Night Bird

I woke from a dream where I was being
pursued by a bier round zelkova tree.
Suddenly I heard a bird sing.

Wake up now, mistreated wretch.
Open your lips, downtrodden wretch.

Flying carefully through a lowering sky
with not a spare inch for so many resentful ghosts,

that night bird sobs so sadly.
One boy sobs sadly, too, pitifully
clinging to the back of the bier.

Translated by Brother Anthony of Taize and Young-Moo Kim