Post-336: Encounter with a Stone (Poem)

 A poem and my translation.

길을 가다가 돌을 만나면
걸림돌이라 말하지 말고
디딤돌이라 부르며 나아가기를
(박노해)

If, in the course of your travels,
You should encounter a stone,
“An obstacle!” Do not say.
Call it, rather, a stepping stone,
And proceed on your way…
(Roh-Hae Park)


This one is from an Internet collection we might translate as “Roh-Hae Park’s Reading Material for Those on the Move” (박노해의걷는독서). I am not sure if this is something official or put together by his fans. It is clearly designed to be “Internet meme” material (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook…) as this website makes clear. There are many more such poems there. These poems are meant to be consumed by native Korean speakers in the (literal) blink of an eye.

See Also:
Post-#333: Introducing Roh-Hae Park
Post-#334: The Path to Greatness…
Post-#335: Spring in Kashmir