Seopyeonje Page #5

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and prayed to God for rain.

Rain fell, and they had a good harvest.

Like him, I will offer myself as a human

sacrifice instead of my daughter.

And like a shrimp out of water

and on dry land...

He beats his chest

and stamps in anger.

You can sing with sorrow

in your voice now.

Songhwa...

Yes...

I am the one

who made you blind.

You knew, didn't you?

Have you forgiven me for it?

If you hadn't, your voice would

have been filled with hatred.

But there is no trace of it

in your voice.

From now on, don't live your

life buried in sadness.

But sing beyond the sadness.

They say Dongpyeongje

sounds heavy and clear

while Seopyeonje sounds

mournful and sad.

But when you sing beyond

the sadness, there is no difference.

There is only the voice that transcends it all.

About five years ago,

I heard that

Yubong was living

at Sorijae with Songhwa.

So I went to see them.

But there was a strange

woman who lived there.

She told me that

Yubong had passed away,

and Songhwa had left

the place two years ago

without a word.

I had no news of her,

but a couple of years ago,

I was passing by an inn at Boseong

when I heard a voice I recognized.

Let's see...

I already ate, so soju and

some boiled pork please.

Is the woman who is singing

blind by any chance?

The seagulls from three

famous rivers in China fly back.

My name is Songhwa.

Is your father's name Yubong?

How do you know my father?

Are you the friend of my father

who used to draw?

So you remember me...

It's been more than ten years.

Your voice has matured.

I still have a long way to go

to sing the way my father wanted.

How did he want you to sing?

He told me not to be buried in sadness

but to sing beyond it.

He was too demanding of you.

I'm sure he took that greedy side of

him even to the other world.

You haven't changed.

I'm an old man now.

Do your drawings sell well?

People don't buy them,

and I barely make a living.

Can you draw me one?

But you can't see...

what would you do with it?

I can see it with my heart.

The character "song" means pine tree.

On the pine tree, I drew two cranes.

Cranes live for a thousand years.

I wish you longevity like the crane's.

I also drew a sun so that

you'll have a bright future.

The character "hwa" for flower.

Where flowers are, there are butterflies.

Everything in this world has its mate.

So I drew butterflies,

wishing you'll meet a good

husband and have children.

When are you going to pay me back?

It's been more than ten days.

I borrowed that money

from my in-laws.

You're going to make

me lose credit here.

I'm going to stay here

until you pay me back.

I'd like a drink, please.

The makgeolli is a couple days old,

so it won't taste good.

So how about soju?

Soju is fine.

Can I have something to eat, too?

Is it your first visit to this town?

Yes, and I'd like to stay for the night.

I haven't had people stay the night for some time,

so you won't find the room comfortable.

You don't have

to worry about that.

I heard there is a woman

here who sings.

Yes.

Can I hear her sing?

Did you hear about her?

Yes.

She doesn't sing these days,

but I'll ask her.

What do you say? Someone here

wants to hear you sing.

I've traveled everywhere

to hear great singers sing.

If you're willing to sing

I can stay up and listen all night.

My singing is not worth listening to.

I came all the way to hear you sing,

so don't turn me down.

I haven't played the drum for a long time.

I won't be very good.

To make her blind father see again,

Simcheong sold herself to the sailors

for three hundred sacks of rice.

When the ship is

about to set out to sea,

they sound the drums.

Young lady, it's time for you

to jump into the water.

Hearing that, Simcheong falls

prostrate on the ship.

Father, I'm about to die.

Please regain your sight

and see the bright world.

And forget about

this undutiful daughter.

I do not want to die.

Being all alone,

whom can I depend on?

The sea is so deep and boundless.

It reaches up to the sky.

The mountain-like waves hit the ship.

The sea rolls and laps

rocking the ship.

Look at Simcheong

as she staggers to the bow of the ship.

There she thinks about it

one more time.

I hesitate because

I lack filial piety.

She covers her face with her skirt.

With her eyes closed,

she runs to the bow.

And like a wild goose,

she throws herself into the water.

The flower is lost

in the sea of waves.

The full moon also

disappears into the water.

After hearing her father tell his story,

Queen Simcheong pulls aside

the door blind made of coral

and runs to him barefooted.

She cries, "Father!" and

hearing that, Mr. Sim says,

who's calling me father?

I have no son or daughter.

The only daughter I had

drowned and died.

That was three years ago.

Who are you to call me father?

Father, are you still not able to see?

Please open your eyes and see me.

Is he your brother that

you've always waited for?

Yes. When I sang to his drum,

I knew right away that

he was my brother.

He played just like

our father used to play.

I knew there was

something about him.

But why did you say

goodbye to each other

as if you were strangers?

We didn't want to

reopen our wounds.

How painful are your wounds that

you would let him leave like that

without a word to each other?

Last night we were able to put

our wounds and sorrow to rest.

How?

With my songs and his drum.

You did sound different from usual.

I stayed up all night and listened.

When you sang to his drum,

it was like two people

teasing or embracing each other.

At times, it sounded like

two people making love.

How long have I been here?

About three years.

It's been too long a time

for me to spend in comfort.

It's about time for me to leave.

I've been expecting

this for some time.

I guess I have to go back

to being alone again.

Do you know where you'll go?

When you do, let me know.

I'll send you your things.

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