[Drama 2017] Saimdang, Light's Diary 사임당, 빛의 일기

[Farah Ayuni]

@liddiI cannot thank you enough for the translation. I am so glad I did not leave this forum right after the drama ended. 

Sometimes, I miss some of the drama scenes (especially Saimdang and Lee Gyeom's scenes) and would like watch them but there seem to be not many clips of the drama on Youtube like other kdramas. If you guys find a channel on where I can watch their clips, please let me know.

And one more thing, I have a Korean friend who helped me translated the postcard SJY receives from Rade's leader. It is an invitation written in such a poetic and romantic way. Can someone verify this? I got all giddy and that would explain SJY's reaction. What do you guys think? I am so not over this drama apparently.

[gerrytan8063]

@Farah Ayuni

"I have a Korean friend who helped me translated the postcard SJY receives from Rade's leader. It is an invitation written in such a poetic and romantic way. Can someone verify this? I got all giddy and that would explain SJY's reaction. What do you guys think?"

My first question, did your Korean friend seen the drama?...or your Korean drama reading the postcard straight off

For my personal experience, Korean are not the best person to translate their language to another language e.g. English although they are better with Chinese

As for the postcard, @liddi & I had the discussion on page 82.....was there a hint of poetic & romantic way.....as for me I had no such detection

[Farah Ayuni]

5 minutes ago, gerrytan8063 said:

 

@gerrytan8063

My first question, did your Korean friend seen the drama?...or your Korean drama reading the postcard straight off -

For my personal experience, Korean are not the best person to translate their language to another language e.g. English although they are better with Chinese

I see, she doesn't watch it, just translating it straight off.

As for the postcard, @liddi & I had the discussion on page 82.....was there a hint of poetic & romantic way.....as for me I had no such detection - thanks!

 

[liddi]

A far longer chapter than usual, which drives home the point how SJY continues to relate to Saimdang's life. The vision SJY has after seeing the poem is interesting, indicating that SJY is somehow reliving Saimdang's experiences. Love how she describes Saimdang's reactions to Gyeom's Mother Dog painting... 

 

Novel Vol 1: Part 2 Dark Memoirs
Chapter 10

1. All the passwords JMS had prepared on hand did not work on Director Sun's laptop. He then noticed a date being circled on a desk calendar, and used the combination to successfully gain access. Just when he had only 10 seconds left to complete copying the files into his pendrive, suddenly the door to the office opened. Shocked, he pulled out the pendrive and hid under the table. The lights were switched on and he heard Director Sun and Chairman Heo proceeding to sit on the sofa. Curling himself into a tight ball to avoid detection, a paper with SJY's address "240 Ogin-gil" fell out of his pocket. He tried to retrieve it but the paper fluttered out of reach. Unable to do anything else, he could only gently shift the carpet a little to cover the paper. He overheard them talking about the secret funds and how R-Tech company was manipulated into bankruptcy. Finally, they left. Gripping the pendrive tightly in his hand, he hoped that there would be some clue to the double bookkeeping in it somewhere.

 

2. At the same time, SJY and Eun Soo were busy sprucing up their house. She started reading the Soojinbang Diary in hopes of a clue to locating the real Mt. Geumgang painting. Before even realising it, she too began to learn how to live from Saimdang. When she read of how Saimdang and her children refurbished their house, she too started to reflect. It did not matter how long they were going to live here, the fact remained that they had to stay, so they should do so happily, cheerfully. A gloomy house meant unhappy inhabitants. Although they were strapped for cash, she needed to resolve the issues at hand calmly one at a time. Since their day began and ended at the house, she wanted to make it a place that they could spend with the people they love, one that would stimulate them with the determination to survive.

 

3. SJY gave the walls a fresh coat of white paint, and hung lace curtains on the kitchen windows. By the windows, she placed several potted plants, creating a warm atmosphere, while the wallpaper overlooking the sink was also changed, giving it a refreshing appearance. At first SJY's mother-in-law thought it was a waste of energy since they won't be staying there for long, but even she could not help feeling a sense of pride when she saw the spacious, bright new look of the house.

 

4. When SJY was planting the 500-year-old Dianthus Chinensis seeds, Eun Soo was stunned to know how old they were. Asked which flowers are the prettiest, he replied "Mother!" without any hesitation and fell into SJY's arms with a bright smile. As she hugged her lovable son tightly, she recalled the scene Gyeom saw of Saimdang coaxing the child in her arms to sleep, just like a mother dog caring for her puppies. Perhaps this was the inspiration for his Mother Dog painting, the spirit of which still comforted future generations, several hundred years hence.

