Ten Thousand Lives

by
Ko Un



Translated by

Brother Anthony, of Taizé
Young-Moo Kim
Gary G. Gach
 

Table of Contents

Volume 1 (1986)
Grandfather
Sam-man’s Grandmother
The Peddler of Bamboo Crates
Sa-haeng
Our Great Aunt at Taegi
The Inn at the Road Junction
Father
Tears of Blood
The Wife from Kwi Island
Aunt
Do-sŏn the Snake-catcher
Azaleas
Kojumong: The Founder of Koguryŏ
Grandmother
Lee Dong-hui’s Wits
Ch’ŏl-gon from Okjŏng-gol
New Year’s Full Moon
Chŏng Yong-gi of the Righteous Army
The Wife from Suregi
Old Foster-father
Il-man’s father
Daughter
The Wife from Kaesari
Chae-hak’s Finger
Uncle Maeng-sik
Hyegong: A Monk in the Days of Old
No-More’s Mother
The Women from Sŏnjei-ri
Volume 2 (1986)
A Dead Dog
Pyŏng-ok
Pong-t’ae
Chae-suk
The Well
Tip-taker Mun
Man-sun
The Two Pok-dongs of Mijei
Kim Ch’ang-suk
The Twins’ Mother
Ch’ung-jo, My Little Brother
Uncle Yong-sul
Earthworm
Six-Fingers
Ŭisang, the Great Monk
Widow Paek from Hamdŏk-ri
Tomb of Tools
Real Penny-Pinchers
Plum Blossom
Volume 3 (1986)
The Ditch
Hey, You There!
Poor Wretch
The Little Spring
Wu-yŏl’s Family House in Wuittŭm
The Table Seller
Spirit Shrine
Sang-p’il and his Brother
Wangsanak
The Hunter of Kaema Heights
Headmaster Abe
Runny
Lee Chong-nam
Scarecrow
Sang-sik’s Blind Mother
A Ghost
Okya, the Palace Woman
Firefly
Sinch’on Church
Volume 4 (1988)
T’ae-hyŏn: a Faithful Son
Old Jaedong’s Youngest Son
Samdŏk’s Grandmother in Wŏndang-ri
Kim Sang-sŏn from Araettŭm
Elder Cho’s Wife
Beggars: Husband and Wife
The Widows of Chaetjŏngji
Father’s Second Sister Ki-ch’ang
Maternal Grandfather
Su-dong and the Swallows
Blind Pul-lye
Chŏng-du’s Mother
Great Wen, the Peddler
Ummh-Hmm
Kil-nam
Hyŏn-jo and Hyŏn-gak
Hŭi-ja
Ch’am-man
Kim T’ae-sik the Butcher
Sŏng-mo’s Luck at Love
Chin-su
A Traveller from P’yŏngan Province
Ch’ae-sun
Volume 5 (1988)
Kushirŏng Pass
The Orphan of Paekun Mountain
The Couple Running the General Store
That Fellow, Hong-nae
Chae-sŏn’s Mother
Pun-im from Mijei
Yi Yong-ak
Sang-sul’s Mother-in-Law
The Stones of Ŏch’ŏng-do
The Old Woman of Chaetjŏngji
Chin-ja’s Older Brother
Chungttŭm Chae-su’s Baby
Chin-dong
Mun Ch’i-dal
Tta-ok
Ssal-bong
Great Aunt in Tangbuk-ri
Two Blind People
Kim Ki-man from Mijei
An Errand
The Women Preachers from Kunsan
The Osŏng Mountain Stream
Shin Man-sun
Chin-gyu’s Grandfather
Cousin Kŭm-dong
O-nam and His Wife
Im Yŏng-ja
Volume 6 (1988)
Ssangga-mae
The Senile Old Man of Wŏndang-ri
Ch’ang-sun from Mijei
Hong Chong-wu
The Thief from Sonjei-ri
A Baby’s Grave in Kalmoe
Wu-sik from Arettŭm
The Outhouse Ghost
A Mother
Volume 7 (1988)
Cho Bong-am
Lee Ki-sŏp
My Elder Sister Chŏng-ja
A Green Frog
The Ox
Nam-sun
Brother and Sister Eight Feet Tall
Han Ha-un
Chŏn Dae-sŏk
Two Generations of Thieves
Mother-in-Law from Seoul
Pak Il-ryong
To-gil Bitten by a Dog
Old Mister Mun
Yuk-son
Volume 8 (1989)
Hundreds of Names
Changhang Wharf
The Novice at Songkwang Temple
Blind Sim
Sim Ch’ŏng
Volume 9 (1989)
Kim Chŏng-ho
The Woman from Chŏng-ŭp
The Petticoat Thief
Oh Sŏng-ryun
The Liar
The Moon
Yung
Volume 10 (1996)
Kim Dae-jung
Kim Su-hwan
Lee Ŭng-no
Yun Isang
The False Leper
Hermitage Poems
Pak Ch’ŏl-ung
Ko Sang-don