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

[gerrytan8063]

@liddi

"Well spotted on the mistake in the captions in terms of the century. I can't read Hangul, but I managed to spot typos in Siesta di Luna, which they spelt "Siesta de Luna". Ah well... "

It should be "Siesta Di Luna"

My Italian is rusty.....but it should be "Di" as in a simple preposition to show possession like Moon's Sleep

While if you use "De" it is basically use in Spanish or Portuguese & even French

[liddi]

@saimdang You're most welcome. And yes, Saimdang's wall-scaling escapade and the affair of the flying skirt were described in Chapter 3 but I did not mention them here since they were pretty much the same as what we have seen in the drama. I will only describe the scenes that we have not seen, or are different from the drama. Now, we have three versions to contend with... the things we do for the love of this drama!  

@gerrytan8063 Yes I agree that it should be "Siesta di Luna", not "Siesta de Luna" as written in the captions. And if we need additional confirmation, Gyeom's painstaking sculpting of the sign and the name of the manor should be sufficient. Unless Gyeom himself couldn't spell either  

[gerrytan8063]

@liddi

"Yes I agree that it should be "Siesta di Luna", not "Siesta de Luna" as written in the captions. And if we need additional confirmation,"

Maybe the person who did the caption is not proficient in his "ABC"

Most Korean doesn't know or remember the sequence of the 26 alphabets from A to Z 

[YongZura⁷]

@liddi, i seconded @Farah Ayuni's suggestion. 

Reading your translation of the novel does feel like reading your own writing.  Just wondering whether you are writing your own story somewhere.... love to read it.

[plainenglish]

In my SLD synopsis at https://campusconnection.blogspot.com/2017/01/saimdang-lights-diary-synopsis-by-episode.html I have added the sub-topic on the drama's use of the "China pinks" (dianthus) as a theme, I listed all the scenes where "China pinks" (*dianthus") is either shown or mentioned.

Episode 1: The shoes of the woman in “Portrait of a Joseon Beauty” is designed with China pinks.
Episode 2: During class with her father, Saimdang recites the poem “Dianthus” by Goryeo poet Jeung Seung-myung.
Episode 2: While Ji-yoon is in a trance, Saimdang’s son Woo gives her China pinks.
Episode 2: At the hospital, Ji-yoon drops the China pinks.
Episode 7: Seok Soon recites a poem about the dianthus flower that impresses Min Chi-hyung.
Episode 20: Ji-yoon’s son gives her a bracelet with China pinks design.
Episode 27: Ji-yoon gives her China pinks bracelet to Saimdang.
Episode 28 (Finale): Saimdang gives the China pinks bracelet to her daughter Mae-chang.
Episode 28 (Finale): Saimdang’s son Woo gives her the China pinks that he found on the beach.
Episode 28 (Finale): Saimdang waves goodbye to her family with the China pinks.
Episode 28 (Finale): Ji-yoon finds China pinks in Siesta Di Luna’s courtyard.
Episode 28 (Finale): Ji-yoon wears a hair band with a China pinks design.

Questions:

(1) Do you know of other scenes where the China pinks (dianthus) is .shown or mentioned? (I just remembered that the posts and doors of the temple housing the painting of the Buddhist goddess in Ep. 3, SBS also have China pinks motif.)

(2) Are the green-colored bracelets that Saimdang made (Ep. 2 or 3) for Lee Gyeom and herself also designed using China pinks?

(3) In the Episode 2 scene where Saimdang is asked by her father to recite a poem, the subtitles use "peony" in the poem's text. But then Saimdang says that the poem is “Dianthus” by Goryeo poet Jeung Seung-myung. But isn't "peony" different from "China pinks"?

 

 

[gerrytan8063]

@plainenglish

" Do you know of other scenes where the China pinks (dianthus) is .shown or mentioned? "

What i can remember

When Seo Ji Yun move to the smaller apartment, she decided to pick herself by doing some slight renovation like painting, she & her son planted Pae Raeng-i (China Pink) in their flower trough

"In the Episode 2 scene where Saimdang is asked by her father to recite a poem, the subtitles use "peony" in the poem's text. But then Saimdang says that the poem is “Dianthus” by Goryeo poet Jeung Seung-myung. But isn't "peony" different from "China pinks"?"

