Day 3: Searching for a Half-Remembered Poem

Dialogue

♪ Audio recordings are on the way. For now, each lesson is the dialogue with its English translation.

Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day

1. 1

   A 젊은 양반, 혹시 시도 찾아 줄 수 있어요? 제목도 시인 이름도 생각이 안 나고, 구절 몇 개만 어렴풋이 기억나는데요.

   Jeolmeun yangban, hoksi sido chaja jul su isseoyo? Jemokdo siin ireumdo saenggagi an nago, gujeol myeot gaeman eoryeompusi gieongnaneundeyo.

   Young man, could you help me find a poem? I can't remember the title or the poet, just a few lines, and only vaguely.

   Line 1
2. 2

   B 네, 기억나시는 구절만 말씀해 주셔도 찾아볼 수 있어요. 어떤 구절이 떠오르세요?

   Ne, gieongnasineun gujeolman malsseumhae jusyeodo chajabol su isseoyo. Eotteon gujeori tteooreuseyo?

   Of course. Even a few lines are enough for me to search. What lines come to mind?

   Line 2
3. 3

   A 중학교 때 국어 선생님이 외우라고 해서 외운 시예요. 벌써 육십 년이 넘었어요. 첫 줄이 "님이 오시거들랑 들꽃 한 송이 꺾어 두오"였어요.

   Junghakgyo ttae gugeo seonsaengnimi oeurago haeseo oeun siyeyo. Beolsseo yuksip nyeoni neomeosseoyo. Cheot juri "nimi osigeodeullang deulkkot han songi kkeokkeo duo"yeosseoyo.

   It's a poem our Korean teacher made us memorise in middle school. That's more than sixty years ago now. The first line was "Should my love come, pick a wildflower and keep it for me."

   Line 3
4. 4

   B '오시거들랑'이요? 요즘은 거의 안 쓰는 말이라 오히려 찾기는 쉬울 것 같아요. 잠시만 기다려 주세요.

   'Osigeodeullang'iyo? Yojeumeun geoui an sseuneun marira ohiryeo chatgineun swiul geot gatayo. Jamsiman gidaryeo juseyo.

   "Should my love come"? Hardly anyone talks like that these days, so it might actually make the search easier. Just a moment, please.

   Line 4
5. 5

   A 우리 때는 선생님들이 그런 말을 자주 쓰셨어요. '졸업하거들랑 편지해라', 그런 식으로요.

   Uri ttaeneun seonsaengnimdeuri geureon mareul jaju sseusyeosseoyo. 'Joreopageodeullang pyeonjihaera', geureon sigeuroyo.

   In my day, teachers used words like that all the time. "Write to me once you've graduated," that sort of thing.

   Line 5
6. 6

   B 음, '오시거들랑'으로는 안 나오고, 비슷한 구절이 하나 있어요. "님이 오시면 들꽃 한 송이 꺾어 두오." 혹시 이 시 아니세요?

   Eum, 'osigeodeullang'euroneun an naogo, biseutan gujeori hana isseoyo. "Nimi osimyeon deulkkot han songi kkeokkeo duo." Hoksi i si aniseyo?

   Hmm, nothing comes up for "should my love come," but there's a similar line. "If my love comes, pick a wildflower and keep it for me." Could this be the poem?

   Line 6
7. 7

   A '오시면'이요? 아니에요, 분명히 '오시거들랑'이었어요. 우리 반 애들이 다 같이 소리 내서 낭송했는데 틀릴 리가 없어요.

   'Osimyeon'iyo? Anieyo, bunmyeonghi 'osigeodeullang'ieosseoyo. Uri ban aedeuri da gachi sori naeseo nangsonghaenneunde teullil riga eopseoyo.

   "If my love comes"? No, it was definitely "should my love come." Our whole class used to recite it aloud together; I can't be wrong.

   Line 7
8. 8

   B 찾아보니 1958년에 나온 시집에 실린 시예요. 그다음 줄도 한번 들어 보시겠어요? "바람이 불거든 창을 조금 열어 두오."

   Chajaboni 1958nyeone naon sijibe sillin siyeyo. Geudaeum juldo hanbeon deureo bosigesseoyo? "Barami bulgeodeun changeul jogeum yeoreo duo."

   It's from a collection published in 1958. Would you like to hear the next line too? "When the wind blows, leave the window open a little."

   Line 8
9. 9

   A 맞아요, 그 창문 얘기가 있었어요! 아이고, 감회가 새롭네요. 근데 이상하네요. 내 머릿속에서는 그것도 '불거들랑'이었거든요.

   Majayo, geu changmun yaegiga isseosseoyo! Aigo, gamhoega saeromneyo. Geunde isanghaneyo. Nae meoritsogeseoneun geugeotdo 'bulgeodeullang'ieotgeodeunyo.

   Yes, there was that bit about the window! Oh, that takes me back. But how strange. In my head, that was "should the wind blow" too.

