Winter

As winter enters this land of rivers and lakes,
    the snow is more than a foot in depth.
Even though my hat is made of bamboo
    and my coat is woven from straw,
This body’s warmth is also a debt
    we owe to our great king.

Credit

This poem is in the public domain. The Ever White Mountain; Korean Lyrics in the Classical Sijo Form (Rutland, Vt., Tuttle, 1965).

Author

Maeng Sa-song

Maeng Sa-song, born in 1360, was a philosopher, poet, and prime minister under King Sejong (1418-50). He died in 1438.

Date Published

01/01/1965