Breaking down the poem Azaleas by 김소월 🌺

Today we are going to tackle a more advanced topic: poetry. We'll be reading through a poem together step-by-step and explaining the language for each line.

The poem is called Azaleas (진달래꽃) by 김소월 (1902-1934). 

It's probably one of the most beloved poems by Koreans (regardless of the fact it was written more than 100 years ago!).

We quite love poetry as it can really express the depth a language can take with relatively simple words. If you don't know all the words, that's totally okay! We just hope you enjoy the poem regardless.

Below is the poem in its entirety:

나 보기가 역겨워 가실 때에는 말없이 고이 보내 드리우리다 영변에 약산 진달래꽃 아름 따다 가실 길에 뿌리우리다 가시는 걸음걸음 놓인 그 꽃을 사뿐히 즈려밟고 가시옵소서 나 보기가 역겨워 가실 때에는 죽어도 아니 눈물 흘리우리다.

Verse 1

나 보기가 역겨워 나 (I) · 보기 (seeing) · 역겨워 (is disgusting) Conjugation: 보다 + -기 (makes it a noun, "the act of seeing") · 역겹다 + -어 (present tense) → "If the sight of me is repulsive to you"

가실 때에는 가실 (will go) · 때 (time, when) · 에는 (at that time) Conjugation: 가다 + -(으)시- (honorific marker) + -ㄹ (future tense) → "When you leave" 💡 Notice how the speaker uses respectful language even while being left behind

말없이 고이 보내 드리우리다 말없이 (without words) · 고이 (gently, respectfully) · 보내 드리우리다 (will send off) Conjugation: 보내다 (send off) + 드리다 (humble form, "to do for you") + -우리다 (archaic future tense) → "I will send you off silently and respectfully" 💡 The -우리다 ending is old-fashioned (think "I shall" in English). Today we'd say 드리겠습니다

Verse 2

영변에 약산 영변 (Yeongbyeon) · 약산 (Mount Yak) Particle: 에 (location marker, "in/at") → "At Mount Yak in Yeongbyeon" 💡 These mountains are famous for azaleas in spring (but they are in North Korea)

진달래꽃 진달래 (azalea) · 꽃 (flower) Compound noun (just two words put together) → "Azalea flowers" 💡 Azaleas tell you that springtime is here in Korea

아름 따다 가실 길에 뿌리우리다 아름 (armful) · 따다 (to pick) · 가실 길 (the path you'll take) · 뿌리우리다 (will scatter) Conjugation: 가다 + -(으)시- + -ㄹ (this -(으)ㄹ turns it into "the path that you WILL go") · 뿌리다 + -우리다 (archaic future) → "I will pick armfuls and scatter them on the path you take" 💡 (For those who live in the US, the biggest Korean supermarket chain "H-mart" comes from "한아름" - big/full armful - that they want to give you an armful of groceries)

Azaleas on a mountain

Verse 3

가시는 걸음 걸음 가시는 (going) · 걸음 걸음 (step by step) Conjugation: 가다 + -(으)시- (honorific) + -는 (present progressive, like "-ing") → "With each step you take" 💡 Repeating 걸음 emphasizes "every single step"

놓인 그 꽃을 놓인 (laid down) · 그 (those) · 꽃 (flowers) · 을 (object marker) Conjugation: 놓다 (to place) + -이- (passive marker, "to BE placed") + -ㄴ (adjective modifier) → "Those flowers that have been laid down"

사뿐히 즈려 밟고 가시옵소서 사뿐히 (softly, lightly) · 즈려 밟고 (stepping on) · 가시옵소서 (please go) Conjugation: 밟다 (step on) + -고 (and) · 가다 + -(으)시- (hon.) + -옵- (archaic honorific) + -소서 (archaic "please") → "Please step on them softly as you go" 💡 가시옵소서 is SUPER formal and old-fashioned. Modern Korean would just say 가세요

Verse 4

나 보기가 역겨워 (Repeats Verse 1 - emphasizing the condition)

가실 때에는 (Repeats Verse 1)

죽어도 아니 눈물 흘리우리다 죽어도 (even if I die) · 아니 (not) · 눈물 (tears) · 흘리우리다 (will shed) Conjugation: 죽다 + -어도 (even if) · 흘리다 (to shed) + -우리다 (archaic future) → "Even if I die, I will not shed tears"

What a fantastic poem and 김소월 wrote it when he was just 20! This is one of the most famous (if not the most famous) poem in Korea and is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the depth of language that is possible. Hope you enjoyed the poem break down this week!