[KS] A new translation of Manhae's poems and some further thoughts

Brother Anthony ansonjae at sogang.ac.kr
Wed Jun 1 05:28:48 EDT 2005


I rather think that some readers of this list might want to know of a new translation into English of the 
poems of Manhae Han Yongun, recently published by Wisdom Publications (Boston) with the title "everything 
yearned for: Manhae's poems of love and longing" translated and introduced by Francisca Cho. The 
translations are very fine indeed, in my humble opinion, and would deserve to be widely known far beyond 
the Korean Studies cluster.

This publication reminds me again of the need for some kind of easily accessible list of published 
translations of Korean literature. Where could it be hosted, I wonder?  We are all of us publishing our 
translations wherever we can find a kind welcome, no matter how small and obscure the press, but how can 
anyone find out what exists?

For example, I have a nicely produced book sitting on my table now, "Flowers long for stars: Poems by Oh 
Sae-Young Translated by Clare You and Richard Silberg" published by Tamal Vista Publications, but even the 
publisher's own web page knows nothing of it, as yet anyway. For Amazon.com it is 'unavailable' so perhaps 
it has not yet had time to dry its wings... yet it is here in Seoul!

And it's not only translations. Seoul Selection, run on a shoestring by the valiant Hank Kim, recently 
published a  wonderful set of 5 plays based on Korean Classics, "A Yang for Every Yin" by John Holstein 
including songs by Gary Rector. I hope that many members of this list have already ordered a copy?

Seoul Selection have also recently published a new selection of my old translations of poems by Ku Sang, to 
mark the first anniversary of his death, "Eternity Today" and I would very much like to see Hank make a 
fortune selling copies, instead of just providing me with boxes of copies at a discount to give away. In 
fact, consulting the online shopping pages in Seoul Selection's home page is probably at present the 
easiest way of finding out what is available in print and DVD / video in English in most areas of Korean 
life and studies. I recommend it: http://www.seoulselection.com/

Brother Anthony
Sogang University, Seoul, Korea
http://www.sogang.ac.kr/~anthony/




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