 

5. After watching the little family, Gyeom went back to his quarters, compelled to put what he saw to paper. All the hesitations of his previous attempts were gone, and his paintbrush took on life as it depicted, first the mother dog, then two puppies in her embrace. Without pausing for breath, Gyeom's paintbrush added a puppy on the back of its mother, its forepaws on her body. Propelled by a soundless melody that stemmed from an unknown place, Gyeom's movements were uninhabited as he completed the realistic depiction with a large tree that reached for the clouds.

As the colours began to fade in the horizon, Gyeom finally laid down his brush, staring at the painting with an ecstatic expression on his face. His face and clothes were covered with dirt and paint, but his eyes blazed with passion. At last, the brilliant man Saimdang spoke of from twenty years ago, had finally awoken.

 

6. Exhilarated at his newly restored passion for painting, Gyeom could not wait for Saimdang to see his Mother Dog painting. Rolling it up, it almost seemed as if he flew over the walls as he rode to Soojinbang. He truly wanted to see her expression when she saw the painting, and she would immediately understand what he was trying to express, to say.

Receiving the painting from a servant he entrusted it to, Saimdang immediately went into the house, ignoring Hyang's curious looks. Her hands trembled as she sat down, and she exclaimed in awe the moment the painting was unrolled. "He is alive once more! His artistic talent is revived!" Saimdang's heart quickened and the tears welled up from deep within her, swimming in her eyes. The gifted artist whom she loved more than her own life - he had risen once more, and through his brush, the painting was infused with love and warmth. In awe and admiration, Saimdang held the painting up for another look.

 

7. The Mother Dog painting was dazzling, like light that shot out from within a flint the moment it was struck, after being covered for too long. What was once hidden over the passage of time, had now burst forth, leaving streaks of brilliance. Engrossed in the painting, Saimdang finally put it down and composed her emotions, wishing to let him know how she felt at this moment.

She could not remember when she last held a brush and she stared, at a loss, at the paper for some time, unable to calm down. She did not know how long had passed, but finally a drop of black ink dripped and spread on the paper, just like her own bitter regrets, which were being diffused.

 

8. The next day, Gyeom received the painting she sent back along with her poem, which he read repeatedly. From her carefully written calligraphy, he could feel her warmth; from her words, he could read her mind. Gyeom remembered how they would write poems on each other's paintings. Those were such precious moments. It seemed like only yesterday that they sat under the myrtle tree, inscribing poetry on the Mt. Geumgang painting. Those memories that seemed to have faded with time, now danced in front of his eyes once more, igniting his passion to draw again. Carefully, he kept her poem inside his sleeve. 

 

9. As Gyeom's popularity increased exponentially, the jealous ministers brought their complaints to the king. However, the king made no decision, but merely observed. Keeping Gyeom by his side was a selfish move on his part. Since the Year of the Rabbit, the ministers had plotted to keep the king isolated and alone, whereas King Jungjong hoped to extricate himself from the control of these crafty ministers. In addition, he needed someone whom he could be open with, without needing to watch his every word, and this was where Gyeom came in. Despite the absence of any legitimate reasons, King Jungjong hoped that Gyeom would remain by his side. Before, the ministers had no proper cause for objection, and thus they accepted the king's decision, tolerating Gyeom's presence. However, now he had become a thorn in their side, or rather, he had crossed the line, enabling them to proclaim him as a problem. Thus, the ministers along with MCH, were eager to grab the opportunity to blow up the issue, using the excuse that their real concern was the people surrounding Gyeom, who were proponents for freedom and had little regard for the law, that would influence the man who currently had no political aspirations. Finally, King Jungjong said that he would see for himself the paintings that were a threat to the nation's peace.

 

10. As he flipped through the landscape paintings one by one, King Jungjong exclaimed that he had never seen such paintings in his life, much to the discomfit of the ministers. Gyeom calmly asked with a smile if he could take that as a compliment. To an artist, creativity is considered a compliment, not an insult, and the landscape paintings King Jungjong had seen in the past were boring and without life, unlike the ones before him.

