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In-sun stopped picking the mugwort and looked over to the mountain. The spring sunshine felt cozy and dreamy as if she was under the bedcovers. It felt nice, really nice.

Her body twitched unwittingly and her heart throbbed. The pleasant sunshine that saturated through the thinly clad backside tickled her, suddenly prompting the urge to gnaw on or tear apart something.

봄철 한 달 동안을 두고 밥꼴을 못 보고

아침 저녁을 거의 쑥죽으로만 살아온 인순이에게는 

어머니가 낳을 애기는 어쩌면 쑥빛을 닮아 퍼럴 것이리란 생각에

남몰래 혼자 속으로 두려워해 오고 있었다.

In-sun, who had survived solely on mugwort porridge for nearly a month in that spring without seeing even a grain of rice, secretly feared that her mother’s baby would be born dull green like the mugwort. 

그 뿐이 아니다.

어머니나 자기의 살빛도 차차 퍼런 색깔로 

변해 가는 듯만 했다.

Not only that, her mother’s skin as well as hers appeared to be turning greenish. 

뒤볼 때 보면, 

대변은 말할 것도 없고 오줌도 다소는 퍼렇게 보인다.

자기 몸뚱어리의 어느 곳이든 쥐어짠다면

창병 걸린 닭 똥물 비슷한 거무튀튀한 쑥물이

금방 비어져 나올 것 같았다.

Even when she went to the outhouse, her dung and even her pee seemed tinged in green. If she were to wring any part of her, dark mugwort liquid resembling the diarrheal discharge from a chicken with syphilis would probably ooze out.

# Interview with SNU Korean literature professor Bang Min-ho

Mugwort is a plant with a unique scent and vibrant color. Koreans use mugwort to add aroma and flavor to a dish, but the mugwort in this story represents extreme poverty and hunger. The writer of this story, Choi Il-nam, was born in 1932 and grew up during the colonial period and tumultuous years before and after Korea’s liberation. I think he wanted to show the terrible poverty and starvation experienced by Koreans at the end of the colonial period and during the Korean War when Koreans were forced into hard labor and war. This story is a report on starvation that had persisted over many decades.

단번에 양쪽 어금니에서 단침이 흘러나와 쌀알을 감춘다.

또 한 번, 또 한 번, 

이번엔 조금 많이 털어 넣었다.

고소한 뜨물이 목구멍을 타고 내려간다.

인순이는 자꾸만 씹었다.

Saliva was instantly discharged from the molars and coated the grains. In-sun repeated the act again and again. This time she took more grains of rice. She felt the milky rice water go down her throat. In-sun kept chewing. 

그러다가 이것을 집으로 가져가서 어미니와 밥을 지어 먹으려니 작정하고는,

아무 거리낌 없이 소쿠리를 쌀둥지에다 대어 

쑥을 한옆으로 제치고 쌀을 쓱 밀어 넣고 있었는데 

턱, 하는 소리와 함께 인순이는 눈앞이 아찔해지면서 앞으로 거꾸러졌다.

뒤미처 우악스런 손이 인순이의 머리를 낚아채었다.

Then she made up her mind to take the rice home and cook it for her mother. Without hesitation, she placed her basket next to the rice jar and she scooped up the rice to place next to the mugwort. 

With a big thud, she saw sparks flying before her eyes and fell forward. And then she felt a rough hand violently grabbing her hair from behind. 

“꽤씸한 년, 조막만한 것이 벌써부터 남의 물건을 훔쳐?” 

“You little bitch! How dare you steal from me?” 

인순이는 그제야 쌀이 남의 것이었고

자기는 그것을 도둑질하다가 들켰다는 사실을 깨닫자,

얼굴이 화끈화끈 달아오르며 어쩔줄을 몰랐다.

In-sun realized then that rice belonged to someone else and she was caught stealing it. With her face burning in shame, she couldn’t react in any way.

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Choi Il-nam (Born in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do Prov., Dec. 29, 1932~ )

Debuted with “Dissolution of Adoption” in 1956