한시의 번역 혹은 고전으로의 피란(避亂) - 김억의 『동심초』(1943)와 『꽃다발』(1944)을 중심으로 -

Abstract

This study sets out to examine the significance of Kim Eok’s translations of Chinese poetry, with reference to his Dongshimcho (1943) and Flower Bouquet (1944), published around 1944, during the second period in which he was translating Chinese poetry. These two collections were presented in mixed script, using both Chinese and Korean characters, and they built on his earlier work published as Mangwoocho (1934). Previous studies of his Chinese poetry translations have sought to show how the broader heritage of Chinese literature served as a literary background which contributed greatly to enriching his works；and also to demonstrate that his translations of Chinese poetry represent a kind of allegory, connecting the premodern and modern eras. The present study seeks to address some issues neglected in previous studies, by focusing upon the remarkable depth and subtlety of his understanding of Chinese poetry. It examines the original scripts of the poems he translated, and especially the wider context of oriental poetry which formed the backdrop to his work around 1944. Hence, it can be seen that his translations were informed by his inquiry into the “mind of the Orient,” as represented by Indian literature since the 1920s, and that this was the only avenue of expression left open to him; an earlier ideal for national literature and the improvement of poetry having been frustrated in the 1930s. These two later collections resulted from his own particular and individual reaction to the classical revival movement prevalent in Joseon literature during the 1940s, and reflected the influence of Sato. Haruo.’s translations of Chinese poetry. Thus, his translations of Chinese poetry were simultaneously an attempt to create a tradition absent from Joseon literature, and also a refuge which allowed him to preserve his individuality as a poet, despite being mobilized to assist the Japanese war machine.