 

11. Several sheds were erected further down from the Han River bridge, home to the beggars in Hanyang. YWS had no way of entering the beggars' area, nor could he stay on top of the bridge where the Yangbans came and went, so could only hide underneath the bridge. Starving for days, his eyes sunken and lifeless, his face yellow and haggard, his hair unkempt, he looked exactly like a vagabond, that even the beggars would walk to one side when they saw him. When he first came to Hanyang ahead of his family with the house deed, he was like an unstoppable storm. In the past, he was always seen as a superfluous son-in-law, not daring to even raise his voice. With the move to Hanyang, he finally had the chance to be a true head of the household. Apart from nursing such grievances, he wanted to gain the respect of Saimdang and his children. However, life always seemed to be against him. First failing the state examinations numerous times, now even the gods had abandoned him. He should never have listened to his friend who gave him the inside tip to buy a particular piece of land which supposedly had been earmarked to build the inner palace, an investment that would bring several hundredfolds in returns. Now his friend had disappeared with his house deed and his own money, and he had searched the whole of Soojinbang for three months, short of the rat holes, for his friend in vain. He finally decided to search for the family he dared not face, but after two days, still failed to find them. Could it be even his family had disappeared on him? Just as he knelt to the ground, about to cry, he suddenly heard a familiar voice calling "Father!"

 

12. The thought of facing his wife terrified him. However, Saimdang did not say a word, but provided him with a clean change of clothes and a hot meal. Faced with such a wife, YWS was even more afraid. If she were like other women who scolded and nagged, he would have been more at ease. However, Saimdang treated him like a guest whom she had no feelings for, maintaining a rigid sense of propriety. Despite having shared a bed for 20 years, YWS still found his wife unapproachable. There seemed to be an invisible line between them, and no matter how hard he tried, YWS could not break down the cold walls that his wife had erected.

 

13. His romantic overtures rebuffed, YWS felt bad, like he was being treated like a guest. Still, his situation now was heaven compared to what he endured before, and he repeatedly reminded himself that he could not end up under the bridge once more.

 

14. Early next morning, Saimdang could hear the laughter of her children, but could not help feeling upset. No matter how bad he was, he was still the father of her children. The very fact that their father was home gave her children peace of mind, like there was a solid wall protecting them. After breakfast, YWS immediately went into the room and played with his children the whole morning, from pretending to be a ghost, to throwing stones, and telling them stories of ancient legends. No matter how unreliable a husband he was, how impossible it was for her to love him as a man, unconsciously, he had become an irreplaceable father for the children. As such, Saimdang wondered whether she should open her heart to him after all.

 

15. As he was preparing to leave Biikdang, MCH saw a 4-year old child stumble to the ground by his feet. Despite his cold-blooded nature, he was a father after all and so he picked the boy up, unable to just ignore what was going on. Just then, a woman whom he assumed to be the boy's mother, rushed towards them then stopped short in her tracks, frozen and unable to move. Her coarse clothes were at odds with her beauty, and MCH felt that she looked familiar. The boy, noticing his mother, ran towards her. However, the mother for some unknown reason, appeared to be in shock and trembled violently. Perplexed, MCH alighted his sedan chair. At that moment, the woman grasped her skirt, carried her son and rushed hurriedly away. A few days later, MCH finally understood that the woman he met outside Biikdang was Saimdang, the owner of the carnation hair ribbon, the girl who should have died by his sword 20 years ago.

 

16. Under the warm sunlight that bathed the living room, SJY read Saimdang's diary, feeling keenly the realism of the writing, which was so similar to what she was currently going through. Chills ran down her spine as she read of MCH's chance encounter with Saimdang, and she was sure Saimdang must have been frightened out of her wits. She could relate to Saimdang's experiences, as she recalled how Prof. Min trampled over her like she was no more than a worm, and the hatred and fear arose once more within her.

 

17. Putting down the book, she went to the room, and taking the Portrait of a Beauty out of the closet, hung it upon a nail on the wall. Just as GHJ said, there was a resemblance between the woman in the painting and herself. She shifted her gaze to the mirror beside her and stared for a long time at the bare face, the thin woman in a grey embroidered dress, before returning her gaze to the painting. 
"Why have you appeared before me? You... what is the reason?"
The woman in the portrait had an inexplicable sadness in her eyes which gazed wordlessly at SJY, and she in turn really wanted to know what had happened. It mattered not whether it was in dreams or reality, she wanted to be able to see Saimdang personally, and hear the answers from her own lips. 