I posted the Dianthus poem Seok Juk Hwa (석죽화, 石竹花) from Goryeo Dynasty Minister Jeong Seub Myeong (정습명,鄭襲明 1076-1151) on page 23

The scientific name between China Pink & Peony is different, Peony is known as Ham Bak Kkot (함박꽃,芍藥, Paeonia lactiflora) mentioned in the thread in page 35, while China Pink is Dianthus chinensis (석죽화, 石竹花)

[liddi]

@plainenglish @gerrytan8063 I believe the peony 牡丹 described in the poem 石竹花 석죽화 that they were reciting, is not a mistranslation on the part of the subtitles. Rather it is a comparison between the vibrant peony and the humble Dianthus flower, which is so beautiful and fragrant, but not as appreciated because it is found in remote areas.

世愛牡丹紅 세애모단홍 Everyone only loves red peonies
裁培滿院中 재배만원중 and grows them in gardens
誰知荒草野 수지황초야 However, who knew in this desolate wilderness
亦有好花叢 역유호화총 such beautiful flowers can be found?
色透村塘月 색투촌당월 Its color penetrates the moonlight on the town's pond,
香傳娘樹風 향전낭수풍 and its scent spreads with the breeze through trees on the hill.
地偏公子少 지편공자소 Noble gentlemen hardly visit this remote countryside
嬌態屬田翁 교태촉전옹 So its beauty is now owned by an old farmer

cr. seelotus.com (Chinese, Korean text), English translation adapted from Viki, iflix subs

[liddi]

I truly love this chapter, that had me alternating between laughter and tears...

Novel Vol 1: Part 2 Dark Memoirs
Chapter 9

1. Saimdang bought the dilapidated house next to deposed Queen Shin with the emergency funds provided by her mother as well as the money from selling some unused family belongings, including the rare ink stick. Previously, when she chose to return the ink stick to Gyeom, it was out of the intention of burying the unforgettable words he once said to her, deep within the far reaches of her heart. Now, unable to bear watching her children homeless and freezing, she could only reluctantly sell it despite the pain it cost her, akin to cutting off a part of herself. 

 

2. The house had been abandoned for a long time, with an eerie air and strange smells. The paper on the door were all shredded and torn, while the front door swung wildly on its hinges like it was going to fall off any minute. Weeds had overgrown the interior of the house and it seemed as if something would jump out at any moment. The chirping of mice could be heard throughout the house, and the mice scuttled everywhere, looking for a place to hide. Seeing the rodents, Mae Chang and Hyang screamed in fear and hugged each other tightly, curled in a corner. Seon understood that he was the oldest son, so with a solemn, tragic expression, he balled his fists and cast his eyes upon the rundown house. Hyun Ryong was filled with dread, but plucked up his courage and held Wu's hand tightly, wondering if a ghost would jump out from within. The more he looked, the more his hairs stood on end. On this particular day, even the skies were dark, accentuating the creepiness of the atmosphere. It looked like it would rain heavily soon.

"At least we will have shelter from the rain, right? No matter what, let us go in and take a look," Saimdang coaxed her children.

Just then, torrential rain fell, accompanied by lightning and thunder. The moment the rain poured, the already rickety eaves fell off the roof with a crash. The frightened children jumped into their mother's arms, and were finally convinced to go into the house. 

Children would be children. One moment they were huddled in fear beside their mother, the next moment, the pitter patter of rain captivated them and they stared entranced at the ceiling.

"The rain sounds like a melody," Wu told his mother, eyes shining.
"So it does," Saimdang replied, ruffling her son's hair, unable to hide the sadness in her smile.

Following Wu's lead, the other children began to hunt for the melody of dripping water. Eyes filled with love, Saimdang joined in and sang along with her children, exceedingly grateful that their smiles and laughter were not lost despite the hardships they were facing. As she sang with her children to the melody of the dripping rain, she made up her mind not to resent her foolish husband. She would not be discouraged even though she was standing in a house that was ready to collapse. Once again, she reminded herself that she must protect her children's cheerful smiles.

 

3. Saimdang's rundown house could not compare with Hwieumdang's luxurious manor. Twenty years ago, after giving MCH the painting book and hair ribbon, Seok Soon followed him back to Hanyang, and became his concubine. Not long after that, his barren wife suddenly died of unknown causes, and Hwieumdang, who had given him two sons, was promoted to become the lady of the manor. To MCH, Hwieumdang was an instrument of great value, whereas she had perfectly covered up her miserable past to become the most influential lady in the capital.

