Dohwanyeo and Bihyeongnang桃花女鼻荊郞
1King Jinji is deposed after four years
第二十五舎輪王謚真智大王姓金氏,妃起烏公之女知刀夫人.大建八年丙申即位,〔古本云十一年己亥,誤矣.〕御國四年政亂荒媱,國人廢之.
King Saryun (舍輪王), the twenty-fifth king, had the posthumous title Great King Jinji (眞智大王) and the surname Gim. His queen was Lady Jido (知刀夫人), the daughter of Lord Gio (起烏公).
He ascended the throne in the eighth year of Dajian (大建), a byeongsin year〔Old books say the eleventh year, a gihae year, but this is wrong.〕. After he had governed the state for four years, the government was in disorder and he was sunk in wine and women, so the people of the state deposed him.
Interlinear notes 1
古本云十一年己亥, 誤矣.
Old books say the eleventh year, a gihae year, but this is wrong.
2The dead king comes to her and Bihyeong is born
前此沙梁部之庻女姿容艶羙時號桃花娘.王聞而召致宫中欲幸之,女曰“女之所守不事二夫.有夫而適他雖万乗之威終不奪也.”王曰“殺之何”,女曰“寧斬于市有願靡他.”王戱曰“無夫則可乎”,曰“可”.王放而遣之.是年王見廢而崩,後二年其夫亦死.浹旬忽夜中王如平昔來於女房曰,“汝昔有諾今無汝夫可乎”,女不軽諾告於父母,父母曰“君王之敎何以避之.”以其女入於房.留御七日常有五色雲覆屋杳氣滿室.七日後忽然無蹤.女因而有娠月滿將産天地振動,産得一男名曰鼻荊.
Before this there was a woman of Saryang Division (沙梁部) whose figure and face were lovely and fair, and the people of the time called her Dohwarang (桃花娘), the Peach Blossom Girl.
The king heard of her and summoned her to the palace, meaning to have her. The woman said, "What a woman keeps is this: she does not serve two husbands. To have a husband and go to another man is something that even the majesty of the Son of Heaven can never take from her."
The king said, "What if I kill you?"
The woman said, "I would rather be beheaded in the marketplace. I wish for nothing else."
The king said in jest, "If you had no husband, would it be all right?"
"It would."
The king let her go. That year the king was deposed and died, and two years later her husband also died.
About ten days after, one night the king came to the woman's room, looking exactly as he had in life, and said, "You once gave me your word. Now you have no husband. Is it all right?"
The woman did not consent lightly, but told her parents. Her parents said, "How can the word of the king be refused?" And they sent their daughter into the room.
He stayed seven days, and all the while five-colored clouds covered the roof and a deep fragrance filled the room. After seven days he suddenly vanished without a trace.
From this the woman became pregnant. When her months were full and she was about to give birth, heaven and earth shook. She bore a boy and named him Bihyeong (鼻荊).
3Leading ghosts to build a bridge in a single night
真平大王聞其殊異收飬宫中.年至十五授差執事.每夜逃去逺遊王使勇士五十人守之,每飛過月城西去荒川岸上〔在京城西.〕率鬼衆遊.勇士伏林中窺伺,鬼衆聞諸寺曉鍾各散郎亦歸矣.軍士以事來奏.王召鼻荊曰,“汝領鬼遊信乎”,郎曰“然.”王曰“然則汝使鬼衆成橋於神元寺北渠〔一作神衆寺誤.一云荒川東深渠.〕.”荊奉勑使其徒錬石成大橋於一夜.故名鬼橋.
Great King Jinpyeong (眞平大王) heard that the boy was extraordinary and took him into the palace to raise him. When he reached fifteen he gave him the office of jipsa (執事).
Every night he ran off and roamed far away, so the king had fifty brave men guard him. Each time he flew over Wolseong (月城) and went west to the bank of the Hwangcheon (荒川)〔West of the capital.〕, where he led a band of ghosts in their play.
The brave men lay hidden in the woods and watched. When the ghosts heard the dawn bells of the temples, each scattered, and Bihyeongnang came back too. The soldiers reported this.
The king called Bihyeong and asked, "Is it true that you lead ghosts in play?"
Bihyeongnang answered, "It is."
The king said, "Then have your band of ghosts build a bridge over the stream north of Sinwon Temple (神元寺)."〔Some copies have Sinjung Temple, but this is wrong. Some say the deep stream east of the Hwangcheon.〕
Bihyeong received the command and had his followers dress stone and build a great bridge in a single night. So the bridge was named the Ghost Bridge (鬼橋).
Interlinear notes 2
在京城西.
West of the capital.
一作神衆寺誤. 一云荒川東深渠.
Some copies have Sinjung Temple (神衆寺), but this is wrong. Some say the deep stream east of the Hwangcheon.
4Gildal is killed and a charm against ghosts is made
王又問“鬼衆之中有出現人間輔朝政者乎”,曰“有吉逹者可輔國政.”王曰“與來.”翌日荊與俱見賜爵執事,果忠直無雙.時角干林宗無子王勑爲嗣子.林宗命吉逹創樓門於興輪寺南,每夜去宿其門上故名吉逹門.一日吉逹變狐而遁去荊使鬼捉而殺之.故其衆聞鼻荊之名怖畏而走.時人作詞曰,“聖帝魂生子,鼻荊郎室亭.飛馳諸鬼衆,此䖏莫留停.”郷俗帖此詞以辟鬼.
The king asked again, "Among the ghosts, is there one who could come out into the human world and help with the affairs of the court?"
Bihyeongnang answered, "There is one named Gildal (吉達) who could help with the government of the state."
The king said, "Bring him."
The next day Bihyeong came with him to an audience, and he was given the office of jipsa. He proved loyal and upright beyond compare. At that time Imjong (林宗), of the rank of gakgan, had no son, so the king commanded that Gildal be made his heir.
Imjong ordered Gildal to build a gate tower (樓門) south of Heungnyun Temple (興輪寺). Every night he went and slept on top of that gate, so it was named the Gildal Gate (吉達門).
One day Gildal turned into a fox and ran away. Bihyeong had the ghosts catch him and kill him. So the ghost band fled in terror at the mere sound of Bihyeong's name.
The people of the time composed these lines.
The spirit of the holy king begot a son. Here is the house of Bihyeongnang. You ghosts that rush and leap about, do not linger in this place.
By country custom these lines are pasted up to drive away ghosts.