 

18. GHJ showed them the John Donne poem written in Hangul. The handwriting, which is totally different from the Hanja of the diary, indicated that this was not written by Saimdang. SJY's mind was in a turmoil as she wondered who the writer of the poem could be. Just then, suddenly a scene played out in her mind like a movie. 

An elegant woman wearing hanbok was writing the Valediction poem with a brush on goryeoji paper. A man with his back towards her, was facing the ocean. The woman approached the man, and gave him a letter and a pouch filled with Dianthus Chinensis seeds. He then placed a necklace with a Biikjo seal around her neck. Just then, Saimdang's face shifted into focus, fingering the seal with a sorrowful smile.

"Ahh..." the goryeoji paper fell from SJY's hand to the ground. Feeling faint from the shift between illusion and reality, she settled heavily on to the chair. 
"Do you feel dizzy?" GHJ asked anxiously.
"No...I'm fine... I'm fine.." SJY unconsciously touched her own neck. The Biikjo seal had seemed as if it were on her own neck, and a wave of confusion flooded over her.

 

19. When Prof. Min chanced in on them, SJY quickly stepped on the poem, shielding it from his eyes. Seeing Prof. Min distracted by HSH, she quickly passed the poem to GHJ, who hid it along with the diary, inside her coat.

 

20. Returning to the university, Prof. Min instructed his teaching assistants to find a way to obtain the images captured in the restoration lab. Several weeks ago, he had word that SJY and HSH were going around with an old manuscript, investigating who knows what, and had gotten his assistants to follow them around. However, they had nothing useful to report. The only thing that could be verified was in GHJ's lab. The images captured on screen in the lab were unclear, and he could not see what exactly the three of them were looking at on the table. He had noticed their actions before he entered the room, but he had no idea what the paper contained, nor what they were examining. 

 

21. Prof. Min was deeply frustrated. He sensed that Director Sun had been avoiding his calls of late, and there were rumours that a strong candidate for the post of chancellor was the Head of Department of Social Science. After all the money he poured into social gatherings, rumours now arose that the Ministry of Culture were still uncertain about designating the Mt. Geumgang painting as a national treasure. On top of that, he could not be sure if the manuscript SJY's team held, had anything to do with the Mt. Geumgang painting. Having the Mt. Geumgang painting designated as a national treasure was Prof. Min's once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to advance his career, and this concerned both his reputation and pride. As such, if anyone dared stand in his way, he would not let them off easily.

[gerrytan8063]

@liddi

Great reading over lunch

 

[liddi]

@Jay Gatsby Thank you for your kind words. The novel does provide interesting insights to the drama and I can't wait to find out more  

@Farah Ayuni I too am so glad that the thread has not become a ghost town after the drama ended  As for the text on the postcard, I concur with @gerrytan8063 that there is no romantic indication, at least not from the RADE founder to SJY. If there was any hint of romance, for me, it has to do with the allusion to Saimdang and Gyeom, requesting for her to be brought to where his soul still remained, waiting for her. Just my two cents...

@gerrytan8063 Thank you for your kind words  The subtle differences in the novel, especially with SJY's visions, has me hoping and hopeful that perhaps we will get a better explanation of the supernatural elements surrounding SJY, Saimdang, and perhaps even Gyeom and the intrepid RADE founder. Fingers crossed it will be so, but first things first, we need the publication of Vol 2 to already be underway 

[lusciousgy]

i wish I am able to read the novel but a huge thanks to @liddi for sharing the novel's write up here. I cried again watching the final episode today..I thought I was already out of it since I've had quite a busy week since. 

[gerrytan8063]

@liddi

"we need the publication of Vol 2 to already be underway "

Some news on the Korean website

I screen capture this ad on a Korean site

http://www.yes24.com/Event/01_Book/2017/OT0328Saimdang.aspx?CategoryNumber=001

At the bottom there is mentioned "<사임당-빛의 일기> 下 5월 (月) 출간 (出刊) 예정

Saimdang Light Diary 2nd volume (下) will be published in May, no date provided

[liddi]

@gerrytan8063 Thank you for the information! It is a form of relief to know that the news from Korea and the tentative date I received from Humanbooks Taiwan are roughly the same, in other words the publication will commence some time this month. If my previous experience is anything to go by, it would be another month from now before I get my hands on the novel  Regardless, better late than never, and fingers and toes crossed that nothing derails that plan.