 

4. As MCH praised Hwieumdang's meticulous preparations for the Yongdu gathering with his unique laughter, she could not help but feel chills down her spine. Her expression darkened, being all too well acquainted with MCH's cruelty and ruthlessness. She knew that one day she too would outlive her usefulness to him and meet the same fate as his previous wife, and the thought of it filled her with immeasurable dread.

 

5. When MCH mentioned Prince Euisung to Hwieumdang, it was conversational, having no clue of their past association, and her carefully masked expression revealed nothing to him. The first moment she could, she excused herself to avoid her husband noticing how shaken she was.

 

6. Gyeom whose request for an annulment caused an uproar in court, went ahead smoothly with King Jungjong's support. Seven days after his ascension to the throne, King Jungjong was forced to depose of the wife who had been with him through thick and thin, and be separated forever from her. Now, the bitter memories of long ago became the impetus for his impassioned, unrelenting support of Gyeom's request in the face of overwhelming opposition. As a result, Gyeom acquiesced to the king's wishes to stay in Hanyang for a while, the time of which was spent in the arms of gisaengs, flagrantly wasting his life away, much to the regret of all who knew of his potential, but could do nothing except hope that one day he would find himself once more.

 

7. When the young minister brought up the issue of taxes which resulted in the poor being saddled with debt, King Jungjong immediately asked for the matter to be looked into, seeing it as an opportunity to introduce reforms. However, in the face of the very vocal opposition from the three State Councillors and all present, he maintained a neutral expression and continued drinking. Finally, Gyeom asked to be excused, saying he was out of place in such esteemed company. At this, King Jungjong broke out in laughter which he had kept well under control before, and gave him leave to do so.

 

8. As Gyeom was leaving, he bumped into a servant carrying food which spilled all over his silk garment. In fear, the servant knelt trembling before him, but Gyeom laughed it off as he wiped the spillage off himself, assuring that it was fine. Just then, Hwieumdang was passing by. Her heart beat furiously as she realised that he was exactly the same as before, be it in looks or his dealings with people. Forcibly calming herself, she moved towards him, reminding herself that she was no longer a tavern owner's daughter, but the mistress of the mansion. Wanting to face Gyeom as equals in her new status, she thought of approaching him apologetically and offering him a change of clothes. However, just then, Gyeom moved past Hwieumdang without a backward glance and left, just like strangers passing by in the marketplace. He had totally forgotten who she was. Her sorrow compounded as the realisation washed over her and she stood frozen there, rooted to the spot like a forgotten statue.

 

9. When Gyeom realised that Saimdang had sold off the ink stick, it was as if all strength had left his body, and he thought, "To think those memories meant so little to her! In the end, those days held no value to her at all!" After buying the ink stick, he spent several days in search of her all over Soojinbang. He could not believe his ears when a servant told him she was staying in a dilapidated house, and had to see it with his own eyes.  

 

10. Standing outside the house, he could not believe the sight before his eyes. A wobbly roof, shaky beam pillars, a muddy courtyard, broken windows - to think that she was living in such a rundown house. Saimdang came from a prestigious family, and although their finances had been affected by Shin Myeong Hwa's passing, there was no way she could have ended up in such dire straits, not to mention she had a husband to depend on. He could not bring himself to approach, merely stare coldly with mixed emotions.

 

11. As she prepared to hang the laundry, she suddenly felt a piercing stare upon her. Looking up, she saw Gyeom standing outside the walls, watching her with an indescribable expression in his eyes. Shocked, never expecting to see him here, she was lost for words and the clothes she was holding fell to the ground. There they stood until the sun went down, unable to look away, while the hanging clothes fluttered in the breeze.

 

12. Gyeom's eyes were filled with grief and anger and he railed at her husband who was a total mess and abandoned his own wife in this way. When Saimdang rebuked him, reminding that he was her husband and the father of her children, he shot back asking if it was for such a life that she cast him aside. Upon her reminder to be mindful of his words, he sarcastically asked if she was still so self-righteous, to which she retorted that she was not ashamed. Even if she was an ordinary woman, working endlessly without any rest, and living in a rundown house, she had nothing to be ashamed of, since she was taking responsibility for her chosen life, unlike him, who was wasting his life away.

 

13. Saimdang was just as shocked to hear the words that flew out of her mouth. All these years, she had been resigned to the misfortunes that came her way and endured them all, not once feeling that she was demeaned, only that this was fate, and continually telling herself that she had to persevere. However, at this moment, Gyeom's words unexpectedly awoken another part of her, her true self, one who had a positive, optimistic outlook on life. Similarly, Gyeom was taken aback and could not deny the truth of the words which pierced his heart.

