This section collects English translations of Kim Sowol’s poem
As is true of poetry in translation, some of these translations are unconventional, iconoclastic, or introduce new meanings into the text. The expansive selection of these translations is intended to be inclusive and does not directly address the “correctness” of these translations, but rather to show as both David R. McCann and An Sonjae have written, the evolving cultural and historical contexts in which poems are translated. If you know of other translations of the poem, please contact the site’s maintainer.
When you leave, tired of me,
I will be ready to let you go,
no complaints, whatsoever.
And I will carpet your way
with azaleas, armfuls,
from the familiar Yaksan hill.
May you enjoy light steps
on the flowers for your path
as you go ahead, if you like.
When you leave, tired of me,
I surely won’t cry,
no tears, never.
When you leave,
sickened by the sight of me,
I will send you away without a word.
I will scatter an armful of
azaleas from Yaksan in Yŏngbyŏn
over the path you leave by.
Go, and let each footfall fall
gently, tenderly
on the flowers I have left for you.
When you leave,
sickened by the sight of me,
even if I die, no tears will fall.
If you go away
Through with me
I will quietly let you go.
I will gather azaleas in armfuls
At Yaksan hill in Yongbyon
To scatter them on your path.
Tread with a tread,
Light and gentle,
On the flowers as you go.
If you go away
Through with me
Never will I weep though I perish.
If you grow so sick of me
you want to go,
I’ll let you go — gently — I won’t say a word.
I’ll pluck an armful of azaleas
on Yaksan. Yangbyon:
I’ll strew them in your path.
Tread gently
on these flowers:
they deck your parting steps.
If you grow so sick of me
you want to go,
Though I die, I won’t shed a tear.
Once I am shaped as the reason of your disgust, pushing
you toward somewhere not here, there
will be no words, my letting-go enduring graciously.
On a hill where herbs grow in Yongbyon province
Jindallae flowers are blossoming, and here
I have brought an armful I plucked to scatter them before you
as you take those steps away from here, and for each you take
a flower will need to be crushed, so take care to tread
lightly as you leave me be
You’re sick and tired of me.
When you go
I’ll bid you goodbye without saying a word.
I’ll gather
azaleas on Yak Mountain,
the burning azaleas of Yöngbyon,
and strew them in your path.
Tread gently, please,
step by step, softly,
on the flowers of dedication.
You’re sick and tired of me.
When you leave
I’ll not weep though I die.
When you tire of my love
And leave me behind,
Meek and silent, I shall let you go.
I shall pick azaleas
From Mount Yak of Yung-byung
And strew them upon your path.
Then, step by step,
You will tread upon the flowers
As you walk away.
When you tire of my love
And leave me behind,
Though the pain be as death
I shall not weep.
If you go away,
Sick of the sight of me,
I’ll let you go without a word.
But I’ll also gather by the armful
The azaleas flaming in Yaksan, Yongbyon
And scatter them in your path
Tread gently
And lightly
As you pass.
If you go away,
Sick of the sight of me
I will weep no tears, though I die without you.
I will hold back the tears that I should be shedding, she says; that amount of sadness will not be reduced, but will build up in my heart, leading those azalea petals to fester as your “possession” of happiness. I shall not shed a tear, so tread upon them as [you] go. No matter what. No matter what, I shall not shed a tear.
Me seeing revolted
go-you-will-time-at
word-without quietly send you-I-will.
Yak-mountain in Yong’pyong
azaleas (object)
fill-arms you-will-go path-on spread-I-will.
Going-you footsteps
placed those flowers (object)
lightly crunch tread go-please.
Me seeing revolted
go-you-will-time-at
die-I-even not tears shed-I-will.