＜Majestic Crabapple Trees＞ 위풍당당 - 윤동재 시인의 ＜위풍당당 꽃사과나무＞

[김문철]

Majestic Crabapple Trees
by D. J. Yoon

In my first year of farming in Cheongsong,
I planted jujubes, walnuts, peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries.

I never planted apple trees
They say they demand endless sprays
And hands that never seem to rest.

Instead,
I planted only five crabapple trees.

Everyone passing by would ask

Why so many crabapple trees?

They may be small
But their fruit is sweet enough

But why bother with crabapples when you can grow real apples?

In spring, I want to admire their blossoms;
In autumn, I want to admire them again —
As though they were still in bloom.

Oh, really?

They chuckled

Heuh Heuh Heuh Heo Heo Heo

Their laughter puzzled me

Why are you all laughing?

You truly don't know why people plant crabapple trees?

I didn't.

Apple trees cannot bear fruit well with their own pollen
The bees borrow pollen from the crabapple blossoms
And carry it from tree to tree
Only then do the apples come

So look around

Have you ever seen an orchard planted with nothing but crabapple trees?

Ah,

I tried so hard not to look like a novice farmer, but I had been found out

Forgive me, dear crabapple trees

For all the foolish things I made you listen to.

We bloom whiter than snow in spring, and glow redder than rubies in autumn

Without us,

Apple trees could never marry, nor raise sons and daughters.

Without us,

Nothing truly comes to fruition.

Our quiet worth reaches all the way to the sky.

위풍당당 꽃사과나무
-윤동재

청송 농사 첫 해
대추 호두 복숭아 
매화 살구 자두 심고
사과나무는 농약도 수십 번
손질이 많이 간다고 해 심지 않고

꽃사과나무만 
다섯 그루 
심었더니

지나가는 사람들이 모두 한마디 
뭐 하려고 이리 많이 심었니껴
꽃사과가 작아도 맛은 있디더 
사과를 묵지 뭐 하러 꽃사과를 묵니껴
봄엔 꽃을 보고 
가을엔 또 꽃 보듯 볼라니더

그러니껴? 
흐흐흐 허허허
다들 웃길래
뭔가 좀 이상해서 
왜 그러시니껴? 하니

꽃사과나무 심는 까닭을 
참말로 모르시니껴
몰시더 

사과나무는 
지 꽃가루로는 열매가 잘 안 맺히니더
꽃사과나무는 꽃가루가 천지라
벌들이 요리조리 나눠주마 
그제사 사과가 열리니더
꽃사과나무만 심은 밭
어디 한번 둘러보소
어디 있니껴?

아, 초보 농부티를 안 내려고 
무진 애를 쓰고 있는데
그만 들켰나?

꽃사과나무야 
이 말 저 말 듣게 해서
너한테 먼저 미안테이 

봄이면 더 하얗게 꽃 피우고
가을이면 더 빨갛게 익는 우리
우리 없으모
사과나무는 지들끼리 
시집도 못 가고 
장가도 못 가니더
아들딸도 못 낳니더

우리 없으모 참말로
되는 게 없니더
우리 인기가 
하늘을 쿡쿡 찌르니더

Majestic Crabapple Trees

Appreciation Review 感想

Although this poem appears on the surface to be a lighthearted account of a novice farmer's experience planting crabapple trees, it conveys a much deeper message about the value of those whose contributions are not immediately visible and the importance of supporting one another. It is also a poem rooted in everyday rural life, inspired by the actual methods of apple cultivation in the Cheongsong region.

1. A story that begins with a novice farmer's "mistake"

When the speaker begins farming, he plants various fruit trees, including jujubes, walnuts, peaches, plum trees, apricots, and cherry trees. However, after hearing that apple trees require frequent pesticide applications and intensive care, he decides not to plant them. Instead, he plants only five crabapple trees.

As villagers pass by, they ask,

"Why did you plant so many crabapple trees?"

The speaker replies,

"I want to enjoy their blossoms in the spring and admire them again in the autumn as if they were flowers.“

The villagers laugh because anyone familiar with apple farming would never give such an answer.

2. Why did the villagers laugh?

At first, the speaker cannot understand what is so amusing. Then someone explains the real reason.

Apple trees cannot produce fruit efficiently using only their own pollen. They require nearby crabapple trees, which produce abundant pollen. Bees transfer the pollen from the crabapple blossoms to the apple blossoms, enabling the apple trees to bear fruit.

In other words, crabapple trees are not planted primarily for their small fruit; they are planted because they help apple trees produce apples.

The speaker had unknowingly planted only crabapple trees without realizing their true purpose. Embarrassed, he laughs at himself, thinking,

"I tried not to look like a beginner, but in the end everyone could tell."

3. The poem does not end there

From this point on, the crabapple trees begin to speak as if they were people.

They proudly declare,

"We may not look impressive, but without us, the apple trees could never bear fruit."

They even joke,

"Without us, the apple trees couldn't get married or have sons and daughters."

Here, "getting married" symbolizes pollination, while "having sons and daughters" symbolizes bearing fruit.

In this way, the crabapple trees are portrayed as matchmakers and life-giving partners that make reproduction possible for the apple trees.

4. Why are the crabapple trees "majestic"?

Crabapples are small, and people rarely eat them. At first glance, the trees seem ordinary and unimportant.

In reality, however, they perform an indispensable role. They attract bees, provide pollen, and enable apple trees to produce fruit.

That is why, near the end of the poem, the crabapple trees proudly proclaim,

"Without us, nothing would ever work. Our popularity reaches the sky."

Although these words sound boastful, they actually express the quiet confidence of those who have come to recognize their own genuine worth.

The Poem's Central Message

Although this poem tells the story of crabapple trees, it is ultimately about people.

In every community, there are those who receive applause in the spotlight, but there are also many others who work quietly behind the scenes. Their names may not be widely known, yet they are indispensable.

Like the crabapple tree, people whose contributions are easily overlooked are often the very ones who make the community function. The poet reminds us that we should not judge a person's worth solely by visible achievements. Those who truly matter are the ones who help others flourish and make it possible for everyone to bear fruit together.

Through the humble crabapple tree, whose essential role is to provide pollen for apple orchards, the poet warmly and humorously celebrates the dignity of those who may appear ordinary or insignificant but are indispensable to the well-being of the community. At the same time, the poem highlights the enduring value of cooperation and mutual support.

#majestic  #crabapple

[김문철]

이 시는 사과농사의 꽃가루받이 역할을 하는 꽃사과나무를 통해, 겉으로는 평범하거나 보잘것없어 보여도 공동체를 위해 꼭 필요한 존재의 가치와 서로 협력하며 살아가는 삶의 소중함을 따뜻하고 유머러스하게 전하고 있습니다. ^_^

[윤동재]

감사합니다