With tears in her eyes, Saimdang continued, "The immeasurably talented man whom I loved so deeply twenty years ago... is no more. That is what truly grieves me and makes me miserable... far more than abject poverty!"
Like a man caught unprepared a torrential rainfall, he could find no response, but only let her continue.

"You said [my husband] is a total mess? In my eyes, that is a perfect description of you!" With the harsh parting words, Saimdang turned on her heel and walked off.
At a loss, he watched her retreating figure, then turned his eyes to the sky. The glow of sunset filled the sky in dazzling colours, and he stood there gazing at it for quite some time as if he had never seen it before. Finally, with heavy footsteps, he walked away like a child who had just learnt to walk, one awkward step at a time.

 

14. As she watched the dawn break, Saimdang recalled her words from the night before, hoping that these would not bring his destruction, but balm for his wounds. She truly hoped that he would have a good life from here on. Similarly, she wanted him to see that she was living well, not willing that she became his burden and caused him to worry. Thus, she called her children together and motivated them to work on making their house a home. That afternoon, they each took a basket and climbed to the back of the mountain. Seon was responsible for digging for the plants for the garden, while Mae Chang dug the seedlings of fragrant flowers. Saimdang and Hyang hunted for edible wild vegetables, as Hyun Ryong and Wu looked for usable stones. Slowly, bright smiles replaced the initial reluctance and the children began to enjoy themselves. Going home, Saimdang and the children rolled up their sleeves and got down to work. The plants were neatly planted in the garden, while the stones were transformed into footpaths. Mixing mud with water, Seon fixed the leaking well while Hyang and Mae Chang planted cockscomb and dianthus blossoms in the garden. In a corner of the courtyard, Saimdang and Hyun Ryong prepared an area for planting eggplants, cucumbers and other vegetables. The children were happy to see that any area they touched was transformed. Seon, initially filled with grouses and dissatisfaction, would now laugh heartily each time he saw the well he fixed. The house that was once tattered had become a warm, clean home filled with beauty.

 

15. A month had passed since that day, during which Gyeom spent holed up in his darkened quarters, trying unsuccessfully to recapture the inspiration that enabled him to paint. Early one morning, he headed over to Saimdang's house, and was stunned to see the sight before him. What was clearly a dilapidated house a month ago had been totally transformed. A delicate windchime tinkled in the breeze, while the broken tiles were patched up with wooden boards. The paper on the windows had all been changed, and were carefully decorated with flower petals. The once barren courtyard was now covered with greenery, and a stone footpath marked the way. A vegetable garden lay on one side, while flowers grew on another, its fragrance carried by the breeze. Saimdang was sitting at the cleanly scrubbed hallway with her back against the pillar, coaxing her youngest child to sleep, the smile on her face akin to the glow of dawn illuminating the courtyard with its warmth. A young girl leaned closely against her, caressing the youngest child's foot with an innocent smile. The home and family painted a peaceful picture, the tenderness and deep love emanating from them gradually warming Gyeom's heart. His haggard face broke into a sorrowful smile, hot tears welling in his bloodshot eyes, a sense of grief and being moved overwhelming him.
"Those should have been my children. I should have been there by her side..." With these words that only he heard, he walked weakly away.

As he entered the courtyard, he started, noticing some puppies basking themselves in the sun. These were puppies reared by the servants. Two puppies, one brown, one black, were being nursed tenderly by their mother, while another was barking as it tried to climb on its mother's back. The lazy, peaceful afternoon seemed made especially for them and Gyeom, exceedingly moved, sat down on the ground beside them and watched the happy family for some time.

[gerrytan8063]

@liddi

Thank you for your translation

Shin Saimdang starting up her Goryeo paper mill enterprise

The Concern

The Vindictive

[gerrytan8063]

Seo Ji Yun & Shin Saimdang spruce up their dilapidated houses

Seo Ji Yun giving a new coat of paint

Shin Saimdang changing the hanji paper on the latticework of the windows

[liddi]

@Yongzura You are too kind. My translations do not do justice to the beautiful prose but I am glad you enjoy them. And no, I don't have any works posted anywhere... just wax lyrical on this platform when the mood hits me 

@gerrytan8063 I truly love that scene as Saimdang and SJY are lending their personal touches to their individual rundown homes... accentuating the parallels between their lives despite being 500 years apart, proving that they are not that very different after all. And again, the book highlights even more instances of the dianthus chinensis flower and its place in Saimdang's life.

