“In the Night” by Kim Gwang-Seop

Among a multitude of stars,
one stares down at me.
Among a multitude of people,
I stare up at that one star.
As the night grows deeper,
it fades into brightness
and I disappear into darkness.
Where and as what
will the two of us…
you, one so warm, and me, one so tender,
meet again?

저렇게 많은 중에서
별 하나가 나를 내려다본다
이렇게 많은 사람 중에서
그 별 하나를 쳐다본다
밤이 깊을수록
별은 밝음 속에 사라지고
나는 어둠 속에 사라진다
이렇게 정다운
너 하나 나 하나는
어디서 무엇이 되어
다시 만나랴

Kim Gwang-Seop (1905–1977) was born in Kyeongseon in the province of North Hamkyeong, located in modern day North Korea. He graduated from Waseda University in Japan with a degree in English literature, then went on to work as a lecturer at Kyunghee University, a translator, literary critic, and as the managing editor at the Segye Ilbo and Daehansinbo newspapers.

Some of his published collections of poetry include Autumn Days (겨울날), Sunflower (해바라기), On Offering Isaac (이삭을 주울 때), and Yearning (동경).