The Fisherman's Calendar by Yun Sondo - HTML preview

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MAKING FUN OF WIFE AND CONCUBINE
(Seven character, Yulshi)




Most likely this poem is by Yi Hangbok (1556-1618). It was first credited to Kim Sakkat in Kim Rip shijip (1977), edited by Pak Yonggu.

The thing p’um character is written with three boxes; each box means mouth. The stream ch’ŏn character is written with three upright lines. The kwŏn character in line eight literally means fist, but it can also mean a stalk, a loving aspect or perhaps even lovingly.

The rhyme is in/yŏn/ch’ŏn/kwŏn; tones match and verbal parallelism is observed.



Second month; neither hot nor cold;

wife and concubine are most to be pitied.

Three heads side by side on the mandarin duck pillow;

six arms parallel beneath the jade quilt.

Mouths open in laughter—thing p’um;

bodies turn on their sides—stream ch’ŏn.

Before I finish in the east, I’m at work in the west.

I face east again and deploy the loving jade stalk.