The destination still lies far ahead,
And the rain lashes harder.
Yet I choose to keep walking this path.
Ms. Yang Geum-Hee is an acclaimed poetess of Korea
Based in Jeju, South Korea, poetess Ms. Yang Geum-Hee has published four poetry collections and has won eight literary awards. She has published poetry collections such as Happiness Account, Ieodo: The Island of Legend and Reality, Nests of Birds (published in Taiwan), and Nests of Birds (English-Korean poetry book). Additionally, she has written the research book Inheritance of Ieodo Culture and the essay collection A Happy Companion on the Journey. In recognition of her extensive international literary contributions, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the International Forum for Creativity and Humanity (President Dr. Aziz Mountassir) in the Kingdom of Morocco in March 2025. She was the founding President of the Ieodo Literature Association, editor-in-chief of Jejuin News, a researcher at the Jeju Sea Grant Center, a specially appointed professor at Jeju International University, and the 2nd President of the Korean Association of World Literature. Currently, she serves as an editorial writer for Samda Ilbo, Vice President of the Korean Peace Cooperation and former President of Jeju PEN.
On the Road
On the RoadThe destination still lies far ahead,
And the rain lashes harder.
Yet I choose to keep walking this path.
If not now, when else will I go?
Is a sunny day always the best day?
Will the path I walk today appear again tomorrow?
Even being soaked in the rain is part of life,
Just as it was on windy days,
Just as it was on storm-tossed days.
***
길 위에서
목적지는 아직 멀었는데
빗줄기 거세진다
가던 길 그대로 가기로 했다
지금 아니면 언제 갈 것인가?
화창한 날이 꼭 최고의 날일 수 있을까?
오늘 주어진 이 길 내일 다시 올까?
비를 맞는 순간도 삶인 거야
바람이 불던 날이 그랬듯이
폭풍우 치던 날이 그랬던 것처럼
***
In the Forest
In the ForestIn the quiet of the forest,
My inner voice grows clear,
Echoing through the shadows of ancient trees.
Each tree bears its own scars,
Together forming a living sanctuary of green.
Vines coil and spiral,
Struggling to survive,
Trembling precariously in breathless competition.
Yet the trees, in patient grandeur,
Carve deep rings of memory,
Tracing the secret rhythms and patterns of existence,
Shaping a world of verdant life.
And here I stand,
At the heart of this breathing, vibrant forest,
Feeling the pulse of life
Flow through every leaf and scarred bark,
And into the quiet depths of my own being.
***
숲속에서
고요한 숲속에서
내면의 목소리가 또렷해지고,
고목의 그림자를 타고 울려 퍼진다.
각 나무는 저마다의 상처를 지니고,
함께 살아 있는 푸른 성소를 이룬다.
덩굴들은 나선처럼 감기며
살아남기 위해 몸부림치고,
숨 가쁜 경쟁 속에 아슬아슬하게 흔들린다.
그러나 나무들은 인내의 장엄함 속에서
깊은 기억의 나이테를 새기며,
존재의 은밀한 리듬과 패턴을 따라
푸른 생명의 세계를 빚어낸다.
그리고 나는 이곳에 서 있다,
숨 쉬고 살아 있는 이 숲의 심장 한가운데서,
모든 잎과 상처 입은 나무껍질을 통해
흐르는 생명의 맥박을 느끼며,
내 내면 깊은 고요 속으로 스며드는 것을.
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