소가 신을 짚신을 삼으며
정하선
비록 소가 신을 짚신일지라도
신발 한 켤레 만들기 위해서는
좋은 재료부터 마련해야 했다. 지난해 초가을부터 재료 준비에 들어가야 했다. 새로 거두어들인 짚, 올벼 향기 아직 배어 나오는 짚, 얇게 펴서 말려 푸르스름한 빛이 간직될수록 좋았다. 초가을 햇볕의 따스함이 아직 간직되어야 했다. 힘이 없거나 때 묻고, 덧입혀진 푸석푸석한 호비들 갈퀴나 손으로 다 추려내고 가지런히 추려 묶어, 눈`비 이슬 엿보지 않는 헛간이나 처마 겨드랑이나 바람 솔솔 뀌어 다니며 노닐던 곳에 정갈하게 매달아 놓았던 짚이라야 한다.
신을 삼기 위해서는 맑은 물에 흠뻑 적셔, 뜨거운 햇볕 들지 않는 그늘에 세워놓아 조금만 건드려도 부러질 것 같은 고집을 우선 꺾어야 한다. 짚이 알맞게 부드러워지면, 가늘게 새끼 꼬아, 털을 다듬고 날을 만들고, 보드라운 볏짚 알맞게 낱알 골라잡아 바닥이 고르게 촘촘히 엮어야 한다. 낫 자국이 아직 남아 뾰쪽뾰쪽한 끝은 돌밭 쪽 향하게 하고, 발바닥이 닿을 곳은 보드랍고 폭신폭신하게 만들어야 한다.
소의 신은 항상 여유 있게 만들어야 한다. 우마차 춤이나 등에 매달고 다닐 수 있도록. 언제 어디서 떨어지거나 벗겨질지 모르는 일상들. 부드러운 마음으로 온 정성 다하여 촘촘히 엮어가지 않는다면 훗날, 어느 곳에 가서 우리들 마음을 말할 수 있겠는가, 아늑한 사랑이 있었다고.
정하선시집(재회)월간문학출판부
ai번역
The Straw Sandals Worn by the Ox
Jeong Ha-seon
Even though the ox wears straw sandals,
To make a single pair of shoes,
Good materials had to be prepared first.
From early autumn of the previous year,
preparations for the materials had to begin.
Freshly harvested straw, still carrying the scent of early rice,
was best when spread thinly and dried to retain a greenish hue.
It needed to hold onto the warmth of the early autumn sunlight.
Weak, dirty, or brittle pieces of straw
were carefully sorted out by rake or hand,
bundled neatly, and hung in a clean place—
away from rain, dew, or sunlight—
like under the eaves or in a breezy storage area.
To weave the shoes, the straw had to be soaked thoroughly in clean water,
then stood in the shade where no hot sunlight could reach,
softening its stubborn rigidity until it became pliable.
Once the straw was adequately softened,
it was twisted into fine strands, its fibers trimmed and aligned.
Soft, suitable pieces of straw were selected
to weave the base evenly and densely.
The sharp ends, still bearing the marks of the sickle,
were oriented toward the rough ground,
while the parts touching the soles of the feet
were made soft and cushiony.
The ox's shoes always needed to be made with extra room—
able to endure the weight of carts or loads carried on its back.
In the daily uncertainties of when or where they might fall off or wear out,
it was essential to weave them with meticulous care and a gentle heart.
If not woven with full sincerity and tenderness,
how could we later explain our hearts to anyone?
How could we say there was once a warm love?
From Jeong Ha-seon’s Poetry Collection
(Reunion)
La vache tisse des sandales de paille pour les dieux
Jeong Ha-seon
Published by Monthly Literature Publishing House
Même si les chaussures du bœuf sont faites de paille, pour fabriquer une paire de chaussures, il fallait d'abord préparer de bons matériaux. Dès le début de l'automne dernier, il était nécessaire de commencer à rassembler les matériaux. La paille fraîchement récoltée, imprégnée du parfum du riz mûr, devait être étalée et séchée pour conserver sa teinte verdâtre. La chaleur douce du soleil d'automne devait encore y rester. Les brins faibles, sales ou abîmés étaient soigneusement triés à la main ou avec un râteau, puis regroupés et attachés. Ces bottes de paille étaient suspendues dans un endroit propre, à l'abri de la pluie, de la neige et de la rosée, sous un porche ou dans une grange où le vent circulait doucement.Pour tresser les chaussures, il fallait d'abord tremper la paille dans de l'eau claire, puis la laisser reposer à l'ombre, loin du soleil brûlant, afin de l'assouplir. Une fois la paille suffisamment molle, elle était finement tressée, les fibres étaient soigneusement peignées et les brins sélectionnés pour créer une base dense et uniforme. Les extrémités pointues, encore marquées par les traces de la faucille, étaient orientées vers les terrains rocailleux, tandis que les parties où les pieds touchaient étaient rendues douces et confortables.Les chaussures du bœuf devaient toujours être confectionnées avec une certaine marge. Elles devaient être assez solides pour supporter les danses du chariot ou être suspendues sur son dos. Dans les aléas du quotidien, où elles pouvaient se détacher ou s'user à tout moment, il était essentiel de les tresser avec soin et dévouement. Si l'on ne mettait pas tout son cœur à les fabriquer méticuleusement, comment pourrait-on, un jour, exprimer nos sentiments et raconter qu'il y avait là un amour chaleureux et réconfortant ?Extrait du recueil d
poèmes de Jeong Ha-seon (Réunion), Éditions Mensuelles Littéraires.