Vagabond Proletarian

                                Min-Seok Oh 

My spirit is a vagabond proletarian

crawling on the bottom

with the trees heartbroken

with the clouds deserted

with the birds unwinged

My spirit is tattered

Hometown is a bar near the pier of Canzoniere*

Born crying red in the evening

When the sun was sunken heavily on the sea

My spirit is a vagabond proletarian

Even stiff wind cannot throw me away

I will marry insult

Stay in a flophouse

Where a cormorant diving into the sea

I will talk about a paradise

With those forced down to this hell

And then all truths be shut up in a prison

My spirit is a vagabond proletarian

Love staying a while

Love long way off in my closed eyes

     *Canzoniere means a book of poems in Italian

​

​

베가본드 프롤레타리아

                           오민석

내 영혼은 베가본드 프롤레타리아

사랑 잃은 나무와

버림받은 구름과

날개 잃은 새들과

바닥을 기네

내 영혼의 옷은 누더기

고향은 칸초니에레 선창가 어느 술집

태양이 바다로 무겁게 가라앉는 저녁

붉게 울며 태어났지

내 영혼은 베가본드 프롤레타리아

억센 바람도 나를 버리지 못하리

치욕과 결혼하고

가마우지가 잠수하는

바닷가 여인숙에 묵으리

지옥의 궤도에 불시착한 사람들과

천국을 논하리

그러면 진실은 모두 감옥에 가리

내 영혼은 베가본드

프롤레타리아

잠시 머무는 사랑

눈 감으면 아득한 사랑

 Min-Seok Oh

Born in South Korea in 1958

Made debut as a poet in 1990 winning the Rookie of the Year Award from the monthly Hangilmunhak.

Made debut as a literary critic in 1993 winning the best criticism award from the daily Dongahilbo.

Published poetry books like The Train Doesn’t Stop Tonight and Longing for Myungryun Inn, theoretical books like Towards the Future of Political Criticism and A Guide to Contemporary Literary Theories, the poetry essay book Morning Poetry, and a critical biography of Song, Hae, the entertainer I Am a Clown, etc.

Translated Vasko Popa’s poetry book Homage to the Lame Wolf, O Henry’s Short Stories of O Henry, etc.

Winner of Buseok Criticism Award and Dankook Univ. Literary Award.

​

​