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Preface Written to Send Off Jeon of the Right Army (右軍) on His Mission to Gwandong送全右軍奉使關東序

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 · 196 Chinese characters · reading time 1.9 min

Dongguk Isangguk Jip (Collected Works of Minister Yi of the Eastern Country) Former Collection, Book 21 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.

予聞山水之奇秀。關東爲最。若金蘭之叢石，丹穴。高城之三日浦。翼嶺之洛山。則雖未覩蓬萊，方丈。想不能過此也。僕嘗以爲苟得一見。雖死無恨。但塵驂未鞭。千里悠然。空悒悒東望而已。今足下杖龍節耀皇華。振輕裝而言邁。跨逸駕之如飛。軒軒若傅翰兩腋。飛出六合之外。而令人歆艶之不已也。登高挹袖。手酌送行。此別不久。何必多淫涕耶。想足下每遇一山一水。不得不思我也。如不能緘淸漪封紫翠以寄之。尙可詩以收拾。因風有寄。使東海山水森列我眼界。足矣。何必親賞也。群子賦詩。予以序冠之。

I hear it said that for strangeness and excellence of hills and waters Gwandong (關東) is the first. Such places as Chongseok (叢石) and Danhyeol (丹穴) at Geumnan (金蘭), the Samilpo (三日浦) at Goseong (高城), and the Naksan (洛山) at Ingnyeong (翼嶺) — though I have not seen Penglai and Fangzhang, I fancy that nothing could go beyond these. I used to think that if I could truly see them once I should die without regret. But I have not been able to whip up a horse out of the dust, and a thousand li lie far away, so that I only gaze east in vain and in vexation.

Now your honor, bearing the dragon tally and making bright the splendor of the royal house, shakes out your light traveling gear and sets off, and riding a fine carriage swift as flight you go flapping as though wings were fastened to both your armpits, flying out beyond the six directions; and you leave a man envying you without end. I climb to a height and take you by the sleeve and pour out the wine with my own hand to send you off. This parting will not be long; why need we shed many tears?

I fancy that your honor, each time you meet a hill or a water, cannot but think of me. If you cannot seal up the clear ripples and wrap the purple and the green and send them, you can still gather them into poems and send them by the wind. If you let the hills and waters of the Eastern Sea stand ranged in solemn array before my eyes, that is enough. Why must I enjoy them in my own person? Many have made poems, and I set a preface at their head.

‹ Preface Written to Send Off Yi of the Historiographical Office (史館) on Taking Up His Post at Geoje Contents Preface Written to Send Off the Reverend Jong (宗) on His Roaming South ›Listen to this piece