@lusciousgy You're most welcome. Like you, I can definitely relate to being just as affected during rewatches. I still feel the same way when I revisit certain scenes, be it through through the drama or the novel. And I think it certainly speaks volumes about the quality of the drama itself, to be able to still have such an impact on those of us who love it, even now  

[gerrytan8063]

@liddi

"It is a form of relief to know that the news from Korea and the tentative date I received from Humanbooks Taiwan are roughly the same, in other words the publication will commence some time this month. "

It is already mid-May & no actual date provided

[liddi]

@gerrytan8063 Please don't shatter the sliver of hope that I am clinging to  Now I'll have to cross my fingers and toes even harder from here on til the end of the month!  

[liddi]

We gain a markedly different perspective of YWS and the children, particularly Hyun Ryong. Here we see less of YWS as a buffoon, but more a man who struggles in the presence of a brilliant wife. Likewise, the children, Hyun Ryong in particular are a lot less like brats, and have a greater empathy for their mother.

Novel Vol 1: Part 2 Dark Memoirs
Chapter 11

1. That night, Saimdang found sleep elusive. The two things she found out that day were the source of pain that she could not erase. The first was realising that Gyeom had moved into a tiled mansion with the plaque "Biikdang". The second was the fact that MCH was a frequent presence at the place. The memories of the Woonpyeongsa massacre remained as fresh as ever, and while she previously knew MCH must be someone who wielded great power in court, she never dreamt that he would appear right before her eyes. She desperately wanted to warn Gyeom immediately about him, but she did not even know how to begin. Was it the night she broke off their engagement and married another man? Or was it the day she cut herself while carving the Biikjo seal, and went to her father's room to borrow his carving tool? No matter how she thought about it, she could not bring herself to speak about it. As she continued to struggle with herself, dawn slowly broke.

 

2. The moment they moved to Hanyang, it had been Hyun Ryong's fondest dream to be able to study in the famed Central District School, but that dream shattered when they moved into the dilapidated house. His mother continued to persevere, but as she struggled to support the family, she had grown pale and thin, her eyes haunted by anxiety. In the face of all she was going through, he could not bring himself to voice out his hopes of studying in the school. And so young Hyun Ryong merely buried his dreams deep within his heart, spending days in the back room, reading the dusty old books.

 

3. Discovering the copy of King Jungjong's poem in a book that he had not read before, he showed it to his mother, who immediately went into the room and secured the door with a spoon. Hands shaking, she opened the paper. It was definitely the poem King Jungjong gave her father. First her meeting with MCH, now to see this poem resurface in front of her. All the wounds she had kept in her heart began to hurt once more, and she found it difficult to breathe.

She had revisited the events of 20 years ago countless times. What might have happened if only she had not carved the Biikjo seal for Gyeom, had not gone to her father's room to borrow the sculpting knife, had not headed for Woonpyeongsa the next day? She would never have seen the unconscionable acts that happened there, would never have added the fateful poem to her drawing and given it to the girl, would not have caused the death of the pitiful drifters. If so, her father would not have died in such a manner, and her marriage to Gyeom... all these were in the past, one which could never be changed. She must swallow the guilt and bitterness, as only then would she be able to continue to live. Sighing heavily, she hid the poem deep within the recesses of her closet.

Leaving the room, she found the downcast Hyun Ryong and told him in a serious tone to never reveal what he had read earlier, and to avoid going to the back room for the time being. "You won't allow me to go to school, and now I can't even read in the back room. What then do you expect me to do?" Distraught, he ran out of the house.

 

4. When Hyun Ryong asked if Baek In Geol knew his grandfather, the man's voice choked. To him, Shin Myeong Hwa was not merely his senior in politics, but his teacher in Chinese literature. The day the older man was implicated in the literati purge and exiled, Baek In Geol too resigned from his post and returned to his home town. He never regretted his decision to follow in Shin Myeong Hwa's footsteps. Although he could no longer hold a government post and had to be content with being a teacher in a district school, he still missed the times spent with Shin Myeong Hwa, drinking, and discussing politics and literature into the night.

 

5. The persimmon seller hauled the children by their ears back to Saimdang, who could hardly believe what she heard. When they kept quiet, her world felt like it was shattered. One could choose not to trust anything in the world, except the trust parents have for their children. The realisation that her children had done such dishonest deeds, broke her heart exceedingly. She placated the persimmon seller with apologies and some money, and sent him on his way.

