Great King Gyeongmun景文大王
1I Have Seen Three Men of Fine Conduct
四十八景文大王王諱膺廉,年十八爲國仙.至扵弱冠,憲安大王召郎宴扵殿中,問曰“郎爲國仙優遊四方見何異事.”郎曰“臣見有羙行者三.”王曰“請聞其說.”郎曰“有人爲人上者而撝謙坐扵人下其一也,有人豪富而衣儉易其二也,有人本貴勢而不用其威者三也.”王聞其言而知其賢,不覺墮淚而謂曰,“朕有二女,請以奉巾櫛.”郎避席而拜之稽首而退.告扵父母,父母驚喜㑹其子弟議曰,“王之上公主皃甚寒寢,第二公主甚羙,娶之幸矣.”
The forty-eighth king, Great King Gyeongmun, was named Eungnyeom (膺廉). At the age of eighteen he became a gukseon.
When he reached twenty, Great King Heonan called the young man to a feast inside the palace and asked him:
"As a gukseon you have roamed the four quarters. What unusual things have you seen?"
The young man said, "Your servant has seen three men of fine conduct."
The king said, "I ask to hear of them."
The young man said:
"One man stands above others, yet in humility he sits below them. That is the first.
One man is very rich, yet he dresses plainly. That is the second.
One man is noble and powerful by birth, yet he never uses his authority. That is the third."
The king heard his words and knew he was worthy. Without meaning to, he shed tears and said:
"I have two daughters. I ask that one of them serve you with towel and comb."
The young man left his seat, bowed, touched his head to the ground, and withdrew.
He told his parents. His parents were surprised and glad, and gathered the young people of the family to talk it over.
"The king's elder princess is very plain in her looks, but the second princess is very beautiful. It would be a happy thing to marry her."
2Marry the Elder Sister and Three Good Things Will Follow
郎之徒上首範教師者聞之,至扵家問郎曰,“大王欲以公主妻公信乎.”郎曰“然.”曰“奚娶”郎曰“二親命我冝弟.”師曰“郎若娶弟則予必死扵郎之面前,娶其兄則必有三羙,誡之㦲.”郎曰“聞命矣.”旣而王擇辰而使扵郎曰,“二女惟公所命.”使歸以郎意奏曰,“奉長公主爾.”旣而過三朔,王疾革召群臣曰,“朕無男孫,窀穸之事冝長女之夫膺廉継之.”翌日王崩,郎奉遺詔即位.扵是範教師詣扵王曰,“吾所陳三羙者今皆著矣.娶長故今登位一也,昔之欽艶第主今易可取二也,娶兄故王與夫人喜甚三也.”王徳其言,爵為大徳賜金一百三十两.王崩謚曰景文.
The master Beomgyo, the leader of the young man's followers, heard of it, came to the house, and asked him:
"They say the great king wishes to give you a princess as your wife. Is it true?"
The young man said, "It is."
"Which one will you marry?"
The young man said, "My two parents told me the younger is the right one."
The master said, "If you marry the younger, I will surely die before your very eyes. If you marry her elder sister, three good things will surely follow. Take heed."
The young man said, "I have heard your command."
Soon the king chose a day and sent a messenger to the young man, saying, "Of the two daughters, it shall be as you command."
The messenger went back and reported the young man's wish. "He will take the elder princess."
Three months passed, and the king's illness grew grave. He called his ministers and said:
"I have no grandson. The affairs after my death should be carried on by Eungnyeom, my elder daughter's husband."
The next day the king died, and the young man received the last decree and ascended the throne.
Then the master Beomgyo came before the king and said:
"The three good things I spoke of have now all come to light. Because you married the elder sister, you have now come to the throne. That is the first. The second princess, whom you once admired, can now easily be taken. That is the second. Because you married the elder sister, the king and his lady were greatly pleased. That is the third."
The king was grateful for his words, gave him the rank of daedeok, and bestowed one hundred and thirty nyang of gold.
When the king died, his posthumous title was Gyeongmun.
3Without Snakes He Cannot Sleep
王之寢殿每日暮無數衆虵俱集.宫人驚怖将驅遣之,王曰“寡人若無虵不得安寢,冝無禁.”每寢吐舌滿胷鋪之.
In the king's bedchamber, every day at dusk, countless snakes gathered together.
The palace attendants were alarmed and frightened and tried to drive them out, but the king said:
"Without snakes I cannot sleep in peace. Do not keep them out."
Whenever he slept, the snakes put out their tongues and spread over his whole chest.
4Our King's Ears Are Like a Donkey's Ears
乃登位,王耳忽長如驢耳.王后及宫人皆未知,唯幞頭匠一人知之.然生平不向人說,其人将死,入道林寺竹林中無人處,向竹唱云,“吾君耳如驢耳.”其後風吹則竹聲云,“吾君耳如驢耳.”王惡之,乃伐竹而植山菜萸,風吹則但聲云,“吾君耳長.”〔道林寺舊在入都林邊.〕
When he came to the throne, the king's ears suddenly grew long like a donkey's ears.
The queen and the palace attendants all knew nothing of it. Only one craftsman, the maker of the king's headdress, knew.
But all his life he never told anyone. When the man was about to die, he went into the bamboo grove of Dorimsa, to a place where no one was, and shouted at the bamboo:
"Our king's ears are like a donkey's ears."
After that, whenever the wind blew, the sound of the bamboo said, "Our king's ears are like a donkey's ears."
The king hated it, so he cut down the bamboo and planted cornel trees instead.
When the wind blew, there was only the sound, "Our king's ears are long."〔Dorimsa was formerly on the edge of the Ipdo Grove.〕
Interlinear notes 1
道林寺舊在入都林邊.
Dorimsa was formerly on the edge of the Ipdo Grove.
5Three Songs Made by the Hwarang
國仙邀元郎·譽昕郎·桂元·叔宗郎等逰覽金蘭,暗有為君主理邦國之意.乃作歌三首,使心弼舎知授針卷,送火炬和尚處令作三歌,初名玄琴抱曲,第二大道曲,第三問羣曲.入奏扵王,王大喜稱賞.歌未詳.
The gukseon Yowonrang, Yeheunrang, Gyewon, Sukjongrang, and others roamed and looked about Geumnan, and in secret they held the wish to govern the country for their lord.
So they composed three songs, gave a needle scroll (針卷) to the saji Simpil, and sent him to the monk Hwageo to have him make the three songs.
The first was called Hyeongeum pogok, the second Daedogok, and the third Mungungok.
They went in and reported to the king. The king was greatly pleased, praised them, and gave them rewards.
The songs are not known in detail.
Interlinear notes 1
「針卷」 is simply what the received text has; its meaning is not clear. — tr.