Often heralded as the pinnacle of 'Inner Chamber Literature' (규문), Inner Chamber Lament (규원가/閨怨歌) personifies the uniquely Korean concept of han (한/恨), and gives insight into what womanhood was like for women in Joseon Korea.
Heo Nanseolheon: An icon of Korean Female Creativity:
Heo Nanseolheon (1563–1589) is often remembered as a tragic figure, whose promising life was cut short when she died of sorrow at the early age of twenty-seven. She grew up in an environment in which it was frowned upon for women to receive anything more than the most basic education, despite her immense creative and intellectual talents. Thus, she often lingered in the shadow of her brother, Heo Gyun (1569–1618), a celebrated writer and scholar. Further, Heo's duties as a wife, as well as the disapproval of her in-laws, would have significantly stifled her literary activities. Because both her children died young, Heo to failed to fulfill the most important duty of a married woman in Joseon Korea, which was to produce an heir. Therefore, her husband and in-laws’ treatment towards her would have been very cold to say the least. Heo’s work, which deals with these and other sorrows, expresses emotion and han (한/恨) in a way that continues to resonate with many, even today.
While a comprehensive English definition for han has yet to be agreed upon by scholars, many have translated it as “resentment, lamentation, sentiment, hatred, and regret”. [1] The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture defines han as “the most Korean sentiment of sadness. One scholar considers han the “[embodiment] of the indigenous ethos of Korean culture”. [2] Another asserts that “within han we can see a world permeated by a silence within which exists desire or will". [3] Yet, it has been argued that “it is insufficient to define han in terms of emotions because emotions are the surface that are a result of something deeper”. [4]
From the early 20th century forward, han has been strongly linked to the Korean woman’s experience, and it has been identified in works like The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong and A Inner Chamber Lament. In fact, many academics would agree that “the basic context of [Korean] women’s literature is han”. [5] Yet, other scholars would disagree, asserting that viewing women’s writing as the “pure crystallization of han” is problematic because it portrays traditional Korean women as “an oppressed lot without autonomy or agency”. [6]
With that context, we arrive at Inner Chamber Lament, which has been cherished as one of the most affective vocalizations of han in the canon of Korean literature. Heo’s channeling of han in Inner Chamber Lament can be read as a means by which she could actively raise her voice in frustration against the oppressive social norms of the Joseon Neo-Confucian system and exercise her agency.
Inner Chamber Lament:
It seems as if only yesterday I was young, how is it that I’ve already grown so old?
Recalling the joyous days of my youth is a hopeless endeavor
The sorrowful phrase “I am old” catches in my throat, choking me with tears.
My father begat me and my mother raised me out of much difficulty
They never dreamed I would be the wife of a marquis or a duke, but only wished for a good match with a gentleman.
Resentful karma of three lifetimes tied me to a bad matchmaker who struck an unfit match
with a flighty, wandering reveler who jousts about the capitol carelessly like a flippant fool.
Early in our marriage, as if treading on thin ice, with all of my heart I devoted myself to pleasing him.
At fifteen of sixteen I was in full blossom of youth and beauty,
and with my girlish attitude and face I vowed to be faithful to him for one hundred years.
As the seasons fluttered by the gods grew jealous of me [and decided to take revenge].
Spring breezes and harvest moons passed with the hum of my loom.
What happened to my snow-white complexion? How did my countenance become so detestable?
I gaze at my face in the mirror and think, “what lover could ever want me now?”
I am ashamed of myself, but who is to blame?
Don’t say there is a new customer at the garden of earthly delights [1], where men gather together in groups of threes and fives.
When the flowers bloom under the setting sun, he leaves without telling me where he is going?
On his white horse, and with all of our gold, where or where could he be?
I do not know whether his is near or far, I hear no news of him.
I am left alone to wonder if the bond between us has been severed.
Given that he never sees my face, his desire for me has run dry.
My heart grows weary from wasting away for so many sorrowful days.
