Late Goryeo era scholar Lee Gok이곡 once wrote a poem inspired by a flower.

The vivid light that dawned ahead of the spring

The delicate body that well withstood the freezing winter

Its personality blends the sparkling atmosphere of ice and snow

And its place is away from the din of a wagon.

Can you guess the flower Lee Gok was praising? It’s the plum flower. It is a spring flower known to bloom ahead of the spring even in the cold snow or amid the freezing winter wind. Seonbi선비 or Confucian scholars of the old loved this flower for it represented seonbi’s fidelity. The first song we have for this week’s episode of Sounds of Korea is “Maehwaga매화가,” or “The Song of Plum Blossoms.” This poem-based song was written by an old gisaeng기생 or female entertainer named Maehwa who lamented the passing of time. Here’s Ahri아리, a choir comprised of elementary, middle and high school students.

Maehwaga/ Sung by Ahri

One of the Joseon-era scholars who were known to be avid lovers of plum flowers was the renowned Yi Hwang이황. He is known to have left an instruction to water his plum tree as his last wish. Even today plum trees bloom every year and spread their sweet scent all over Dosan Seowon도산서원, a private school where Yi Hwang had taught students. Plum blossoms are called by different names depending on where and when they bloom. For instance, Geumdunsa금둔사 Temple in Suncheon순천, Jeollanam-do Province is famous for its plum flowers known as ‘nabwolmae납월매.” The lunar month of December is “nabwol” when written in Chinese characters. So, nabwolmae refers to the plum flowers that bloom in the middle of winter. Hwaeomsa화엄사 Temple in Gurye구례, Jeollanam-do Province is the home of ‘heukmae흑매,’ or black plum blossoms, so named because of the deep blood red color of the plum blossoms found here. Let’s listen to folk song “Maehwa Taryeong” sung by Song So-hee to the instrumental accompaniment of Second Moon.

Maehwa Taryeong/ Sung by Song So-hee, performed by Second Moon

Everything about the plum tree is beautiful – its flowers, scent, and even its knobby and gnarled branches. But it’s a shame that the flowers don’t last long. So people in the old days used make plum blossoms out of wax. Late Joseon-era seonbi named Lee Deok-mu이덕무 was famous for making beautiful wax plum blossoms. He was poor but lived a life of integrity and deep learning. He used to call his floral creations “yunhoimae윤회매,” which means ‘reincarnated plum blossoms.’ He even wrote the following comment.

When a plum tree bloomed, did the flowers know that they would be turned into honey and wax? Would they have known that the honey and wax would be turned back into plum blossoms? How wonderful would it be for us to change into something else as we live instead of being fixed into one thing from the beginning?

He likened the cycle of flowers turning into honey and wax, and then back into flowers as reincarnation. He must have wished that his life would bloom like the plum blossoms as he shaped flowers out of honey and wax in his humble home. Today’s last piece is a gayageum piece inspired by poet and Buddhist monk Han Yong-wun’s poem titled “Jochun조춘, or “Early Spring.” Gayageum ensemble Chunhogahui performs this gayageum piece written by Jo Eun-young.

Maehwa Blooms Silently/ Written by Jo Eun-young, performed by Chunhogahui