Fifteen Seconds without Sorrow

Shim Bo-Seon, Chung Eun-Gwi

Description

Like many younger Korean poets, SHIM BO-SEON writes in an allusive, indirect style about topics that are in themselves familiar, eating rice, taking off clothes, living in an apartment block, struggling with human relationships. He captures some sparkling moments of joys and sorrows, hopes and frustrations that have been concealed in daily life in rather modest and witty words. The circular movements of concealment and revelation of the mystery that an individual experiences are evoked in turn, always lightly. As a poet-critic, Shim fills his lines with the melodies of plain speech, with subtle thoughts about relationships in the world. Shim made his poetic debut in 1994, but he only published his first collection fourteen years later in 2008. FIFTEEN SECONDS WITHOUT SORROW is a translation of that first volume, containing the poet’s earliest, freshest poems.

Informations

• Publié par: Parlor Press, LLC
• Date de parution: 01 août 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781602358362
• Langue: English

Extrait

about topïcs that are ïn themselves famïlïar, eatïng rïce, takïng oF clothes, lïvïng ïn an

lïghtly. As a poet-crïtïc, Shïm îlls hïs lïnes wïth the melodïes of plaïn speech, wïth subtle

Shïm made hïs poetïc debut ïn 1994, but he only publïshed hïs îrst collectïon fourteen ïs a translatïon of that îrst volume,

dïiculty of sayïng somethïng sïgnïîcant sïmply. Shïm raïses the phïlosophïcal questïon

debut ïn the Chosun Ilbo Annual Sprïng Lïterary Contest ïn 1994 and publïshed hïs îrst

BuFalo, ïn 2005. Her publïcatïons ïnclude artïcles, translatïons, poems, and revïews ïn

3015 Brackenberry Drïve

S A N: 2 5 4 – 8 8 7 9 ISBN 978-1-60235-836-2

FIFTEEN SECONDS WITHOUT SORROW

SHIM BO-SEON

Translated by Chung Eun-Gwi and Brother Anthony of Taizé

FREE VERSE EDITIONS

EDITED BY JON THOMPSON

FIFTEEN SECONDS WITHOUT SORROW

POEMS

Shim Bo-Seon

Translated by Chung Eun-Gwi &

Brother Anthony of Taizé

Parlor Press Anderson, South Carolina www.parlorpress.com

Parlor Press LLC, Anderson, Sout Carolîna, 29621

Translatîon © 2016 by Parlor Press. Seulpeumi opneun sip o cho© 2008 by Sîm Bo-Seon. All rîgts reserved. Fîrst publîsed în Korea by Moonjî Publîsîng Co., Ltd. All rîgts reserved.

Fifteen Seconds without Sorrowpublîsed wît te support o te îs Lîterature Translatîon Instîtute o Korea (LTI Korea).

Prînted în te Unîted States o Amerîca S A N: 2 5 4 - 8 8 7 9

Lîbrary o Congress Catalogîng-în-Publîcatîon Data

Names: Sîm, Po-sæon, autor. | Cæong, æUn-gwî, 1969- translator. | Antony,  o Taîzâe, Broter, 1942- translator. Tîtle: Fîteen seconds wîtout sorrow : poems / Sîm Bo-Seon ; translated by  Cung Eun-Gwî & Broter Antony o Taîzâe. Descrîptîon: Anderson, Sout Carolîna : Parlor Press, 2016. Identîiers: LCCN 2016028239| ISBN 9781602358355 (pbk. : alk. pa- per) | ISBN  9781602358362 (pd ) | ISBN 9781602358379 (epub) | ISBN 9781602358386  (îBook) | ISBN 9781602358393 (Kîndle) Classîicatîon: LCC PL994.72.P64 A2 2016 | DDC 895.71/5--dc23 LC record avaîlable at ttps://lccn.loc.gov/2016028239

Cover potograp by Sîm Bo-Seon. Used by permîssîon. Prînted on acîd-ree paper.

Parlor Press, LLC îs an îndependent publîser o scolarly and trade tîtles în prînt and multîmedîa ormats. hîs book îs avaîlable în paperback and ebook ormats rom Parlor Press on te World Wîde Web at ttp://www. parlorpress.com or troug onlîne and brîck-and-mortar bookstores. For submîssîon înormatîon or to ind out about Parlor Press publîcatîons, wrîte to Parlor Press, 3015 Brackenberry Drîve, Anderson, Sout Carolîna, 29621, or emaîl edî[e-mail].

