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 · 128 Chinese characters · reading time 1.2 min
Dongguk Isangguk Jip (Collected Works of Minister Yi of the Eastern Country) Latter Collection, Book 3 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.
Pitiable is this one body
When it dies it will become white bones and rot
Though children and grandchildren bow at the grave each season
What use is it to the dead
And after a hundred years the shrine too will grow distant
So how should a far descendant come and even once look back
In front the yellow bear howls
And behind the green rhinoceros roars
From of old until now the graves have stood in rows to no purpose
And who can make clear whether the soul is there or not
Sitting quietly I reckon it for myself
It is not so good as wetting my mouth with one cup of wine while I live
So I say this to my sons and nephews
Have I ever troubled you long on the plea of being old
There is no need to catch fine fish and set it before me
Only be diligent in setting out wine
Though you offer a thousand strings of paper money and three cups
How am I to know whether I receive them after death or not
A lavish burial I do not wish for
It only makes something for the grave-diggers to carry off