LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE
Do you take delight in watching films,
listening to pop music, or reading books? For English learners, movies, songs,
and books are one of the most wonderful sources to explore the language! You
can indulge in your favorite pastime and still learn some expressions, words of
wisdom, and oftentimes good lessons while you’re at it.
#78. You Don’t Need to Be Perfect (Poetry by
Na, Tae-Joo)
This is a
collection of 176 poems (by Korean poet Na, Tae-Joo) written between February
2020 and February 2022, one at a time, with the hope of offering comfort and
encouragement during the difficult days of the COVID-19 pandemic. They gently
express the emotions many of us couldn't put into words while reminding us to
cherish daily peace, small moments of happiness, and, above all, never lose
hope for tomorrow.
사랑은 그런
것 (나 태주
시인)
예쁘면 얼마나 예쁘겠나
때로는 나도 내가
예쁘지 않은데
좋으면 얼마나 좋겠나
때로는 나도 내가
좋지 않은데
그만큼 예쁘면 됐지
그만큼 좋으면 됐지
사랑이란 그런 것이다
조금 예뻐도 많이
예쁘다 여겨주면
많이 예뻐지고
조금 좋아도 많이
좋다고 생각하면
많이 좋아지는 것이 아니겠나.
That's What Love Is
(translated
by Jean Lee)
How beautiful
can a person be?
Sometimes,
I don't even
find myself
beautiful.
How good can
a person be?
Sometimes,
I don't even
like myself.
Yet,
being that
beautiful is enough.
Being that
good is enough.
That is what
love is.
Even if you
are
only a little
beautiful,
if someone
sees you
as truly
beautiful,
you become
even more
beautiful.
Even if you
are
only a little
good,
if someone
believes
you are truly
good,
wouldn't you
become
an even
better person?
그럼에도 불구하고 (나 태주
시인)
지금 사람들 너나없이
살기 힘들다, 지쳤다, 고달프다,
심지어 화가 난다고까지 말을 한다
그렇지만 이 대목에서도
우리가 마땅히 기댈 말과
부탁할 마음은 ‘그럼에도 불구하고’
그럼에도 불구하고 우리는
밥을 먹어야 하고
잠을 자야 하고 일을 해야 하고
그럼에도 불구하고 우리는
아낌없이 사랑해야 하고
조금은 더 참아낼 줄 알아야 한다
무엇보다 소망의 끈을
놓치지 말아야 한다
기다림의 까치발을 내리지 말아야 한다
그것이 날마다 아침이 오는 까닭이고
봄과 가을 사계절이 있는 까닭이고
어린것들이 우리와 함께 하는 이유이다.
Even If So
(translated
by Jean Lee)
Most people
say they’re tired and worn,
too weary now
to face the morn.
Too hurt, too
angry to carry on—
as if all
strength is nearly gone.
But there are
words we learn to keep,
three quiet
words when nights feel deep:
“even if so”—we breathe them slow,
and let them
gently help us go.
Even if so,
we still must eat,
still find a
way to move our feet.
We still must
rest, we still must try,
beneath the
same unchanging sky.
Even if so,
we learn to care,
to love more
deeply, to repair.
To hold each
other, stay and mend,
and be more
patient to the end.
And most of
all, through joy or strife,
we guard the
fragile spark of life.
We wait in
silence, soft and slow,
for seeds of
hope to start to grow.
That is how
each new day is born,
how light
returns with every dawn.
Why seasons
turn, renew, restore—
and why our
children open doors.
** Jean Small Thoughts:
Take a moment
to find a quiet space, sit down, and be kind to yourself—you’ve earned it. It’s
okay to cry and let things out. Tomorrow is another chance for hope and smiles,
and a reminder that we’re here for each other.
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