백광훈 편지 번역
목차
Student 1
It's been many days since you left. You must think of me. You can imagine my pain. I don't know whether your mother was doing allright during the second month. I think about her especially now. Did your wife give birth without any problems? After giving birth, taking care of a mother might be more difficult. It's not possible to relax my mind even for one moment. I'm looking at people who are taking examinations these days. It's not what average people with leisure time can hope for. If you're thinking about taking it, that's how it looks like. Just draw down the curtains and gather the fireflies to study. Study diligently all day and night, there is no other way. I'm looking at people who come and go 1000 miles with injured hourses and crippled slaves. In the first place, it might be better to be illiteral and happy. There still remain 3 years of hardships. Even once I didn't achieve success. Also heaven is heartless. Take a lesson in that, you must start your school work from young age. If you miss the timing, what benefit would there be? I don't have a brush and ink. If I get them, I'll send them later to you. I'll stop here.
Student 2
寄亨南書 己卯 (白光勳, 玉峯別集)
別汝今幾日。以汝之思我, 想我之苦。汝毋二月安過與否未知。 I have been separated from you several days now. Imagine my distress with your longing for me me. I do not know yet whether or not your mother got through the second month peacefully.
尤倍 悶慮。汝妻已能無事解産耶。産後調護爲尤難。一時不能弛于懷也。 This has added even more to my worries and anxiety. Has your wife already been able to safely give birth? Taking care after giving birth is exceptionally difficult. For a period of time you will not be able to slacken in your concern.
觀今取第之人。殊非泛泛優閑之人所可望。 If you observe the people who take the exam these days. It certainly is not something people who waft around leisurely and carefree can hope for.
汝等若不得無念於此。只在下帷聚螢。晝夜矻矻而已。 You are all as such that you manage not to lack intention in this. Be completely immersed in it, lower the curtains and collect fireflies. Day and night work and work and that’s it.
見千里殘奴瘦馬空來空去者。 Consider these cases of a thousand miles, injured servants, meagre horses, coming empty and going empty. It is comfortable then to be unworthy and ignorant of characters.
兄主三年苦留。竟至無一之成。天亦不仁。 My esteemed brother spent three years lingering bitterly.In the end he had not even one success. Heaven in this case is not benevolent.
汝等其懲於此學業須在於早。苟入蹉跎之境。徒恨何益? You should learn a lesson from this this and your studies should absolutely start early. If you get into the condition of slipping and falling. There will be only regret. What benefit is there to it?
筆墨時無得。如得之。隨後可送。不一 The brush and ink I could not get this time. If I get them, then I can send them later. That is all for now.
Student 3
It has been many days since you left. You must think of me. You can also imagine my pain of missing you. I do not know whether your mother was doing all right during the second month. I think about her especially now. Was your wife able to give birth without any difficulty? After giving birth, taking care of a mother might be even more difficult. I am not able to relax my mind even for one moment. Looking at people who are taking civil examinations these days, it is not something that people enjoying leisure time can achieve. If you have intentions of taking it, that's how it looks like, draw down the curtains and gather the fireflies to study [study despite the difficulty]. I am looking at people who come and go 1000 miles with injured hourses and crippled slaves with any accomplishment. Afterall, it might be better to be illiterate and happy. My own brother has tried for 3 years without single success. If the heaven could be kinder! Take a lesson in that, you must start your school work in advance. If you lose the timing and grief over that, what benefit would there be? I could not acquite brush and ink for now. If I get them, I will send them to you later. I will stop here.
Student 4
(2) 寄亨南書 己卯 (白光勳, 玉峯別集) How many days passed till now since I got separated from you. With thinking of yours about me it makes me sad. I don’t know whether your mother is passing the 2nd month safely or not. My worries are further doubled [for both of you]. Was your wife able to give birth without problems? After the birth the care [of her] can be much more difficult. For ths time, you cannot loosen your mind. Looking now at the people who take the state exams in these days. Especially the floating everywhere it is not something a man of leisure can hope for. You all do not get any intention in that. There is only the gathering of fire flies under the curtain. [It is] day and night only of hardworking. I saw thousand miles of crippled servants and underfed horses, those who were coming and going in vain. In the first place, it is not like the comfort of not knowing the characters. [Your] brother was dwelling in misery for three years. In the end, he did not reach [even] one thing. Heaven is not benevolent either [to him]. You all should take lessons from this that studying [should be] found by any means in early hours. You entered the limit of slipping and loosing timing at all. You will regret, how can you benefit? Do not have more of ink and brush for now. If I get some, I can send it [to you] later. I will stop here.
Student 5
(2) 寄亨南書 己卯 (白光勳, 玉峯別集) A letter sent to Hyeongnam in the gimyo year [1579] (Paek Kwanghun, Ogbongbyeol-jib)
1)別汝今幾日。以汝之思我。想我之苦。 How many days since we have been separated? Thinking of me, do you imagine my pain?
2) 汝毋(母)二月安過與否未知。尤倍悶慮。 Your mother in the second month she is well whether or not I don’t know. I further worry about her.
3)汝妻已能無事解産耶。産後調護爲尤難。 Was your wife was able to give birth without difficult? After giving birth, take care [of her] will become more difficult.
4)一時不能弛于懷也。觀今取第之人。殊非泛泛優閑之人所可望。 Even a moment I cannot detach in concerning. Looking at people who are taking examination these days. Especially average people with a lot of time are not people we can hope for.
5)汝等若不得無念於此。只在下帷聚螢(1)。晝夜矻矻而已(2)。 If you cannot have not intention in this, there could be just fireflies under curtains. Day and night you just have to be only like a stone.
6)見千里殘奴瘦馬。空來空去者。初不若不識字之爲安也。 Looking at travelling a thousand miles with injured servant and lean horse, come in vain and go in vain, after all is not a good as people who don’t recognize characters.
7)況(兄)主三年苦留。竟至無一之成。天亦不仁。 My brother suffered for three years, in the end does not reach success at all. Heaven too is not benevolent.
8)汝等其懲於此學業須在於早。苟入蹉跎之境。徒恨何益。 From this you take the lesson, your study must start early. If you enter the circumstance of studying and using timing, what will be the benefit to regret?
9)筆墨時無得。如得之。隨後可送。不一。 Brush and ink are now not obtainable, if I get them. Later, I will send them. All stop here.
(1) Reference to the anecdotic story link to the expression 車胤聚螢.
(2) This expression seems appeared the first time in the Hanshu 漢書.
Student 6
Your last letter consoled me; as I [send you this letter], I’m passing the days as they go. I do not have enough food and, again, I don’t know if tomorrow’s rations will suffice. I picked and gathered about a mal of half-ripped cherries that I sent to the market; I do not know how much rice I can get in exchange. Alas. Yesterday’s earthquake is something I have never seen before. I heard a traveler say that within [Hanyang], there were cases of walls falling and houses being destroyed, was it indeed so? Chief Censor Yun’s act [of remonstrating] has been reborn in turmoil, I can’t help but sigh. Consequences of disasters like this are as such: no one obtains insight. Their only desire is indeed for expediency in front of their eyes. This, it is the will of heaven. What are we going to do, what is it going to be? The impact of the remaining waves, once more, we don’t know [how far] it shall reach.