Contents

Translators’ Preface  vii Chung Eun-Gwi and Brother Anthony of Taizé

Evolutions of Sorrow3 Parting after a Meal4 Today, I6 A Ruin Very Briefly Shining7 Fifteen Seconds without Sorrow8 “Rubber Soul”9 Things That Lead Me to Disillusionment10 An Unavoidable Road11 Scenery12 Going Shopping13 My Wife’s Magic14 Moral and Aesthetic Meditation Inside an Elevator15 Bread, Coat, Heart18 Illusion19 Delusion Bus20 Downfall21 When We Were Boys and Girls22 I Laugh, I Have To23 Peaceful Holiday26 Two27 If It Were Not for Songs28 Acrobat of Clouds and Fogs29 You31 A Rumor I Cannot Deal With32 The Myth of the Child33 Dust or Ruins34 A Hungry Father37 My Dancing Queen38 A Poem in -ing40

v

A Thousand-Year-Old Metaphysician41 Hands Becoming Normal42 On Religion43 The Last Dessert44 Once He Envied the Life of a Golden Telegraph Pole45 Night Deepening in Pastoral Mode46 Outside of That47 Blow, Wind!48 The Relationship between Nature and Me Since the 18th Century49 Youth50 In my Thirties51 Song of a Golden Sleeve52 Every Time I Pass This Place53 Happy Birthday54 The World Is Delicious55 Growth Record56 Madman’s Road57 One Day We Went to the Bank58 Then, That Day, Walks59 Inheritance60 Father, When I Recall Our Old Home61 Escape Route63 Home Withdrawing64 Losing a Hometown65 A Letter66 Probable, Very Probable67 The Last Game of Tennis with Her68 Floating Words69 Treading on Footprints, I Head for the Future70

About the Author  71 About the Translators

71

Translators’ Preface

Chung EunGwi and Brother Anthony of Taizé

vii

Sîm Bo-Seon made îs poetîc début în 1994 but e only publîsed Fîteen Seconds Wîtout Sorrow, îs îrst collectîon o poems, ourteen years later, în 2008. Tîs volume contaîns te poet’s earlîest, resest poems relectîng a deep concern about te relatîonsîp between poetry and polîtîcs. Hîs lan- guage, based on everyday lîe, îs caracterîzed by a very subtle eelîng o te dîstance between antasy and realîty and an awareness o te dîîculty o sayîng sometîng sîgnîîcant sîmply. Raîsîng pîlosopîcal questîons about wat ît means to lîve as a uman beîng în tîs world, îs poems epîtomîze te doubts, values, and belîes o îndîvîduals leadîng ordînary, secular lîves. As a poet-crîtîc, Sîm Bo-Seon îlls îs lînes wît te melodîes o plaîn speec and subtle tînkîng about relatîonsîps în te world. Readers o Sîm’s poetry ave oten noted îts wît and deceptîve sîmplîcîty. Hîs poems examîne îndîvîdual experîences and domestîc detaîls, playîng tese agaînst te backdrop o contemporary Korean îstory. For Sîm Bo-Seon, wrîtîng poetry îs to îmagîne a commune, te space were people înd some creatîve and constructîve orce or a better world. Wrîtîng în an allusîve, îndîrect style about topîcs wîc are în temselves amîlîar, suc as eatîng rîce, takîng o clotes, lîvîng în an apartment block, strugglîng wît uman relatîonsîps, Sîm captures te sparklîng moments o joy and sorrow, ope and rustra- tîon tat are usually concealed în everyday deat and lîe. Te brîe moments o recognîtîon are învîted to te new realm o spatîal temporalîty o “îteen seconds wîtout sorrow,” în wîc îs language o te ordînary attaîns unî- versal empaty or a poetîc commune. In îs modest and wîtty words, Sîm Bo-Seon enacts cîrcular movements o concealment, and revelatîons o te mysterîes tat an îndîvîdual experîences are evoked în turn, usually lîgtly and sarply. As e as wrîtten:

Sorrow and tîme are îndîspensable. Sorrow îs conîned by tîme. Sor- row îs not everlastîng but expands and multîplîes, makîng a curve. As a poet, I try to keep goîng on, straîgt aead, wîtout tînkîng o te end. Poetry elps me to keep goîng orward wîtout retreatîng back- ward. New orms o language make a new world and I get some com- ort and energy rom te process o makîng newness. Wen I wrîte a poem, I usually start wît an înstant’s eelîng, an înstant scene, or an îmage. For example, te poem, “Fîteen Seconds wîtout Sorrow” was born wen I appened to look blankly at a cat nîbblîng lower petals.