함석헌시

A Brief Introduction to the Poems of Ham Sok Hon
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Ham Sok Hon (1901-1989) was a prominent personage in modern Korean history - as a religious

thinker, as a courageous advocate for peace and as valiant fighter for democracy and the rights of

the people. His commitment to non-violence has earned him the names of the

‘Conscience of Korea’ and ‘Korean Ghandi’.

 

Ham had his share of glory and tribulations; a pacifist who admired Ghandi, he was

nominated twice for the Nobel Peace prize in 1979 and 1985, and as an outspoken

activist he was incarcerated nine times in total by the regimes he criticized. 

 

Ham wrote these poems (and many others) in 1946 while he was in prison under the Soviet

Red Army in North Korea, just after Korea’s liberation from Japan. In prison Ham tried to rise

above an overwhelming sense of despondency. He asked himself, "Korea is liberated but

why am I still in prison? Where is Korea going?" In order to heal and calm his shattered heart

Ham began to write various poems. Ham deliberately expressed his suppressed emotions and

feelings through the metaphysical language of poems rather than in essays in order to

avoid the notice of the prison officers. For the first time in his life Ham become a `poet'. 

 

Ham’s own introduction to his poems includes the following passage:

 

“I am not a poet. Until the age of 45 years old I did not write even one poem. Perhaps I do

not have talent as a poet and maybe I am not faithful enough to be a sincere poet. What

is worse, this has been a problem throughout Korean history: throughout its history, Korea

has not produced a David, Jeremiah, Dante or Milton. In spite of our wondrous nature, we

have not been capable of nurturing even one Wordsworth. Moreover, despite our

provocative history we have not been able to give birth to even one Tagore.

We just gouged out our eyes, shaved off our hair, bound our hands with shackles and

set ourselves to grinding in the dungeon, like Samson.

Living under the Japanese colonial period, I simply spent my youth with

unresolved feelings. Of course, I pursue eternity, but my country was

so devastated that I did not have the ease to write a poem….

 

What I have written are not the sort of poems you might expect, though I call them

poems

in my own way….

 

Whether you consider them poems or not, does not really bother me. These writings are

just my monologues and I just wished to share with you what I felt. If you feel these

writings are not good enough do not hesitate to put them in the bin, but if you feel

there is something precious in this life, let us cry together, and let us give our hearts

together to the eternal being. Our! hearts are not separated.”

 

Despite Ham’s lack of confidence in himself as a poet, many of his poems

contain a depth of feeling, a universal truth or a sense of ‘something precious

in this life’, gently yet powerfully expressed, that makes them very well worth sharing.

 

 

Poem 1

 

Do you have this person in your life?

 

By Ham Sok Hon/Translated by Ann Isaac and Sung-soo Kim

 

Before you leave for a long journey  

Without any worry

Can you ask this person  

To look after your family?

 

Even when you are cast out from the whole world 

And are in deepest sorrow 

Do you have someone  

Who will welcome you warmly and freely?

 

In the dire moment when your vessel has sunk  

Is there someone 

Who will give you their life belt and say

“You must live before me"?

 

At the execution ground 

Is there someone 

Who will exclaim for you

"Let him live, even if you kill the rest of us"?

 

In the last moment of your life  When you think of this person 

Can you leave this world smiling broadly 

And feeling at peace?

 

Even if the entire world is against you 

When you think of this person 

Can you stand alone for what you believe?  

Do you have this person in your life?

 

Ham, Sok Hon. Works 6, Hangil-sa, 1988

 

 

Poem 2

 

Korea

By Ham Sok Hon

Translated by Ann Isaac and Sung-soo Kim

  

I feel crushed by my own cares

And by concern for my country

 

Two countries standing side by side

Yet their course divided

 

May we row with two oars beating in time

May we soar up to Heaven together!

  

Ham, Sok Hon. Works 6, Hangil-sa, 1988

 

 

Poem 3

 

The Mountain

By Ham Sok Hon

Translated by Ann Isaac and Sung-soo Kim

I blamed you

When I asked you, you kept silent

Thus I blamed you

But I realised your answer is `silence' 

 

I sneered at you

When I touched you, you did not move

Thus I sneered at you

But I realised your movement is `stillness' 

 

I doubted you

When I sat on your lap, you did not embrace me

Thus I doubted you

But I realised your embrace is `let me be' 

Most Great!

Most High!

Most Strong!

Most Gentle! 

 

Let me be like you

Let me sit face to face with you

Let me find peace in you

 

 

Poem 4

 

My Heart

By Ham Sok Hon

Translated by Ann Isaac and Sung-soo Kim

 

My heart is like a flower

Blossoming in a valley

It feeds on rotten soil

Yet emits a pure and fresh fragrance

 

My heart is like a stream

Its waters broken up in the wind

The more it is buffeted by the breeze

The more it laughs and sings

 

My heart is like a cloud.

Floating across an azure sky

Moving constantly, never resting

Yet tranquil in its freedom

 

My heart is like a mountain peak

A lofty crag, its tears brushed away by the clouds

It rises above everything, yet seems ever lacking

Always looking uneasy

 

My heart is like a lake

Sleeping deep in the quiet mountains

Enveloped in the soft morning mist

Dreaming, too many dreams too count

 

My heart is like a star

Its light glittering across the Milky Way

Infinitely far away

Yet ever whispering gently

 

My heart is like the wind

A heavenly breath, its coming and going invisible

Touching all of creation as it passes by

Speaking in countless tones

 

My heart is like a seed

Maturing as the flower falls

The end of all growth

And yet the beginning of all things 

 

My heart is rather like that of a shy maiden

Bashful yet bold

Preserving innocence until death, yet giving unsparingly

Shedding tears of joy as it waits for Him

  

 

 

Poem 5

 

A Visit to the Home of the Late Kim Kyo-shin

 

By Ham Sok Hon

Translated by Ann Isaac and Sung-soo Kim

 

The stream in front of the house flows by unchanged

And a gentle breeze still passes through the pine trees

The spring sunshine falls on the library windows and I fancy that I can see his face

 

He loved walking beside this stream, feeling the wind on his cheeks

He put his soul into trying to make this muddy world clean

Bukhan Mountain still towers above, but where can I again find such a heart?

 

The stream flows on, the wind in the pine trees continues to blow

It is evening and in the mountains a temple bell tolls

I miss my friend so much. Where shall I go from here?

  

 

 

시1 그 사람을 가졌는가

                        함석헌

 만리길 나서는 길

처자를 내맡기며

맘 놓고 갈만한 사람

그 사람을 그대는 가졌는가

 

온 세상 다 나를 버려

마음이 외로울 때에도

‘저 맘이야’하고 믿어지는

그 사람을 그대는 가졌는가

 

탔던 배 꺼지는 시간

구명대 서로 사양하며

‘너만은 제발 살아다오’할

그 사람을 그대는 가졌는가

 

불의의 사형장에서

‘다 죽여도 너희 세상 빛을 위해

저만은 살려두거라’일러줄

그 사람을 그대는 가졌는가

 

잊지 못할 이 세상을 놓고 떠나려 할 때

‘저 하나 있으니’하며

빙긋이 웃고 눈을 감을

그 사람을 그대는 가졌는가

 

온 세상의 찬성보다도

‘아니’하고 가만히 머리 흔들 그 한 얼굴 생각에

알뜰한 유혹을 물리치게 되는

그 사람을 그대는 가졌는가

  

 

 

시2 나라

        함석헌

 

 

나라일    걱정인데     나란 생각   겹쳐놓으니

 

나란히    선 두 나라   나갈 길     나눴구나

 

두 나래   탁탁 쳐 날아 하늘나라    솟을까

 

 

 

 시3 산

        함석헌

 

나는 그대를 나무랐소이다

물어도 대답도 않는다 나무랐소이다.

그대겐 묵묵히 서 있음을 도리어 대답인 걸

나는 모르고 나무랐소이다

 

나는 그대를 비웃었소이다

끄들어도 꼼짝도 못한다 비웃었소이다

그대겐 죽은 듯이 앉았음이 도리어 표정인 걸

나는 모르고 비웃었소이다

 

나는 그대를 의심했소이다

무릎에 올라가도 안아도 안 준다 의심했소이다

그대겐 내버려둠이 도리어 감춰줌인걸

나는 모르고 의심했소이다

 

크신 그대

높으신 그대

무거운 그대

은근한 그대

 

나를 그대처럼 만드소서!

그대와 마주앉게 하소서!

그대 속에 눕게 하소서!

 

 

 시4

 

맘

        함석헌

 

맘은 꽃

골짜기 피는 난

썩어진 흙을 먹고 자라

맑은 향을 토해

 

맘은 시내

흐느적이는 바람에 부서지는 냇물

환란이 흔들면 흔들수록

웃음으로 노래해

 

맘은 구름

푸른 하늘에 흘러가는 구름

한 때 한 곳 못 쉬건만

늘 평안한 자유를 얻어

 

맘은 높은 봉

구름으로 눈물 닦는 빼어난 바위

늘 이기건만 늘 부족한 듯

언제나 애타는 얼굴을 해

 

맘은 호수

고요한 산 속에 잠자는 가슴

새벽 안개 보드라운 속에

헤아릴 수 없는 환상을 길러

 

맘은 별

은하 건너 반짝이는 빛

한없이 먼 얼굴을 하면서

또 한없이 은근한 속삭임을 주어

 

맘은 바람

오고감 볼 수 없는 하늘 숨

닿는 대로 만물을 붙잡아

억만 가락 청을 소리를 내

 

맘은 씨　

꽃이 떨어져 여무는 씨의 여무진 　

모든 자람의 끝이면서

또 온갖 형상의 어머니

 

맘은 차라리 처녀

수줍으면서 당돌하면서

죽도록 지키면서 아낌없이 바치자면서

누구를 기다려 행복 속에 눈물을 지어

 

 

 시5

 

돌아간 김교신 형 집을 찾고

                                        함석헌

 

 

문 앞에 흐르는 물 의구(依舊)히 흘러 있고

울 뒤에 맑은 송풍(松風) 제대로 맑았구나

봄 볕은 서창(書窓)을 비쳐 님의 얼굴 보는 듯

 

 이 시내 마시면소 이 바람 쏘이면서

흐리운 이 세상을 맑히자 애쓰던 맘

그 마음 어디 찾으랴 북한산만 높았네.

 

시냇물 흘러가고 솔바람 불어가고

산사(山寺)의 저문 종이 울리어 가는 저녁

다녀간 님을 그리며 나는 어딜 가려노

 

 

 

 

 

 

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