How many times have the plum trees blossomed outside my prison window as I stay trapped inside?
Snow falls in the dead of frigid winter’s nights.
Summer days are long and endless and flowers bloom in the rain.
The cheerful willows and blossoms of spring no longer bring my heart joy, but rather spawn my hopelessness.
The harvest moon illuminates my room as I cry like a chirping cricket on my couch.
In a long sigh of helpless tears, I am left alone to my thoughts.
Even ending my harsh life would be difficult.
Would the deed be pardoned [in this way or that]?
I light a blue silk lantern, and as I comb the strings of my beautifully adorned geomungo [2],
my anxieties make their way into the tune of “Lotus Song.”
It sounds like bamboo beaten in the rain along the banks of the deep Xaio and Xiang [3],
or parting cranes shrieking loudly beside a tomb for one thousand years.
The dexterity of my fingers is but a thing of the past,
and only the flowers on my brocade curtains listen to my sorrowful tune.
My stomach is twisted in knots, over and over I wish for sleep,
where I am reborn in a dream of my love;
But the leaves rustling in the wind and the beasts crying in the grass wake me—
What did I do to make even them enemy enough to pry me from sleep’s escape?
Even though heaven’s love stars are blocked by the Milky Way,
on the seventh day of the seventh month—once a year—they meet, never breaking their promise. [4]
After my lover leaves, nothing keeps him from me except for the Weak River [with a buoyancy so feeble even a feather sinks], [5]
but whether he comes or goes, I still I hear nothing from him;
And though he leaves me time and again, I wait, pining for him at the banister.
When dewdrops gather on the grass and evening clouds pass by,
the birds’ song grows more sorrowful in the deep green of the bamboo forest.
Of the innumerable souls who have sorrowed, none have suffered as I.
With no luck and a wild fortune, will all of my days be as miserable as this?
My love, you caused me this grief.
Original Text (원문):
엇그제 저멋더니 ᄒᆞ마 어이 다 늘거니
小年行樂(소년행락) 생각ᄒᆞ니 일러도 속절업다
늘거야 서른 말ᄉᆞᆷ ᄒᆞ자니 목이 멘다
父生母育(부생모육) 辛신苦고ᄒᆞ야 이 내 몸 길러 낼제
公공候후配배匹은 못 바라도 君군子자好호逑구 願(원)ᄒᆞ더니
三生(삼생)의 怨원業업이오 月下(월하)의 緣연分분ᄋᆞ로
長장安안遊유俠협 輕薄子(경박자)ᄅᆞᆯ ᄭᅮᆷᄀᆞᆮ치 만나 잇어
當時(당시)의 用心(용심)ᄒᆞ기 살어름 디듸는 듯
三五(삼오) 二八(이팔) 겨오 지나 天然麗質(천연여질) 절로 이니
이 얼골 이 態度(태도)로 百年期約(백년기약)ᄒᆞ얏더니
年光(연광)이 훌훌ᄒᆞ고 造物(조물)이 多다猜시ᄒᆞ야
봄바람 가을 믈이 뵈오리 북 지나듯
