Borderland Roads: The Selected Poems of Ho Kyun
AUTHOR
Ho Kyun
TRANSLATORS
Ian Haight and T'ae-young Ho
Borderland Roads is a selection of poems from the writer Ho Kyun, one of Korea’s literary elite in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. The book catalogs the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592 and 1597—the only record of its kind of these events in poetry.
Reviews
“Ho Kyun’s poetry is in the tradition of his master, the incomparable Tu Fu, while remaining fully his own. Writing nine centuries later, Ho’s poetry strikes many parallels—the experiences of war and exile and constant struggle—and his voice is similarly humane. This is rich and enlightening reading.”
—Sam Hamill
Ho Kyun (1569-1618) was born into a noble family that for generations served Korea and her kings with distinction. Ho's poetry, stylistically unusual in its time, is a poetry of plainspoken witness. Ho lived through the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592 and 1597, and his poetry is the only record of its kind on these events.
T’ae-yong Hŏ has been awarded translation grants from the Daesan Foundation and Korea Literature Translation Institute. With Ian Haight, he is the co-translator of Borderland Roads: Selected Poems of Kyun Hŏ—finalist for KLTI’s Grand Prix Prize—and Magnolia and Lotus: Selected Poems of Hyesim—finalist for ALTA’s Stryk Prize. Working from the original classical Korean hanmun, T’ae-yong’s translations of Korean poetry have appeared in Agni, New Orleans Review, and Prairie Schooner.
Ian Haight’s collection of poetry, Celadon, won Unicorn Press’ First Book Prize. With T’ae-yong Hŏ, he is the co-translator of Spring Mountain: Complete Poems of Nansŏrhŏn and Homage to Green Tea by the Korean monk, Ch’oŭi, both forthcoming from White Pine Press. Other awards include Ninth Letter’s Literary Award in Translation, and grants from the Daesan Foundation, the Korea Literary Translation Institute, and the Baroboin Buddhist Foundation. Poems, essays, interviews, reviews, microfiction and translations appear in Barrow Street, Writer’s Chronicle, Hyundai Buddhist News, Full Stop, MoonPark Review and The Poetry Review (UK). For more information please visit ianhaight.com.