＜RICE CAKE, TTEOG＞ 윤동재 시인의 ＜떡＞

[김문철]

RICE CAKE, TTEOG
by D. J. YOON

TTEOG-DO TTEOG-DO

Growing growing ssug ssug

Ssug ssug mixed with mugwort ssug
Mugwort ssug rice cakes tteog, shared shared together

TTEOG-DO TTEOG-DO

Many many rice cakes tteog, more than enough
And yet just a picture of rice cake tteog

No one can eat

TTEOG-DO TTEOG-DO

Neither on your side pyeon nor on my side pyeon

Whether half-moon pyeon or square pyeon
And yet neutral rice cakes of tteog, enjoyed by everyone

TTEOG-DO TTEOG-DO

Even with a hungry stomach

By plenty of nodding tteog and panting tteog
And yet no one gets to eat a single bite

TTEOG-DO TTEOG-DO

No spit on the sticky rice cake of tteog
No bugs in the mung bean rice cake of tteog
And yet everyone’s relaxed, enjoying it freely

TTEOG-DO TTEOG-DO

Rice cakes of tteog pounded on a blacksmith’s zither
By Master Baekgyeol from Shilla Dynasty
The more you eat, the hungrier you feel

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rice cake rice cake
Growing and growing with mugwort in the mix

Mugwort rice cakes
Sharing it together, nice and cozy

Friendly rice cakes

rice cake rice cake
Plenty and plenty, more than enough

But just a picture of rice cake
The one that no one can ever eat

rice cake rice cake
Neither yours nor mine, half-moon or square
A neutral rice cake everyone enjoys its taste

rice cake rice cake
Even with a starving belly, nodding and panting
No one gets a single bite of it

rice cake rice cake
No spit in the stick rice cake

No bugs in the mung bean rice cake
But everyone’s at ease freely enjoying

rice cake rice cake
Pounded on a blacksmith’s zither by Shilla’s Master Baekgyeol
The more you eat the hungrier you get

떡

-윤동재

떡도 떡도

쑥쑥 자라 쑥을 쑥쑥 넣은 쑥떡

오순도순 나눠 먹는 떡

떡도 떡도

많고 많아 넘쳐나도 그림의 떡

누구도 못 먹는 떡

떡도 떡도

네 편도 아니고 내 편도 아닌 송편 절편

누구나 맛있게 먹는 떡

떡도 떡도

엄청 배를 쫄쫄 곯아도 끄떡끄떡 헐레벌떡

아무도 단 한 입도 못 먹는 떡

떡도 떡도

가래 없는 가래떡 빈대 없는 빈대떡

너도나도 맘 놓고 즐겨 먹는 떡

떡도 떡도

신라의 백결 선생 거문고로 떡방아 찧어 만든 떡

먹어도 먹어도 더욱더욱 배고픈 떡

Appreciation Review 感想

This children's poem about rice cakes weaves together playful imagery and a gentle sense of humor.

It’s really amusing and whimsical.

It captures the warm and communal aspect of sharing rice cakes through repetition and vivid descriptions, even as it humorously highlights the irony of seeing plenty but not actually eating any.

The poem blends cultural references, like mugwort and traditional Shilla Dynasty tools, with lighthearted moments that invite both curiosity and laughter.

With its rhythmic lines and sympathetic situations, this poem offers a delightful exploration of abundance and shared experiences, making it both engaging and comforting for young readers.

*For reference, 'ssug', 'pyeon', and 'tteok' are all homonyms.

About Master Baekgyeol

He lived at the foot of Namgsan (Wolf Mountain) in Gyeongju. He was so poor that his clothes were tattered and patched in countless places, leading people to call him "Baekgyeol Seonsaeng" (백결선생), borrowing the phrase "Hyeonsunbaekgyeol" (懸鶉百結), which means "clothes torn and patched due to poverty."

Despite such harsh conditions, Baekgyeol Seonsaeng was unwavering in his love for the geomungo (Korean zither) and expressed all his joys and sorrows through the instrument.

One year, at the end of the year, the sound of rice-cake pounding filled the air from every house. His wife, worried, asked, "What shall we do to celebrate the New Year?" To comfort her, Baekgyeol Seonsaeng played his geomungo to imitate the sound of the pounding mill, and this melody was passed down to later generations under the name Daeak (碓樂), meaning "Mill Music."

#백결 선생  #떡  #편  #쑥

[김문철]

It's really amusing and whimsical !!
너무 재미 있어요. 너무 기발해요.
떡이 먹고 싶어요 ^_^

[푸른솔]

감사합니다