 

6. The worst part of it all was not just the fact that they stole and were caught, but that they did not apologise to their mother, but began to give more and more excuses for their behaviour. As he was beaten, Seon cried, "We stole only because we were hungry! When we were in Bukpyeong village, we could have persimmons whenever we wished. Since we moved to Hanyang, we can't even remember the last time we ate to our fill, much less had any persimmons!"  The word "hunger" was like a whiplash to Saimdang, while YWS too started to defend his oldest son, asking her not to punish him anymore. However, Seon turned around and blamed his father for the hardships they were facing. Taking his lead, Hyun Ryong and Mae Chang followed suit. At their words, YWS reddened and avoided their gaze. Just then Saimdang ordered them to be quiet. The children's inability to admit their wrongdoing was worse than their act of stealing, blaming instead their environment and everyone else. What was even more unacceptable than heaping blame on their situation, was their attitude of contradicting and attacking their parents. Saimdang could not allow the children to continue in this way, so suppressing her own depressed mood, she stood up and told them to get changed.

 

7. YWS and the children followed Saimdang out of Soojinbang, through the forrest, and up the mountain to an empty expanse of land. When asked where they were, she told them that the entire land from where they started their journey, all belonged to them. "This is the land that your father prepared for all of you. We are not destitute, but well off!"
"My wife..." YWS' eyes were red-rimmed in gratitude, realising that she was doing this to establish their children's trust and respect in him.
"Have you forgotten this is the land we bought, in exchange for moving into that rundown house?"
"Y..yes, of course I know... although I never really surveyed the land before... so it is actually here..." In shame, YWS answered with lowered eyes.

 

8. When the children began to complain that the land was barren, Saimdang had them close their eyes and allow their other senses to take over, which in turn set their imaginations free. Saimdang looked at her children with love. At times, life may be beautiful, at others, it may be harsh. It was her hope that her children would always see the beauty in life, and it seemed her children understood her heart, as they began to look around excitedly and imagine the endless possibilities there, their laughter filling the air. Thus, Saimdang and YWS had the rare opportunity to be like ordinary parents, watching their children's playful antics together with gratitude and joy.

 

9. SJY's days were spent giving tuition, and working as a substitute driver at night, before reading the Soojinbang Diary until the wee hours of morning, with barely any rest. As such, the dark circles in her eyes grew more pronounced and she often felt dizzy, seeing stars. She could still cope with the physical fatigue, but the mental exhaustion weighed on her far more. Her resentment and worry for her husband tormented her, while her mother-in-law was cold to her like never before, the gap of which she could not bridge. Meanwhile, Eun Soo resorted to telling his classmates that his father was on overseas assignment to Hong Kong, and they too would all be joining him, which pained her even more. The pressing fear of loan sharks, as well as Prof. Min closing in haunted her, and now even GHJ's lab was no longer a safe place for them. On the other hand, her gratitude towards GHJ and HSH had exceeded that of mere friends.

 

10. JMS waylaid her on the way home, and insisted that she agree to a divorce. Going home, she kept caressing Eun Soo's face, unable to accept how things could have come to this. Faced with such a cruel reality, she still found herself unable to cry her heart out, unable to breathe. Pulling her son into her embrace, she closed her eyes, bitterly afraid of the coming of the dawn. How good it would be if she need never wake up.

In her dream, the muddy path made it difficult to move forward, while a thick fog blocked her view, almost like an otherworldly place. Although she could not see anything, and there were no identifiable landmarks, she could tell she was on a mountain, which she instinctively knew to be Mt. Geumgang. She walked blindly in the fog, before chancing upon a valley, the oppressive silence around it suffocating her. Suddenly a raging bonfire appeared before her eyes, and someone was throwing painting after painting into it. The flames swallowed paintings of mountains and rivers, flowers and birds, portraits. No, this cannot be. Although she tried hard to reach out, she could not get close to the fire. Just then, another painting was thrown in. The Biikjo seal was clearly imprinted on the paper - it was the Mt. Geumgang painting. A man jumped in and fought hard to save the painting with no regard for his own safety. At last, having successfully saved the Mt Geumgang painting, he cried in anguish as he clung tightly on to it.

With a start, SJY woke up in a cold sweat and looked around. By her side, Eun Soo turned and kicked away the blanket. Covering him properly, she then sat against the wall. It was only a dream, yet it was vivid enough to be almost real. Who could it have been, who threw the Mt. Geumgang painting into the fire? And who was the man who fought so desperately to save it?

