My Body May Die Again and Again
Sijo - Korean Style of Poetry


My Body May Die Again and Again



My body may die, again and again

One hundred times again, and

May turn into but a pile of bones and dust,

My soul may or may not live on, but

My loyalty to my country shall remain unchanged for ever.




Jung Mong Ju, 1337-1392, a Koryo scholar



The life of a man is like a candle, that shines but a moment brief
If I must die for my country to live
I shall depart joyous, with the morning dew silent
A Korean War ballad

In a flower garden of a castle, pines a millennium old filter in the moon light
I hear death cries, drum beats of a battle, fought here eons ago
Silence returns supreme, where are the heroes of the battle now?

Anonymous

http://www.kimsoft.com/kr-sijo.htm