[ENG] Jeong-seon Arirang - Hyunwoo Ha (with English subtitles)

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Description

- Special thanks to @ggae-gul (Twitter) for allowing me to use Hyunwoo Ha's picture used here.

Arirang is an old folk song of Korea and there are various versions of this song. Although Jeongseon Arirang is not the most famous one that all Koreans know, it is the oldest Arirang, which has been sung for more than 600 years. The basic concept of Arirang is 'haan', which is a unique concept in Korea. It is too complicated and difficult to translate into direct English word as as it is a mixture of sadness, hatred against oppression and injustice, pain, heartache, regrets. (More explanation on haan available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_(cultural) )

Jeongseon Arirang may sound a bit odd to non-Koreans as the melody line and the vocal's singing technique would be something that non-Koreans never heard before. The melody line is based on Jeongseon Arirang and the old traditional Korean music, and the way that Hyunwoo sings this song is similar to that of pansori, which is a Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a vocalist and a drummer. (more info on pansori available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pansori )

This song may come rather strangely at first, but if you can just focus on Hyunwoo's voice, you will come to appreciate the beauty of the song that Mr Yang arranged marvelously with Hyunwoo's amazing voice.

** Lyrics translated by GKST-ENG **

Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo
Pray take me to the other side of Arirang Pass

Snow will it come, rain will it come
Or downpour of heavy rain will it come
Dark clouds of Mansoosan they gather

Oarsman of A-oo-ra-ji
I pray thee, take me to the other side
The ginger flowers at Sarigol shall wither

Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo
Pray take me to the other side of Arirang Pass

My dear left at the summer's green
Fluttering now are the white snow flakes
Why hast thou still not come

At the hill's top I think of my dear
Cold dews fall on every inch of leaves and grass

Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo
Pray take me to the other side, the other of Arirang Pass

Arirang Arirang, Arariyo
Pray take me to the other side of Arirang Pass

Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo
Pray take me to the other side of Arirang Pass

(The lyrics are not traditional Jeong-seon Arirang lyrics as these are re-arranged by Mr Yang Bang-Ean. 'Mansoosan' is a name of a mountain and 'A-oo-ra-ji' is a name of an area that has a river running through)