Azaleas

by Kim Sowol · translated by David R. McCann

Weary of seeing me, when you
go away,
without a word, gently,
I shall let you
go.

From Mount Yak
in Yŏngbyŏn,
armfuls of azaleas
I shall gather and scatter on your way.

As you go, step by step
on the flowers placed before you
tread lightly,
softly as you go.

McCann, David R. “The Meanings and Significance of So Wŏl’s ‘Azaleas’.” Journal of Korean Studies 6(1) (1988). https://doi.org/10.1353/jks.1988.0004.