희끗한 머리칼
서로 측은히 건네다 본다
흘린 술이 반이기 때문일까
함께 마셔야 할 술이 아직은
반쯤 남았다고 믿고 싶은 눈짓일까
속을 알 수 없는 생명의 술병 속에,
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