A gentleman refers to a person possessing not only scholarly knowledge but also high morals. Korea’s seonbi or Confucian scholars aspired to be gentlemen. To become a man of integrity, Korean seonbis chose four plants that appeared to embody the noble characters of true gentlemen. Those four plants called “sagunja사군자” in Korean are plum blossoms, orchids, chrysanthemums, and bamboo. Confucian scholars used to keep these four plants nearby to remind them of their ideals. Plum blossoms flower in the early spring, even before the snow has melted. Orchid’s virtue is spreading its subtle scent through the deep mountains and the bamboo represents integrity, as it remains green throughout the four seasons and grows straight up. Lastly, chrysanthemums stay abloom until the year’s first frost. It seems steadfastness, integrity, endurance and elegance were Korean seonbi’s ideal criteria. So it’s not surprising that many of old poems were inspired by these sagunja. Today we’ll focus on chrysanthemums featured in ancient songs and poems.
Music 1: Dear Chrysanthemum/ Sung by Kim Sung-soo
Today’s first piece was called “Dear Chrysanthemum” sung by Kim Sung-soo. It was based on a poem written by late Joseon era poet Lee Jeong-bo이정보.

Dear chrysanthemum, how did you come to let the balmy spring go by
And bloom alone in the cold winter when all the leaves have fallen.
Perhaps you are the only one that has the rectitude to stand alone in the harsh cold.

Lee Jeong-bo was said to be strict and outspoken in nature, unafraid to tell it as it is. Not surprisingly, his bluntness led him to be dismissed several times from government posts. He was determined to live by his conviction without being swayed by immoral practices of the secular world. Lee was truly worthy of the moniker “chrysanthemum seonbi.” The next piece we’re going to enjoy is a song based on a poem about chrysanthemums. Poet Seo Jeong-ju’s서정주 famous poem “Beside the Chrysanthemum” inspired gayageum master Hwang Byung-ki황병기 to compose a gayageum-accompanied song.

To bring one chrysanthemum to flower,
The cuckoo must have cried since spring.
To bring one chrysanthemum to bloom,
The thunder must have rolled through the black clouds.

Thus begins “Beside the Chrysanthemum” composed by Hwang Byung-ki and sung by Kim Gyeong-bae.
Music 2: Beside the Chrysanthemum/ by Kim Gyeong-bae, geomungo by Kim Sun-han, gayageum by Hong Jong-jin, janggu by Hwang Byung-ki
Scholars of the old days oftentimes invited their friends to enjoy nighttime entertainment when mums blossomed in autumn. They would light a lamp in a closed room and place a mum pot next to it. The flowers would cast their shadows on the wall to simulate a black-and-white ink painting. The shadows would have changed shape as the lamp was moved, creating the effect of watching a black-and-white film. The final piece to be played for today’s Sounds of Korea is a folk song named “Heung Taryeong흥타령” from southern provinces, which sings about enjoying an autumn night and charming mums with friends. It is sung by Kim Su-yeon and a chorus.
Music 3: Heung Taryeong / Sori by Kim Su-yeon and chorus