A Record of Manboksa Temple's Game of Jeopo

by Kim Si-seup

As the night deepened to the fifth watch, the cuckoo cried mournfully, and the faint Milky Way tilted eastward. Kim-ssi recited a poem in a clear voice.

As night deepens to the fifth watch, the cuckoo cries mournfully,

And the faint Milky Way tilts eastward.

Do not play the heart-rending jade flute again.

I worry that common folk might not understand this tranquil charm.

I shall pour the Five-Watch Wine full into a golden goblet.

Hold it until you are drunk, and do not refuse, saying there is too much wine.

When dawn breaks and that east wind blows fiercely,

What shall I do with a fragment of a spring dream?

Let your green sleeves hang softly,

And drink a hundred cups of wine while listening to the sounds of elegance.

You cannot return until this clear delight is exhausted,

So compose new songs with new words again.

How many years has it been since hair as beautiful as clouds turned to dust?

Only today have I met you and finally brightened my face.

Do not boast of the wondrous dream of Gaodang.

I fear that such an elegant tale might spread to the human world.

Next was Ryu-ssi.

Ryu-ssi wore light makeup and white clothes. Though not overly extravagant, her demeanor showed propriety. She remained silent until it was her turn, then smiled gently and recited a poem.

How many years have passed since I kept my chastity as firm as metal and stone?

My fragrant soul and jade-like face are deeply buried in the nine heavens.

On a secluded spring night, I befriended Chang'e of the moon palace,

And enjoyed lonely slumber in the shade of osmanthus blossoms.

How amusing. Peach and plum blossoms cannot withstand the spring wind,

Fluttering here and there, falling into others' homes.

No common fly has ever clung to my integrity throughout my life,

I fear it might blemish my heart, like Kunlun jade.

I dislike rouge and powder, my hair is disheveled,

Dust has accumulated on my dressing table, and my mirror is rusted.

This morning, fortunately, I joined a neighbor's feast,

The red flower in my hair makes me feel ashamed just to look at it.

Now that the young lady has met the white-faced gentleman,

The destiny ordained by heaven shall be beautiful for a lifetime.

Since the matchmaker has already conveyed the strings of the zither and pipa,

From now on, may the two of you live like Liang Hong and Meng Guang.

The woman, hearing the last poem recited by Lady Yu, thanked her and stepped forward.

“I, too, can roughly distinguish characters. How can I alone not compose a poem?”

Then she composed and recited a seven-character regulated verse.

Holding spring sorrow in the valley of Gaeryeongdong,

With every bloom and fall of flowers, I felt all sorts of worries.

Having lost my beloved in the clouds of Cho-hyeop,

I shed tears in the bamboo groves of the Xiaoxiang River.

On a warm day, mandarin ducks find their mates in the clear river,

And as the clouds clear in the blue sky, kingfishers play.

My love, let us also tie a knot of shared hearts.

May we not resent the clear autumn like a silk fan.

Yang-saeng was also skilled in literature.

He did not stint on praise, seeing that the women's poetic style was clear and highly elegant, with distinct rhymes.

And immediately, he composed a long piece in the ancient style as a reply.

What kind of night is this,

That I met such a beautiful celestial maiden?

How beautiful is her flower-like face,

Her red lips are like cherries.

Moreover, her poetry is even more exquisite,

Li An would surely fall silent.

Has the Weaver Girl thrown her shuttle and descended to the human world?

Has Chang'e abandoned her medicine pestle and left the moon palace?

The adornment of tortoiseshell brightens the setting,

The feast is joyful with circulating wine cups.

Though the pleasures of clouds and rain may not be familiar,

We pour wine and sing, enjoying each other's company.

It is rather joyful that I have mistakenly found my way to Penglai Island.

Is this the world of immortals? I have found the path of elegance.

The clear wine in the jade cup fills the fragrant wine jar,

And the delicate fragrance of western incense lingers in the golden lion censer.

A spicy aroma wafts before the white jade table,

And a gentle breeze rustles the blue silk curtain.

Meeting you, we share wine and hold a feast,

And the five-colored clouds in the sky become even more brilliant.

Do you not know

The story of Munso and Chaeran meeting,

And the story of Jangseok meeting Nanhyang?

Even encounters in life are surely destined,

So let us raise our cups and drink to our heart's content.

My dear, why do you speak so lightly?

Those sorrowful words about discarding a fan in the autumn wind.

Let us be partners in this life and the next,

And continuously frolic beneath blooming flowers and a bright moon.

When the wine was finished and it was finally time to part, the woman took out a silver vessel and gave it to Yangsaeng, saying,

“Tomorrow, my parents will prepare a meal for me at Boreunsa Temple. If you do not abandon me, please wait on the road to Boreunsa Temple. Then, how about going to the temple with me to meet my parents?”

Yangsaeng replied,

“I will do so.”

The next day, Yangsaeng, as the woman had said, held a silver vessel and waited by the roadside on the way to Boreunsa Temple.

Indeed, a noble family was ascending to Boreunsa Temple, with a long line of carriages and horses, to hold a grand memorial service for their deceased daughter.

At that time, a servant saw a scholar standing by the roadside holding a silver vessel and said to his master,

“Someone has already stolen the vessel that was buried in the tomb during the young lady’s funeral.”

The master, surprised, asked,

“What do you mean by that?”

The servant replied,

“I am referring to the silver vessel that scholar is holding.”