(Translation) 薄命妾原情所志

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  • 薄命妾原情所志 박명첩원청소지(Pangmyŏngch'ŏbwŏnch'ŏngsoji)
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  • 薄命妾原情所志 박명첩원청소지(Pangmyŏngch'ŏbwŏnch'ŏngsoji)

Introduction

From 平民 民願文書 規式集

Original Script

Classical Chinese

English

1. 薄命妾 原情 所志 白等 天地之間 寃痛事段 古有薄命妾 或色衰而見薄者 或情疎而見薄者有之 2. 而矣女之見薄 非色衰而然也 非情疎而然也 大槩矣女襁褓之秊 俱失父母 見養於外家 芳年二十出嫁於錦城人 則郞年二十五歲也 男兒二十五歲 孰無陰陽之心 3. 自相逢夜 今至六七之間 不見一番衾裡之樂 以靑春之心 不勝其情 每於深夜 觧裙就枕 手撫全身 强要合歡 則聽而不聞 4. 虛送長夜 苦待明朝 做其好容 巧其言笑 以挑其心 則視而不見爲臥乎所 今宵明宵 枕席流泉 房帷之中 便成楚越 夫婦之間 有若仇敵 琴瑟之樂 吾未見之也 關雎之興 吾未知之也 5. 身上新衣 自然而緩 頭邊黛髻猶是虛文乙仍于 痛哭歸來 方欲自決是如乎所 姑母唐突呈狀推尋設計爲乎所 所謂郎子 以外皃見之 則面目肌髥 太似人矣 而至於房事 有同僧流 具體未達 徒大無力 則猛虎之猶豫 不如蜂 蛘之螫 人皆曰 無用將軍 6. 將軍無用武之術 則<函關>萬無自闢之理是如乎 乘夜渡盧 深入不毛者 諸葛征伐立策 而髥婦良君 不知合變之術則已矣已矣 不去何俟 女子所仰望[放]良人者果何事耶 望其矣衣乎耶 望其食耶 非衣非食 7. 而所大望者 惟枕席上一事而矣 旣失耶望且無興 況則衣亦不足貴也 食亦不足貴也 8. 三生佳緣亦仍事 前生今生後生謂之三 而前後生猶不可信 而生於今之世 不見今之世樂 可憐此生 9. 生不如死是乎厼 且以天生之物理言之 則禽有䲶鴦 木有連理 雄飛從雌者 禽鳥之情也 連枝交柯 草木之情也 男兒情欲稟於陰陽 可以人不如禽鳥草木乎 10. 夫唱婦隨 夫婦之義也 女必從夫 男女之情也 而使有情之物 隨無益之夫 必不肯從 天性之固然 11. 一女抱怨 飛霜夜擊 內無怨女 文王之治 男女區區私情 仰訴於積善之下 無使靑春之女人虛老於無用將軍之家下 遂物理宜 千萬望良爲只爲

(translation)

Translation

Student 1 : (Irina)

薄命妾 原情 所志

白等 天地之間 寃痛事段 古有薄命妾 或色衰而見薄者 或情疎而見薄者有之

A petition of an unfortunate woman

Well known Under heaven are old stories about sorrowful and unfair cases of women, when their beauty goes with time or their love feelings do not meet a response.

• Discussion Questions:

Well-known are the duties of man and woman in their family (rituals, responsibilities to other family members etc). According to Choseon's legal code, has been harmonious sexual life treated as part of a harmonious family?

Student 2 : (Kim Young)

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2. 而矣女之見薄 非色衰而然也 非情疎而然也 大槩矣女襁褓之秊 俱失父母 見養於外家 芳年二十出嫁於錦城人 則郞年二十五歲也 男兒二十五歲 孰無陰陽之心

But as for this woman's meeting of misfortune, it is not due to the waning of beauty, it is not due to the estrangement of feelings. Since I was wrapped in a baby quilt, I lost both of my parents, and I was raised by my maternal relatives. At the young age of twenty, I was married off to a man in Geumseong. (1) At that time my husband was twenty-five-years old. Among twenty-five-year-old lads, who could possibly not have sexual desires?

(1) Present-day Naju.

• Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think this piece was written by a man or a woman? Who do think was the intended audience, men, women, or both? If this piece was written by a man, what can we make of the exaggerated description of female sexual desire?

2. Could sexual impotence really be a legitimate reason for divorce in the late-Joseon period?

3. In the writing, how does the speaker justify her sexual desire? How does she claim her sexual desire to be appropriate and natural, instead of licentious and degenerate?

Student 3 : (Masha)

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3. 自相逢夜 今至六七之間 不見一番衾裡之樂 以靑春之心 不勝其情 每於深夜 觧裙就枕 手撫全身 强要合歡 則聽而不聞
Since the night we faced each other it has already been six-seven years, but we have not seen even one single moment of joy underneath the blankets. With my youthful mind I cannot contain my passion. Every time deep in the night I loosen my skirt and proceed to the bed. I stroke his whole body craving for a mutual delight. He listens yet does not heed.

• Discussion Questions:
  

1. If we evaluate from the perspective of a literary piece and perspective of a formal document, what differences can we find? Does the perspective change if we read it in male vs female voice? Based on the language and classical allusions used can we compare this piece to pieces of the similar genre in China? Was the format/style/vocabulary similar?

