Song Sun (宋純, 1493-1582)

1. Introduction

Song Sun was a middle Joseon period bureaucrat, and also the writer of the gasa (歌辭 literally “music words” to describe all vernacular songs) Myeonangjeongga (俛仰亭歌 Song of Myeonang Pavilion). As a member of the Honam sarim (士林 Neo-Confucian literati in Honam region), he was a representative Korean poet of the Honam region. Serving as a bureaucrat for about fifty years, Song experienced periods of political chaos through four generations of the following Kings: King Jungjong (中宗,r.1506-1544), King Injong (仁宗, r.1544-1545), King Myeongjong (明宗, r.1545-1567), and King Seonjo (宣祖, r.1567-1608). Towards the end of his life, he returned to his hometown Damyang (潭陽) county of Jeolla province, built the Myeonang Pavilion and carried out intellectual exchanged with the literati such as Jeong Cheol (鄭澈, 1536-1594), Ko Gyeongmyeong (髙敬命, 1533-1592), Gi Daeseung (奇大升, 1527-1572), and Im Je (林悌, 1549-1587). During this period, he was respected as the head of the Honam sarim, and wrote many sijo and gasa in Korean.

2. Life

Song Sun was born in 1493 in Damyang county of Jeolla province. His pen name was Myeonangjeong (俛仰亭), and he was a skilled reader of classics at an early age. He passed the civil service examination at the age of 27 (1519). At this time, An Dang (安瑭, 1461-1521) and Jo Gwangjo (趙光祖, 1482-1519) who were Song's examiners, did not hold back praises of Song Sun’s writing. The winter that Song started his public service career, the Political Purge of 1519 (己卯士禍 gimyo sahwa) occurred. Song was enraged by the exile of many bureaucrat  including Jo Gwangjo lead by Nam Gon (南袞, 1471-1527), Sim Jeong (沈貞, 1471-1531), and other political opponents.. Though he wanted to cut all ties with the political world, due to his need to support his parents, he could not avoid continuing to serve in the public office.

At the age of 39 (1531), after opposing Kim Anro (金安老, 1481-1537), who was in power at the time, Song was forced to leave his office. [1][2]But even afterwards, Kim persisted in his efforts to completely drive out Song from the political scheme. However, after Kim's execution under King Jungjong’s special order in 1537, Song resumed his public service career for many years, being promoted to high-ranked positions such as a Junior fourth adviser in the Royal Archives (弘文館 副應敎 Hongmungwan Bueunggyo) and a Second Inspector of Office of the Inspector-General (司憲府 執義 Saheonbu Jipui).

At the age of 77 (1569), Song Sun completely retired from his public service and returned home. During the next fourteen years, he settled down in his hometown Damyang County and enjoyed a comfortable and easy life. He died at the age of 90 (1582). His posthumous anthology is known as the Myeongangjip (俛仰集 Collection of Myeongang) and his memorial tablet was housed at Gusan Temple (龜山祠). [3]

Song Sun’s literary activities are based in the Myeonang pavilion in Damyang of southern Jeolla Province. He bought the land for Myeonang pavilion when he was 32 (1524), and he constructed the form of a pavilion with a straw-thatched roof when he was 41 (1533). Then some twenty odd years later, at the age of 60 (1552), he extended the Myeonang pavilion and laid a tile roof. After constructing the Myeonang pavilion, he created Hansi (漢詩 Chinese character poetry) Myeonangjeong and sijo (時調 Korean traditional Poetry) “Managing in ten years…” He then requested many literati, including So Seoyang (蘇世讓, 1486-1562), to write a poem about Myeonangjeong, and he himself wrote a responding poem (so-called “chaun 次韻”). After extending the Myeonang pavilion, he wrote the gasa nameed Myeonangjeongga and the sameonsi (三言詩 a fixed-verse poem only with three characters each line) named Myeonangjeongga. Later, he also received Myeonangjeonggi (俛仰亭記 Records of Myeonang Pavilion) from Gi Daeseung and Myeonangjeong Samsibyeong (俛仰亭三十詠 Song for Thirty Sceneries of Myeonang Pavilion) from Kim Inhu (金麟厚, 1510-1560). Toward the end of his life, he also recieved Myeonangjeongbu (俛仰亭賦 Rhyme Prose of Myeonang Pavilion) from Im Je (林悌, 1549-1587). As shown from his exchange of the literatures above, Song kept close relationships with literati in the Damyang area and actively participated in literary activities. For these reason, he was respected as an elder member of Honam region literary society. [5] Lead by Song, many distinguished Honam literati of that time gathered at the Myeonang Pavilion to engage in lively literary activities.

3. Work

Having stepped down from public office to a life in nature, Song Sun created many pieces with the theme of nature. He contributed greatly to the classic Korean poetry. He left behind a total of 505 Hansi, including those such as Myeonangjeong sameonga and Myeonangjeong jeyeong (俛仰亭題詠). Again, in terms of the poems in Korean, he left behind a gasa, seven sijo, two chapga (雜歌 miscellaneous song), three Chisaga (致仕歌), five Oryunga (五倫歌), Monggyeonjusangga (夢見主上歌), and Jasangteuksahwanggugokdangga (自上特賜黃菊玉堂歌) and many more.

3.1 Gasa Myeonangjeongga

Myeonangjeongga is a gasa in which Song Sun sings of the beautiful scenery of Myeonang Pavilion’s surroundings and his life in the Pavilion. He sings of the entertainment scene at the Myeonang Pavilion, while retaining the nature of a Confucian scholar. As such, it receives the designation of a strong representative of ganghogado (江湖歌道, a genre of classic poetry on the theme of seeking nature in rivers and lakes as a Confucian scholar). In addition, Myeonangjeongga, along with Jeong Geugin (丁克仁, 1401-1481)’s Sangchungok (賞春曲 Song to Spring), becomes reference as a forefront of Honam gasa literature. Furthermore, the structure and diction of this piece suggests that it was influential in the creation of Jeong Cheol (鄭澈, 1536-1594)’s Seongsan byeolgok (星山別曲 Song of Mt. Seong). Thus, it is considered an important piece for the development of Korean gasa literature.

