Lady Suro水路夫人
1Who will pick those flowers and offer them?
水路夫人聖徳王代,純貞公赴江陵太守〔今溟州〕行次海汀晝饍.傍有石嶂如屛臨海,髙千丈,上有躑躅花盛開.公之夫人水路見之謂左右曰,“折花献者其誰.”從者曰“非人跡所到.”皆辝不能.傍有老翁牽牸牛而過者,聞夫人言折其花,亦作歌詞献之.其翁不知何許人也.
Lady Suro.
In the reign of King Seongdeok, Lord Sunjeong was on his way to take up his post as Governor of Gangneung〔The present Myeongju.〕, and he ate his midday meal by the seashore.
Beside them a stone cliff like a folding screen stood over the sea, a thousand gil high, and on top of it azaleas were in full bloom.
The lord's wife, Suro, saw them and said to those around her, "Who will pick those flowers and offer them to me?"
Her attendants said, "That is no place a human foot can reach." All declined, saying they could not.
Beside them an old man leading a cow was passing by. He heard the lady's words, picked the flowers, and composed a song as well and offered them together.
Who that old man was is not known.
Interlinear notes 1
今溟州
The present Myeongju.
2Many mouths can melt even metal
便行二日程,又有臨海亭晝鐥次,海龍忽攬夫人入海.公顛倒躃地計無所出.又有一老人告曰,“故人有言衆口鑠金,今海中傍生何不畏衆口乎.冝進界内民作歌唱之以杖打岸,則可見夫人矣.”公從之,龍奉夫人出海獻之.公問夫人海中事,曰“七寳宫殿所鐥甘滑香潔,非人間煙火.”此夫人衣襲異香,非世所聞.水路姿容絶代,每經過深山大澤屢被神物掠攬.衆人唱海歌,詞曰.龜乎龜乎出水路.掠人婦女罪何極.汝若悖逆不出獻,入網捕掠燔之喫.老人獻花歌曰.紫布岩乎过希,執音乎手母牛放教遣,吾肹不喻慚肹伊賜等,花肹折叱可獻乎理音如.
They went on two more days' journey, and again, as they were eating their midday meal at a pavilion by the sea, a sea dragon suddenly seized the lady and went into the sea.
The lord fell and lay sprawled on the ground, but had no plan to offer.
Then there was another old man, who told him, "The men of old said that many mouths can melt even metal. Now how should even a creature of the sea not fear many mouths?
You should bring out the people of the district, have them compose a song and sing it, and strike the bank with their staffs. Then you will see the lady."
The lord did so, and the dragon came out of the sea bearing the lady and gave her back.
The lord asked the lady about what was in the sea, and she said, "In a palace of the seven treasures the food was sweet, soft, fragrant, and pure, not cooked over human fire."
The strange fragrance that clung to the lady's clothes was nothing ever known in this world.
Suro's face and figure were beyond compare in her age, and whenever she passed deep mountains or great marshes she was many times seized by spirit beings.
The words of the Song of the Sea (海歌) that the people sang are these.
Turtle, turtle, give back Suro. How great is the sin of carrying off another man's wife! If you defy us and do not give her back, we will catch you in a net and roast you and eat you.
The song the old man sang as he offered the flowers is this.
⟪Hyangga⟫
紫布岩乎过希 執音乎手母牛放教遣 吾肹不喻慚肹伊賜等 花肹折叱可獻乎理音如