Korean Poem "September" — by Ko Young-min (9월 고영민 作)
September — by Ko Young-min 그리고 9월이 왔다. And then, September arrived. 산구절초의 아홉 마디 위에 꽃이 사뿐히 얹혀져 있었다 Blossoms rested lightly atop the nine nodes of the wild *Gujeolcho* (Siberian chrysanthemum). 수로를 따라 물이 반짝이며 흘러간다 Water shimmered as it flowed along the channel. 부질없은 짓이겠지만 누군지 모를 당신들 생각으로 꼬박 하루를 다 보냈다 It may have been a futile thing to do, but I spent the entire day thinking of you—whoever you might be. 햇살 곳곳에 어제 없던 그늘이 박혀 있었다 이맘때부터 왜 물은 깊어질까 Patches of shade, absent yesterday, were now embedded here and there in the sunlight. Why is it that, around this time of year, the waters seem to deepen? 산은 멀어지고 생각은 더 골똘해지고 돌의 맥박은 빨라질까 As the mountains receded and my thoughts grew more profound, did the pulse of the stones quicken? 왕버들 아래 무심히 앉아 더 어두워지길 기다렸다 Sitting idly beneath a great willow tree, I waited for the darkness...