Kang Byeong-Cheol
Korean author, poet and translator, Kang Byeong-Cheol is Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science. He was born in Jeju City, South Korea in 1964. He began writing in 1993 and published his first short story, “Song of Shuba,” at the age of twenty-nine.
In 2005, he published a collection of short stories. He has won four literature awards and has published more than eight books. He was a member of The Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of PEN International from 2009 to 2014.
He also served as an editorial writer for NewJejuIlbo, a newspaper in Jeju City, Korea. Currently, he is a Research Executive at The Korean Institute for Peace and Cooperation.
Kang Byeong-Cheolhas shared following two poems from his new poetry collection.
Sounds of Bamboo Forest
No matter how strong the wind blows,
The green forest never crumbles.
When the wind passes by,
The green forest stands tall and proud,
Inspiring admiration.
The sounds of bamboo forest,
Echo through the trees,
Whispers of wisdom and peace,
Carried on the gentle breeze.
A symphony of rustling leaves,
Soft words win hard hearts,
a melody of harmony,
Ringing in the bamboo forest glen.
So let the forest speak to you,
Let its wisdom guide your way,
Listen to the sounds of bamboo,
And find peace in each passing day.
***
대나무 숲의 소리
아무리 강한 바람이 불어도
푸른 숲은 무너지지 않아
바람이 지나가면
푸른 숲은 높고 자랑스러운 모습으로 서 있어,
감탄할 만한 영감을 주지
대나무 숲의 소리,
나무들 사이를 울려 퍼져요,
지혜와 평화의 속삭임,
부드러운 바람에 실려요.
속삭이는 잎들의 교향곡,
부드러움이 강한 것을 이겨,
대나무 숲의 계곡에서 울리는 화음
숲이 말하는 것을 듣고
지혜의 길로 이끌게 두라
대나무의 소리를 들으며,
하루하루 평화를 찾을 수 있으리니
***
The Sharp Rocks by the Seashore
Even the strong black rocks
Can be shattered by the waves
The never-tiring power of the waves.
I used to be one of the sea’s sharp rocks,
Strong and sharp-edged,
Fighting against the waves.
Now, I have crumbled into a round pebble,
Having learned a lesson over time.
Softness can conquer strength,
And the pen is mightier than the sword.
The truth of the universe,
Sharp rocks turn into pebbles,
And sharp things change into round and soft things.
The pebbles playing with the waves on the shore,
No longer fight against the waves.
They live in harmony with the peaceful waves.
***
바닷가의 날카로운 바위
강한 검은 바위도
파도에 부서지지
지치지 않는 파도의 힘을 당할 수 없어
나는 바다의 검은 바위였어
강하고 날카로운 모서리로
파도와 싸웠지
이제, 나는 부서져 내리고 둥근 조약돌이 되었어
오랜 시간 배운 교훈이지
부드러운 것이
강한 것을 이겨
칼보다 펜이 더 강해
우주의 진리
날카로운 바위는
조약돌로 바뀌고
날카로운 것은
둥글고 부드러운 것으로 변해
해안에서 파도와 노는
조약돌은 이제
파도와 싸우지 않아
조화로운 파도와 조약돌의 평화
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