   Line 9
10. 10

    B 어쩌면 선생님께서 수업 시간에 읽어 주실 때 그렇게 바꿔 읽으셨는지도 모르겠어요. 그 시절 말투로요.

    Eojjeomyeon seonsaengnimkkeseo sueop sigane ilgeo jusil ttae geureoke bakkwo ilgeusyeonneunjido moreugesseoyo. Geu sijeol malturoyo.

    Maybe your teacher changed it when he read it to you in class. Into the way people talked back then.

    Line 10
11. 11

    A 그럴 수도 있겠네요. 그 선생님이 연세가 많으셔서 말끝마다 옛날 말을 섞으셨거든요.

    Geureol sudo itgenneyo. Geu seonsaengnimi yeonsega maneusyeoseo malkkeunmada yennal mareul seokkeusyeotgeodeunyo.

    That could be. He was an old man, and he mixed old words into everything he said.

    Line 11
12. 12

    B 그런데 솔직히 말씀드리면, 저는 손님이 기억하시는 쪽이 더 좋아요. '오시거들랑'은 어감이 달라요. 기다리는 마음이 더 길게 느껴져요.

    Geureonde soljiki malsseumdeurimyeon, jeoneun sonnimi gieokasineun jjogi deo joayo. 'Osigeodeullang'eun eogami dallayo. Gidarineun maeumi deo gilge neukkyeojyeoyo.

    But to be honest, I like the version you remember better. "Should my love come" has a different feel. The waiting seems longer.

    Line 12
13. 13

    A 그렇죠? '오시면'은 너무 싱거워요. 오든지 말든지 상관없다는 말 같잖아요. '오시거들랑' 해야 애가 타죠.

    Geureochyo? 'Osimyeon'eun neomu singgeowoyo. Odeunji maldeunji sanggwaneopdaneun mal gatjanayo. 'Osigeodeullang' haeya aega tajyo.

    Doesn't it? "If my love comes" is too bland. It sounds like it doesn't matter whether he comes or not. "Should my love come" - that's where the longing is.

    Line 13
14. 14

    B 하지만 시인이 일부러 '오시면'이라고 담담하게 썼을 수도 있잖아요. 애타는 티를 너무 내지 않으려고요.

    Hajiman siini ilbureo 'osimyeon'irago damdamhage sseosseul sudo itjanayo. Aetaneun tireul neomu naeji aneuryeogoyo.

    But maybe the poet wrote "if" on purpose, to keep it understated. So as not to show the longing too openly.

    Line 14
15. 15

    A 젊은 사람이 시를 제법 볼 줄 아네요. 그래도 나는 내 식대로 외울래요. 육십 년 동안 그렇게 외웠는데 이제 와서 어떻게 바꿔요.

    Jeolmeun sarami sireul jebeop bol jul aneyo. Geuraedo naneun nae sikdaero oeullaeyo. Yuksip nyeon dongan geureoke oewonneunde ije waseo eotteoke bakkwoyo.

    You know your poetry for a young man. Still, I'll keep it my way. I've recited it like that for sixty years; how could I change it now?

    Line 15
16. 16

    B 그럼 시집은 어떻게 해 드릴까요? 초판은 없지만 이 시가 실린 선집이 한 권 남아 있어요.

    Geureom sijibeun eotteoke hae deurilkkayo? Chopaneun eopjiman i siga sillin seonjibi han gwon nama isseoyo.

    Then what shall I do about the book? We don't have the first edition, but we have one anthology left with this poem in it.

    Line 16
17. 17

    A 그거 살게요. 손녀가 다음 달에 결혼하는데, 이 시를 적어서 편지에 넣어 줄 거예요.

    Geugeo salgeyo. Sonnyeoga daeum dare gyeolhonhaneunde, i sireul jeogeoseo pyeonjie neoeo jul geoyeyo.

    I'll take it. My granddaughter is getting married next month, and I'm going to copy this poem into a letter for her.

    Line 17
18. 18

    B 정말 좋은 선물이 되겠어요. 편지에는 어느 쪽으로 쓰실 거예요? '오시면'이요, '오시거들랑'이요?

    Jeongmal joeun seonmuri doegesseoyo. Pyeonjieneun eoneu jjogeuro sseusil geoyeyo? 'Osimyeon'iyo, 'osigeodeullang'iyo?

    That will make a lovely present. Which version will you write in the letter? "If my love comes" or "should my love come"?

    Line 18
19. 19

    A 당연히 '오시거들랑'이죠. 그리고 밑에 작게 적어 둘 거예요. 원래는 '오시면'인데 할머니가 마음대로 고쳤다고요.

    Dangyeonhi 'osigeodeullang'ijyo. Geurigo mite jakge jeogeo dul geoyeyo. Wollaeneun 'osimyeon'inde halmeoniga maeumdaero gochyeotdagoyo.

    "Should my love come," of course. And underneath, in small letters, I'll write that it's really "if," but Grandma changed it to suit herself.

    Line 19