Tuesday, August 03, 2021

Which word in the Korean poem below is not a pure-Korean word?

 ANSWER: All the words in the following Korean poem are pure-Korean words, except 내일 (來日), which means "tomorrow" but literally translates as "the coming (來) day (日)." If he travels the same path everyday, why would it be a new path each day? Because even though the physical path is the same, each day is different, so the things he sees, hears, smells, and feels on the path each day are different, making it a new path. The English translation is mine.

"새로운 길," 윤동주 "A New Path," by Yun Dong-ju
내를 건너서 숲으로
고개를 넘어서 마을로
When I cross the stream to the woods,
When I cross the ridge to the village,
어제도 가고 오늘도 갈
나의 길 새로운 길
The path I took yesterday,
The path I'll take today,
Is a new path.
민들레가 피고 까치가 날고
아가씨가 지나고 바람이 일고
Dandelions bloom,
Magpies fly over,
Young girls pass by,
Wind stirs the air.
나의 길은 언제나 새로운 길
오늘도, 내일도
My path is always a new path,
Again today, again tomorrow,
내를 건너서 숲으로
고개를 넘어서 마을로
When I cross the stream to the woods,
When I cross the ridge to the village.


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