Dongguk Isangguk Jip (Collected Works of Minister Yi of the Eastern Country) 東國李相國集 · Yi Gyubo · Compiled 1241 (Goryeo, 28th year of King Gojong); revised and enlarged 1251 · 1 passages · 96 Chinese characters · reading time 0.9 min
Dongguk Isangguk Jip (Collected Works of Minister Yi of the Eastern Country) Former Collection, Book 2 The collected writings of Yi Gyubo of Goryeo, gathered and cut in woodblock by his son Yi Ham in 1241 and revised and enlarged by his grandson Yi Ikbae in 1251. It holds poems and rhapsodies, memorials and reports sent up to the king, records written for temples and pagodas, stele and tomb inscriptions, letters and prefaces, and the state letters that passed to and from the Mongols during the invasions. The Lay of King Dongmyeong, which sings the founder of Goguryeo, stands in volume 3 of the first collection, and the daily life of a man who called himself the White Cloud Layman — with his wine, his zither and his verse — fills the later collection. The book closes with the last poem he wrote as his eyes failed and he laid down the brush, and with the dirge and tomb inscription others made for him after his death.
Spring is drawing to its close, and I send it off to go home
far and far away — where is it going?
It does not gather up only the red flowers and go
it carries off even the red glow of a human face
When spring comes back next year the flowers will be red again
but once a face that was red has darkened, who will lend it back?
I send spring off, and spring goes in haste
to no purpose I face the flowers that are left and scatter tears again and again
I ask spring where it goes, and spring says nothing
and the oriole seems to pass on the word in spring's stead
The oriole's voice can be heard but cannot be understood
so it is better to forget feeling and tip up the fragrant wine
Go well, spring wind, and do not turn your head
who is as without feeling toward men as you are?