[gerrytan8063]

@liddi

.....the person who did the caption is not proficient in his "ABC".....

I will need to get a few of these from the Souvenior/Gift shop

[jadore1]

@liddi These chapters are making me cry liddi... even though i watched everything , reading something i completely immerse myself ..i am truly grateful to be able to read these chapters ...as well as knowing how much work it takes to bring it to us. Com sum ni da liddi 

[liddi]

@saimdang Thank you very much for your kind words. I too had been tearing up as I read the novel... some scenes of which already moved me to tears in the drama, and some, which I never expected to cry over, particularly Gyeom's aching monologue when he saw Saimdang's family. The horror of her children at the first sight of their house had me chuckling, and the descriptions of their warmth left a glow in me too. Not to mention the fun spotting the differences ala @gerrytan8063's favourite pasttime  Am truly grateful to scriptwriter Park for releasing the novel, which accords us, in some ways, a different perspective, in others, a more detailed understanding of the characters that she had created. 7 more chapters left in Vol 1, and still waiting (im)patiently for news of Vol 2 to be published. Really hope that it does see the light of day...

@gerrytan8063 I guess the person doing the captions could blame Gyeom for his poor sculpting, making it hard to tell whether it was an "i" or an "e"  

Are the bracelets a commonly found accessory in Korea, or were they specifically made for the drama? As for the green ones young Saimdang gifted Gyeom, I think those are normal lover's knots bracelets, the pattern of which looks similar to this... what do you think?

cr. miesby.wordpress.com

[Mari95]

Why saimdang fail in Korea?
1. the drama is serious and sad, where young people of korea now prefer dramas that entertain.
2. the plot is easy to guess
3. from the beginning viewers already know Saimdang and Lee Gyoum will not be together
4. the story of Saimdang's struggle is not well conveyed. This drama even accentuated her tragic life story not her talent.
5. the story of the modern era is also not interesting.

Why rating is so important?
Because this greatly affects the artist and the actor in the future.
If this drama fails, it will be difficult for the artist and the actor to get a sponsor for the future project.

Usually immediately after a successful drama, the actor and the artist will get a lot of advertising offers. Because the drama is not successful in korea, both LYA and SSH do not get new ad bids. But I still hope they both are still given the opportunity to play in a good drama. Hope there are still sponsors who want to fund their drama later.

[gerrytan8063]

@liddi

"Are the bracelets a commonly found accessory in Korea, or were they specifically made for the drama? "

Koreans have a traditional handicraft known as "Mae Deup (매듭, literally knots).

It is usually a craft done by Korean women of the Yanban class in their boudoir known as Gyubang (규방,閨房)

Different type of Mae Deup (매듭)

Norigae (노리개) that have dahoe (cord), maedeup (knots), sul (tassels).

Shin Saimdang wearing Norigae in her hanbok

[liddi]

@gerrytan8063 Thank you for the insight into the mae deup craft, which looks to be similar to the Chinese decorative handicraft 中国结 "Chinese knot" that hailed from the Tang, Song and later Ming eras. Were you able to tell what the pattern on the green bracelets represent?

 

Norigae is so pretty! Is there a particular meaning to the one that Saimdang wore in Gyeom's dreams in Tuscany? 

[plainenglish]

(1) Actress Lee Young-ae donates to local hospital at http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2017/03/15/0200000000AEN20170315012600315.html

SEOUL, March 15 (Yonhap) -- Popular actress Lee Young-ae has donated to a local hospital in Gangneung where her recent drama was shot.

Earlier this month, Lee made the donation of 100 million won (US$87,450) to Asan Hospital in the city, in Gangwon Province, asking that the money be used to treat poor patients.

She stayed in the city for months from late 2015 to shoot her latest drama "Saimdang, Memoir of Colors," now showing on SBS TV.

(2) Lee Young-ae donates to hospital at http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3032404 (Apr 19, 2017)

(3) Lee Young-ae donates P6.5M for low-income moms at http://entertainment.mb.com.ph/2017/05/01/lee-young-ae-donates-p6-5m-for-low-income-moms/ (May 1, 2017)

This makes me love LYA even more!

[gerrytan8063]

@liddi

"Were you able to tell what the pattern on the green bracelets represent?"

 According to these catalog......It could be the Gukhwa MaeDeup (국화매듭, Chrysanthemum knot, top line 4th from the left)

 

[Jay Gatsby]

@liddi OMG! Thank you a lot for these chapter... Novel is more interesting.