3.2. Sijo

(Translation into English)

Ten years I’ve striven to build this three-room straw hut

One room for me, one for the moon, and one for the fresh breeze

No place for mountains and streams, I’ll put them all around me and view them there.

Translated by Translated by Kevin O’rourke (2014)

(Translation into Contemporary Korean)

십년을 계획하여 초가집 세 칸을 지었으니

나 한 칸, 달 한 칸, 청풍 한 칸씩 내어주고

강산은 들일 곳이 없으니 둘러 두고 보리라

(Original Text)

十年을 經營하여 草廬 三間 지여 내니

나 ᄒᆞᆫ 간 ᄃᆞᆯ ᄒᆞᆫ 간에 淸風 ᄒᆞᆫ 간 맛져 두고

江山은 들일 듸 업스니 둘러 두고 보리라

This piece above was written in 1533, ten years after Song Sun bought the land to build the Myeonang Pavilion. The poetic narrator states that he shares three rooms of the small straw hut with the moon and the fresh breeze, and because the landscape is too large to fit in the house, it was left just outside the house to be seen. This is an expression of the narrator’s simple desire to become one with nature, living both with nature and in nature. [6] Starting with Cheongguyeongeon, this piece has been included in a variety of anthologies, and appears in the writer’s own anthology Myeongangjip in Korean alphabet.

4. Style and Legacy

Song Sun is a figure that cannot be left out in the history of Korean poetry literature in the sixteenth century. The sixteenth century was a period in which the relatively new genres sijo and gasa were written in direct competition against the existing genres gyeonggichega (京畿體歌 gyeonggi-orthographic song) and Goryeo sogyo (高麗俗謠 Goryeo popular song) for survival in the milieu. However, different from pieces that threatened the existence older forms, Song Sun created sijo and gasa to be enjoyed on their own terms; and indeed, they were popular among the sadaebu (士大夫 the literati). His literary activities played a considerable function for the introduction of sijo and gasa to the noble class in Joseon period. In addition, Song Sun’s Myeonangjeongga is the representative and primordial work representing ganghogado (江湖歌道), also serving as a model for Jeong Cheol’s Seongsan byeolgok. For the following reasons, Song Sun, a towering figure of Korean poetry writers, is considered the origin behind the rich history of the development of Honam region gasa literature.

5. Other

5.1. Works in Translation

Lee, Peter. H., A History of Korean Literature, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003. 

O’Rourke, Kevin, The Book of Korean Poetry: Songs of Shilla and Koryo, Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 2006

6. Resources

6.1 Sources of Original Text

His works are published in his book Myeongangjip. Myeongangjip was compiled by Song Deukchil (宋得七, unknown birth and death date) and eight others in 1829 which is called Gijeonjip (企村集 Collection of Gijeon Works).

7. References and External Links

7.1 References

Lee, Sangwon, “Song Sun ui Myeonangjeong Guchuk gwa Myeonangjeong Changjak Sigi, (Song Sun’s Construction of Myeonangjeong and Creation Period of Myeonangjeong),” Hanguk Siga Munhwa Yeongu (The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture) 35, Korean Classical Poetry Association, 2015.

Im, Hyeongtaek, “16-segi Gwang-Naju·jiyeok ui Sarimcheung gwa Song Sun ui Sisegye, (The Group of Neo-Confucian Literati in Gwangju and Naju Area in the Sixteenth Century and Song Sun’s Poetry World),” Hanguk Munhaksa ui Nolli wa Chegye (The Logic and System of History of Korean Literature), Changjak gwa Bipyeongsa, 2002.

Jeong, Ikseop, Honam Gadan Yeongu (The Study of Honam Gadan), Minmungo, 1989.

Ha, Yunseop, Myeonang Song Sun ui Hyeonsil Daeeung Bangsik gwa Sijeok Jihyang (The Response and Poetic Consciousness of Myeonang Song Sun’s Poetry), Master Thesis at Korea University Press, 2007.

7.2 External Links

[Doosan Encyclopedia] Song Sun (宋純)

https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=1114737&cid=40942&categoryId=33383

[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture] Myeongangjip (俛仰集)

http://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Contents/Index?contents_id=E0018161

[Korea Gasa Munhakgwan]

http://www.gasa.go.kr/

8. Notes

1. Jungjong Sillok (The Annals of King Jungjong) July 29 from the 28th year of King Jungjong (1533).

2. Jungjong Sillok (The Annals of King Jungjong) November 9 from the 32nd year of King Jungjong (1537).

3. Jeong, Ikseop, (The Study of Honam Gadan), Minmungo, 1989.

4. Lee, Sangwon, (Song Sun’s Construction of Myeonangjeong and Creation Period of Myeonangjeong),” Hanguk Siga Munhwa Yeongu (The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture) 35, Korean Classical Poetry Association, 2015.

5. When his age of 87 (1579), Hoebangyeon (回榜宴: Celebrates after 60 years of Civil Service Examination), at the celebration, around 100 people attended including Jeong Cheol (鄭澈, 1536-1593), Ko Gyeongmyeong (高敬命, 1533-1592), Gi Daeseung (奇大升, 1527-1572), Im Je (林悌, 1549-1587).

6. Naver Encyclopedia of Knowledge Look closer: Literature, Korean Classic Literature

Pak, Inhui and Kang, Myeonggwan

https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=2083874&cid=41773&categoryId=44404