6.25

Sixty years today since the Korean war began.

My wife is in Brisbane performing a show called 내 사랑 DMZ (My Love DMZ) to commemorate the occasion. I translated the show and prepared surtitles for the performance. It's filled with a mixture of strange songs, old and new, but this one stood out:

우거진 수풀을 헤치면서 앞으로 앞으로
추풍령아 잘있거라 우리는 돌진한다
달빛어린 고개에서 마지막 나누어 피던
화랑담배 연기속에 사라진 전우야
고개를 넘어서 물을 건너 앞으로 앞으로
한강수야 잘 있느냐 우리는 돌아왔다
흙이 묻은 철갑모를 손으로 어루만지니
떠오른다 네 얼굴이 꽃같이 별같이

Making our way through the rough undergrowth,
Onwards and onwards we go.
Goodbye to the homes and the places we know,
Rushing onwards we go.
Under the moonlight on top of the hill,
We share a last cigarette.
Suddenly our lost comrade appears
In the smoke and we cannot forget.
Over hill, over stream we carry on,
Onwards and onwards we go.
Till the welcoming river of Seoul appears
And we are safe back home.
But the ground is covered with dirty tin hats
And we touch each one as we go.
I remember your face, my comrade, my friend.
Like a star, like a flower in the snow.

It's a shortened version of 전우야 잘자라 (Sleep Well Jeon-woo). All mistakes in interpretation and translation are mine. Apologies in advance if any have been made...



Photos taken at The War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan. May all who suffered rest in peace.