[Season] Several Reminders of April

On the last day of April, we're prepared to say goodbye to the cruel month.
Simply it is no more a season of cherry blossoms.

 

    Our life, which has nothing to forgive or not to be forgiven,
    Will become generous and fresh
    Like cherry blossoms which invite buzzing bees.

* See "Under the Shade of Cherry Blossom Trees" at KoreanLII.

 

April used to remind us of several things:

First, "The Waste Land" written by T.S. Eliot.

 

April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.

* See the full text at Poetry Foundation.

 

Second, "April" performed and sung by Deep Purple, British rock band.

After a long introuduction, their shouting starts with "April is a cruel time" at 8:40.

    Even though the sun may shine
    And world looks in the shade as it slowly comes away.

* Listen to the music at YouTube : April.

 

* Deep Purple’s jacket picture comes from “The Garden of Earthly Delights” by Hieronymus Bosch.

 

Third, "Faint shadows of love gone by" written by Kim Kwnag-kyu.

- 김광규의 시 "의미한 옛사랑의 그림자", 영역 안선재

 

At the end of the year of the April Uprising
we met at five in the afternoon
happily clasped hands in greeting
then sitting in a chill fireless room
our breaths condensing white
we engaged in heated discussions.
Foolishly enough we believed
we were living for the sake of something
for something that had nothing to do with politics. [1]
The meeting ended inconclusively and that evening
drinking grog at Hyehwadong Rotary
we worried in a pure-minded way
about problems of love and spare-time jobs and military service
and each of us sang as loud as he could
songs no one listened to
songs no one could imitate.
Those songs we sang for no reward
rose up into the winter sky
and fell as shooting stars.

* See more at KoreanLII : Petite bourgeoisie.

Note

1] 4·19 혁명이 일어났던 1960년 세밑 스무 살 청년들의 순수와 열정, 고민은 세월이 흐르면서 그들을 혁명이 두려운 기성세대 소시민으로 변모시켰다. 직장에 처자식까지 매달려 세상에 대한 개탄은 하되 유언비어를 말할 때는 목소리를 낮추는 조심성도 갖게 되었다. 이제 노래도 잃어버렸다. 간혹 "희미한 옛사랑의 그림자"나 떠올릴 뿐.