In opening part of episode 9 of A Thousand Days’ Promise, Soo Ae is attempting to train her memory again by reading another poem that is different from poem she recited in previous episode. The poem is called “Beside a Chrysanthemum” (국화 옆에서). The poem is wrote by Seo Jeong-ju / So Chong-ju (서정주), who also used the pen name of Midang, and lived from May 18, 1915 – December 24, 2000. Midang is considered to be the best poet in twentieth-century Korean literature.
In the drama, Seo Yeon (played by Soo Ae) has already read past the first line, and the scene is cut off before the full complete text of the poem is read, as she’s struggling to remember the text and subsequently interrupted by the arrival of Jae Min (played by Lee Sang Woo).
Here’s the complete poem of “Beside a Chrysanthemum” (국화 옆에서) with English translation:
Beside a Chrysanthemum (국화 옆에서) Poem
한 송이 국화꽃을 피우기 위해
봄부터 소쩍새는
그렇게 울었나 보다.
한 송이 국화꽃을 피우기 위해
천둥은 먹구름 속에서
또 그렇게 울었나 보다.
그립고 아쉬움에 가슴 조이던
머언 먼 젊음의 뒤안길에서
이제는 돌아와 거울 앞에선
내 누님 같이 생긴 꽃이여.
노오란 네 꽃잎이 피려고
간밤엔 무서리가 저리 내리고
내게는 잠도 오지 않았나 보다.
Beside a Chrysanthemum (국화 옆에서) Poem English Translation
For one chrysanthemum to bloom
a nightingale has cried
since spring.
For one chrysanthemum to bloom
thunder has pealed
in the dark clouds.
Flower, like my sister returning
from distant, youthful by ways
of throat-tight longing
to stand by the mirror.
Flower, like my sister standing
by the mirror, just returning
from far away, distant byways of youth,
where she was racked with longing and lack.
For your yellow petals to open,
last night such a frost fell,
while I could not get to sleep.
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