雪설鬂빈花화顔안 어ᄃᆡ 두고 面目可憎(면목가증) 되거고나
내 얼골 내 보니 어느 임이 날 괼소냐
스스로 慚참愧괴ᄒᆞ니 누구를 怨원望망ᄒᆞ리
三三五五(삼삼오오) 冶야遊유園원의 새 사람이 나단 말가
곳 피고 날 저물 제 定處(정처) 업시 나가 잇어
白馬(백마) 金금鞭편으로 어ᄃᆡ어ᄃᆡ 머무는고
遠近(원근)을 모르거니 消息(소식)이야 더욱 알랴
因緣(인연)을 긋쳐신들 ᄉᆡᆼ각이야 업슬소냐
얼골을 못 보거든 그립기나 마르려믄
열 두 ᄯᅢ 김도 길샤 설흔 날 支離(지리)하다
玉窓(옥창)에 심ᄀᆞᆫ 梅花(매화) 몃 번이나 픠여 진고
겨울 밤 차고 찬 제 자최눈 섯거 치고
여름날 길고 길 제 구ᄌᆞᆫ 비는 무슨 일고
三春花柳(삼춘화류) 好時節(호시절)에 景物(경물)이 시름업다
가을 ᄃᆞᆯ 방에 들고 螅실蟀솔이 床(상)에 울 제
긴 한숨 디ᄂᆞᆫ 눈물 속절업시 혬만 만타
아마도 모진 목숨 죽기도 어려울사
도로혀 풀쳐 혜니 이리 ᄒᆞ여 어이 ᄒᆞ리 靑燈(청등)을 돌라 노코 綠녹綺기琴금 빗기 안아 碧벽蓮련花화 한 곡조를 시름 조ᄎᆞ 섯거 타니 瀟소湘상夜야雨우의 댓소리 섯도ᄂᆞᆫ ᄃᆞᆺ 華表(화표) 千年(천년)의 別鶴(별학)이 우니ᄂᆞᆫ ᄃᆞᆺ 玉手(옥수)의 타는 手段(수단) 녯 소래 잇다마ᄂᆞᆫ 芙부蓉용帳장 寂寞(적막)ᄒᆞ니 뉘 귀에 들리소리 肝간腸장이 九曲(구곡)되야 구븨구븨 ᄭᅳᆫ쳐서라 ᄎᆞᆯ하리 잠을 드러 ᄭᅮᆷ의나 보려 ᄒᆞ니 바람의 디ᄂᆞᆫ 닢과 풀 속에 우는 즘생 무슨 일 원수로서 잠조차 ᄭᅢ오ᄂᆞᆫ다 天上(천상)의 牽견牛우織직女녀 銀下水(은하수) 막혀서도 七月七夕(칠월칠석) 一年一度(일년일도) 失期(실기)치 아니거든 우리 님 가신 후는 무슨 弱水(약수) 가렷관듸 오거나 거거나 消息(소식)조차 ᄭᅳ쳣는고 欄난干간의 비겨 셔서 님 가신 ᄃᆡ 바라보니 草露(초로)ᄂᆞᆫ 맷쳐 잇고 暮모雲운이 디나갈 제 竹林(죽림) 푸른 고ᄃᆡ 새 소리 더욱 설다 세상의 서룬 사람 수업다 ᄒᆞ려니와 薄박命명ᄒᆞᆫ 紅顔(홍안)이야 날 가ᄐᆞ니 ᄯᅩ 이실가 아마도 이 님의 지위로 살동말동 ᄒᆞ니라
Translation Notes:
[1] Euphemism for brothel
[2] Traditional Korean instrument often associated with women and femininity.
[3] The famous rivers from the “lakes and rivers” region of south-central China
[4] An allusion to the Chinese myth of the cowherd and the weaver girl. The pair was separated by a river, but are allowed to meet once a year. The stars Altair and Vega were believed to represent the couple when they come together once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
[5] An allusion to the legendary “Weak River” or “Roushui” of China
*'Inner Chamber' refers to the 안방, or women's quarters in a traditional Korean home
References and Further Reading:
[1] Lee, Y. (2002) Ideology, Culture, and Han: Traditional and Early Modern Korean Women's Literature, Seoul: Jimoondang Publishing Company.
[2] Choi, S. & Kim, U. (1992) ‘Cultural and Empirical Analyses of Han: An Indigenous Form of Lamentation,’ presented at the Center for Korean Studies, University of Hawaii.
Kim, J 2007, Negotiating Virtue and the Lives of Women in Late Choso˘n Korea, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.
[3] Lee, (2002) p. 17.
[5] Lee, (2002) p. 20.
[6] Kim-Haboush, J.H. (2003) ‘Versions and Subversions: Patriarchy and Polygamy in Korean Narratives,’ Women and Confucian Cultures in Premodern China, Korea, and Japan, Berkley: University of California Press.
Comments