What is it about?
Against this backdrop, the present study examines the structural features of O’Rourke’s sijo translations and explores the implications and constraints of his approach to translating the traditional sijo. Specifically, I illustrate the structural features that set O’Rourke apart from other translators and compare his translations to identify changes in his view of how the traditional sijo should be structured in English. The central focus of my analysis is O’Rourke’s five-line format—the one he believed would “bring the uniqueness of the sijo home to the reader”—and the fourth lines (the first ku of the final chang) of his translations in the five-line format.
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Why is it important?
In this article, I present sijo poems in the same format as in the source material. I have taken great care to preserve not only the macro-structures (especially layouts) of the poems but also the micro-structural properties such as the size of indents and line breaks (enjambments). Representing these structural features as they appear in the source material is crucial since they can affect how the translated sijo are perceived. O’Rourke spent decades searching for an ideal format through which to represent sijo in English translation. In the early 1980s, he translated sijo as ordinary British/American poems, occasionally with a visual emphasis on the final chang. In the late 1980s, he joined other translators in utilizing a balanced three-line format, while at the same time adding distinct touches such as extensive indentation and de-capitalization. However, from the early 1990s, he abandoned the mainstream format and formulated a five-line structure that visually represented covert dimensions of the sijo. This structure later became a cornerstone of his translation style and solidified his reputation as a translator of traditional Korean poetry.
Perspectives
From O’Rourke’s viewpoint, many translators simplified the macro- and micro-structures of the traditional sijo, thereby failing to “open up huge possibilities in English.” He posited that the defining characteristics of the sijo are the five-line structure of kagok ch’ang and the first ku of the final chang. To his mind, the three-line format may be visually appealing, but it is, in fact, a Western adaptation characterized by high levels of naturalization and simplification. O’Rourke adopted an innovative approach to translating sijo, viewing the five-line format as a medium through which the reader can engage with the historical context of the sijo. He believed that the essence of the traditional sijo was fundamentally anchored in its structure. O’Rourke’s five-line format reflects the deep structure of the traditional sijo, standing in contrast to the three-line format which emphasizes the sijo’s surface structure. His approach to translation, which underscores the inner rather than the outer structure of the sijo, may indeed be seen as a risk, potentially overstepping the bounds of interpretive liberty. Nevertheless, his approach has merit. Given that it may be necessary to translate literary works differently to cater to different readerships, the five-line format will undoubtedly be applicable to a variety of such audiences. The specific applicability of the format remains the subject of further evaluation and discussion.
Professor Sang-Bin Lee
HUFS
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: In Search of an Ideal Sijo (時調) Format in English: An Investigation of Kevin O’Rourke’s English Translations, Acta Koreana, December 2023, Academia Koreana,
DOI: 10.18399/acta.2023.26.2.001.
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