[hmseen]

Wow! I really need to catch up with the episodes... I am only at the first few episodes and like someone pointed to me much much earlier... I am definitely getting hooked to this drama.. tho it is already over... but I can binge... and reading some of the interpretations from the novel and the drama really heightened my interest to quickly get through all the episodes to the end... thanks for all those info... it would be a great help while I binge watch them all and reading at the same time...  I wish I can get hold of the Korean version novel...  

[liddi]

Not sure if these were already shared... but sharing them again anyway even if they had. Miss them...

cr. kpinews.co.kr

[hmseen]

7 minutes ago, liddi said:

Not sure if these were already shared... but sharing them again anyway even if they had. Miss them...

cr. kpinews.co.kr

 

Perfect couple... it has been many years since seung hoon had any drama/movie done... and it is quite refreshing to see him in this critically acclaimed novel adaptation drama... and I wonder what is his next project! thanks for sharing @liddi

[gerrytan8063]

@liddi

Thank you...great reading

"The first was realising that Gyeom had moved into a tiled mansion with the plaque "Biikdang". "

"a tiled mansion" is known as a Giwa jib (기와집), hanok house with a tiles roofing

It was what the type of residence that Madam Gwon was pestering Yi Won Su for

[liddi]

@gerrytan8063 Thank you for the clarification as to the kind of residence it is referring to. I wonder if Mdm. Gwon ever got her wish, since the drama shows Saimdang still in the house they moved to Hanyang, which had no tiling on the roof as far I am able to tell  Were such residences specific to royalty and Yangbans, or were they available to whoever had the finances to own one?

@hmseen It is good to know that this drama is drawing you in, and I'm glad that translations and discussions are helping to fan your interest too  Please do share your thoughts here as you progress through the drama! As for SSH and LYA... it was really amusing because initially, even before there were any scenes between Gyeom and Saimdang as adults, there were comments about how LYA had far better chemistry with YSJ, and little to none with SSH. Now, I don't think it is possible to deny the exquisitely beautiful, unforgettable chemistry between LYA and SSH, bringing to life the timeless love story of Saimdang and Gyeom. 

[gerrytan8063]

@liddi

"Were such residences specific to royalty and Yangbans, or were they available to whoever had the finances to own one?"

The real estate with the different roofing comes with what you can afford

Generally there are 3 type of roofing or real estate in old Korean houses 

Thatcher roof known as Chogajib (초가집,草家)

Something in between which is Gulpijib (굴피집, Bark Shingled Roof) which is Roof tiles makes out of oak bark (Gulpi) usually found in Gangwon-do province

Lastly is Giwajib (기와집) which was mentioned in the previous posting

[liddi]

@gerrytan8063 Interestingly enough, the novel describes the eerie house Saimdang and her children moved into as 瓦屋 tiled house, albeit broken and rundown, which probably meant the previous owners were well-to-do, but abandoned it some time or rather, perhaps due to the fact that they had no wish to stay next to a deposed queen. Just my conjecture!

Compare that to the drama, which depicted the house they inherited from Saimdang's mother as a tiled house,

and the rundown house (which Saimdang remained to the end of her days) as one with a thatched roof:

Is it usual for the main wife and concubine to reside under one roof in Joseon times? If so, Mdm Gwon, at least in the drama, must be frustrated not to live in a tiled house after all  

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think you once mentioned that there are no records of YWS' posterity with his concubine. Were the children from such unions, if any, not eligible to be entered into the family book of geneology 族譜?

[plainenglish]

15 hours ago, hmseen said:

Wow! I really need to catch up with the episodes... I am only at the first few episodes and like someone pointed to me much much earlier... I am definitely getting hooked to this drama

To help you appreciate SLD more and for your binge watching, the spoiler-free synopsis can help you; surf to https://campusconnection.blogspot.com/2017/01/saimdang-lights-diary-synopsis-by-episode.html

 

15 hours ago, hmseen said:

it has been many years since seung hoon had any drama/movie done... and it is quite refreshing to see him in this critically acclaimed novel adaptation drama... and I wonder what is his next project!

Please read "Song Seung-heon courted for Saimdang PD’s next drama" at http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/01/song-seung-heon-courted-for-saimdang-pds-next-drama/

"... his next drama will be an adaptation of the novel Wind, Clouds, and Rain, about the political rivalry between Empress Myeongseong and Heungseon Daewongun in late Joseon."