Student 4 : (Jong Woo Park)

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4. 虛送長夜 苦待明朝 做其好容 巧其言笑 以挑其心 則視而不見爲臥乎所 今宵明宵 枕席流泉 房帷之中 便成楚越 夫婦之間 有若仇敵 琴瑟之樂 吾未見之也 關雎之興 吾未知之也

I have spent useless long nights and have painfully waited for next days. I have tried to seduce him with my beautiful face and I have intentionally made good words to steal his mind. However, he sees me without watching. Tonight and tomorrow night, there has been a fountain in my bed. Inside the screen in the room, it has become a war between Chu and Yue. The relationship between husband and wife is almost like that of enemies. I have never seen a joy between husband and wife. I have never known a delight of an osprey.

• Discussion Questions:

How could they get married to each other?

What will happen if her husband do not agree upon divorce?

Student 5 : (Kanghun Ahn)

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身上新衣 自然而緩 頭邊黛髻猶是虛文乙仍于 痛哭歸來 方欲自決是如乎所 姑母唐突呈狀推尋設計爲乎所 所謂郎子 以外皃見之 則面目肌髥 太似人矣 而至於房事 有同僧流 具體未達 徒大無力 則猛虎之猶豫 不如蜂 蛘之螫 人皆曰 無用將軍.

Discussion questions: Prof. Jisoo Kim published a book on the significance of resentment (怨) in Choson society, especially in the rubric of its legal discourses. Then, how did Choson bureaucracy consider such instances as a whole? 1) Did the local government accept her appeal? 2) Was it a common case for women to sue their husbands because of impotence?

3) To what extent did the legal documents contain one's private sexual experiences during the Choson period?

Student 6 : (Hu Jing)

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• Discussion Questions:

As a piece of petition templet, we can infer two possibilities from this document: 1. Joseon females were allowable to propose a divorce -- this seems to go against the Confucian three rules (三纲). How could that happen at the Joseon society? 2. There were many divorce cases caused by the inharmony of the spouses relationship. Was this the most common reason for females to propose a divorce at that time?

Student 7 : King Kwong Wong

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7. 而所大望者 惟枕席上一事而矣 旣失耶望且無興 況則衣亦不足貴也 食亦不足貴也

And what I hope greatly is merely an affair on the bed, nothing more. I already lost my hope and passion. Not to mention what I dress is not amounted to be expensive, and what I eat is not amounted to be exquisite.

• Discussion Questions:

1. What does this document tell us about the sexuality of Chosŏn society? How does it differ from the traditional view?
2. What is the purpose of this document? Considering its writing style, do you think that it was an actual legal petition or a literary satire of the period?

Student 8 : (Zhijun Ren)

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三生佳緣亦仍事 前生今生後生謂之三 而前後生猶不可信 而生於今之世 不見今之世樂 可憐此生

the auspicious predestined bond is also so. The past, present and future reincarnations are the three lives. The Past and future reincarnations could not be counted on. Born to this life without being able to enjoy the pleasure of this life, what a pitiful life

• Discussion Questions:

With neo-Confucianism as the predominating ideology in Chosŏn society, a woman’s open demanding for spousal love and sexual desire audaciously challenge the neo-Confucian ideal of “存天理滅人慾subdue human desire with heavenly principle”.

How common was it for Chosŏn women to make such demands through legal means?

Was male impotent or homosexuality a valid and commonly accepted reason for divorces?

If a young couple was not reproducing, who would bear the blame?

Student 9 : Martin

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生不如死是乎厼 then life is worse than death

且以天生之物理言之 To speak of the principle of things created by heaven

則禽有䲶鴦 Then among the birds there are pairs mandarin ducks#1

木有連理 Among the trees there are those that grow together as one #2

雄飛從雌者 禽鳥之情也 The male bird flies to follow the female; this is the sentiment of all fauna

連枝交柯 草木之情也 Two interlocking trees, this is the sentiment of all flora

男兒情欲稟於陰陽 Sensual yearnings of a man are endowed from nature

可以人不如禽鳥草木乎 Can it be possible that a man is not like flora and fauna?

1 mandarin ducks are a symbol for affectionate couples

2 two trees intersecting are a symbol for a conjugal union

• Discussion Questions:

1. Could we understand this document as a piece of erotic literature to entertain the reader, disguised as an official document?

Student 10 : (YoungSuk)

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夫唱婦隨 夫婦之義也 女必從夫 男女之情也 而使有情之物 隨無益之夫 必不肯從 天性之固然

Having harmonious relationship between husband and wife is couple's rightness. The way in which woman follows her husband is natural sentiment of man and woman. There are such things as feelings between the couple. Should be the man emotionless, the woman has no reason to follow him. It is definitely by the law of Nature.

• Discussion Questions:

1. Is this a format or a piece of satire based on a true life story of a woman?

2. Does this document reveal some aspect of Chosŏn women's sexuality? Is it realistic that Chosŏn women would file a suit for divorce because of her sexual dissatisfaction? Or is it a consideration for the law of Nature?

3. Is this written by a woman, by a man, or by a couple?

Student 11 : (Write your name)

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• Discussion Questions:

Student 12 : (dohee jeong)

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一女抱怨 飛霜夜擊 內無怨女 文王之治 男女區區私情 仰訴於積善之下 無使靑春之女人虛老於無用將軍之家下 遂物理宜 千萬望良爲只爲

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. in this country, a woman no bear a grudge that is king Wen's government. Very small personal relations with man and woman complain of you who habitual doing of good deeds. Should not let young lady to put old needless general at home. Should succeed natural laws. I hope so a ten thousand times.

• Discussion Questions:

this document writer is woman. so is it possible example of man?

Student 13 : (Write your name)

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• Discussion Questions:

Student 14 : (Write your name)

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• Discussion Questions: