들레의 문화일지

reya ☽ i write about korean musicals & literature ☽ 들레 @ twitter

[deulleya]

"smile for me, bosie, my dorian."

the fifteenth instalment of my musical translation series — a tale of literature and love based on the life and works of oscar wilde, painted in the colours of desire and seduction.

the videos are not mine, but all translations are my own.

musical: wild grey (와일드 그레이)

cast (2023): [oscar wilde] jungmin, park minsung, kim kyoungsu • [alfred "bosie" douglas] jung hwi, jeong jaehwan, kim rihyun, yoon seokho • [robert ross] ki sejung, ahn jihwan, kim jihoon

synopsis: the three people who dream of freedom, between art and reality. amidst the strict conventions and principles of 19th century london, oscar wilde's novel "the picture of dorian gray" is subjected to widespread criticism for its controversial themes. wilde's ex-lover and current friend robert ross advises him to amend his drafts, until the dispirited wilde encounters a charming boy — alfred "bosie" douglas — who closely resembles dorian. perhaps it is not that art imitates life, but that life imitates art...

production: new production (twitter / youtube)

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살로메 – salome

jeong jaehwan as bosie, kim kyoungsu as wilde, kim jihoon as ross

[Bosie] This is the logic of power. The only way for the weak to wrest power from the strong is through either submission, or seduction.

[Ross] A daughter seduces her father on the stage? Even the church won’t let it slide this time.

[Bosie] Then, ought she to beg? Submission can yield one’s desire, but it lacks charm — for one can do nothing but grovel. Only seduction can protect oneself, while still obtaining what one desires.

[Ross] Spoken like a professional. You must be seasoned at it.

[Bosie] It certainly isn’t my first time.

[Bosie] For I’ve once desired something forbidden Things I cannot even begin to speak aloud The moment I realised they were unattainable It was akin to the thirst of drinking saltwater

[Ross] You claim the only methods to obtain one’s desire are seduction and submission — isn’t that too much of a false dichotomy? Furthermore, Salome failed in seducing Jokanaan.

[Bosie] Salome was able to seduce the king, for he was more powerful than her. Yet she failed to seduce Jokanaan, for she held more power than him. And so, ultimately, she used that power. To have him.

[Wilde] Ah, surely they don’t teach you such things at Oxford. Where did you learn all this?

[Bosie] I simply know everything. Especially when it comes to your works.

[Bosie] How about you, have you desired such? Things you cannot even begin to speak aloud Things you sought to obtain at all costs The moment you realised they were unattainable

[Wilde] After seducing the king, Salome requested for Jokanaan’s head. The severed head was served up to her on a silver platter,

[Bosie] And she kissed those lips.

[Ross] Satisfying one’s own desires is not love, but a selfish act.

[Bosie] How naive. In the first place, all love is selfish. Even Salome’s mother, in a bid to eliminate the Jokanaan who criticised her so, made use of her own daughter. But Mom, I won’t merely be used. For Jokanaan is utterly charming!

[Bosie] Salome wanted it

[Wilde] The Baptist’s lips

[Wilde, Bosie] The forbidden joy

[Bosie] Salome detested it

[Wilde] If she couldn’t obtain it

[Wilde, Bosie] She desired it even if she had to kill

[Ross] I’m leaving first.

[Bosie] The audience departs. Now, only Herod and Salome remain.

[Wilde] Then, try seducing the king.

[Bosie] You said you had something for me? There must be something at stake, to form a goal for seduction. Is this… really me?

[Wilde] Now, have you found a goal?

[Bosie] Salome draped seven layers of veils Over her young and beautiful body, and danced One layer, and one layer The seven veils are falling

[Bosie (Wilde)] One layer (one layer); one layer (one layer)

[Wilde, Bosie] The veils of my heart are falling

[Bosie] The only path to be rid of seduction, is to submit to that seduction.

[ based on oscar wilde's play salome. ]

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도리안 – dorian

jeong jaehwan as bosie, jungmin as wilde

[Bosie] For example?

[Wilde] To feel beauty. And so he fell into it, and in love. Beauty is absolute; it requires no reason nor comparison.

[Bosie] A perspective of extreme aestheticism. But corruption is different. For it is a rebellion against the principles set by society, and one must prepare to lose everything one possesses. Especially for someone like Dorian, a young and beautiful noble. He would need that reason even more.

[Wilde] How are you so sure?

[Bosie] Because I, too, wish to fall into corruption.

[Bosie] I was curious as to why Dorian had to die at the novel’s end Why he had to feel guilt For acting upon his desires

[Wilde] If I say that society exists even within a novel, and there are principles which drive that society?

[Bosie] Then it ultimately ends with him unable to attain freedom. For Dorian, who pursued hedonism, died to his conscience. Wasn’t it written because he wished to liberate himself from reality? The author, that is.

[Bosie] It was strange, how the other characters Felt natural, as if they were alive Yet Dorian, despite being the protagonist Why did he, alone, feel distant?

I read it several times and found the reason Though others may not know Even if people call you corrupted I don’t agree with such a notion

You don’t know Dorian Though you might think that you do Or perhaps you simply wish that you do

Since you cannot live the corrupted life That the world speaks of You don’t know me yet

But you will grow curious Perhaps you may even desire me

For I will live such a life, here

[ based on oscar wilde's novel the picture of dorian gray. ]

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당신의 눈 – your eyes

jeong jaehwan as bosie (park minsung as wilde)

Quietly, erasing the world And stopping time in a stifled breath In this moment

Within your eyes That gently embrace me When you look at me My heart is soothed When I walk with you I am no longer afraid of the thick fog

Here, right now, it’s okay No matter what state we are in If it’s the two of us

Within the world of your eyes Here, right now, I am beautiful

I wish to stop time This moment feels like a mere dream A place where I can become No one, and nothing Now, I am no longer afraid Not even of my reflection I gaze at

Together with you In this moment with just the two of us

I won’t run away anymore Within the world of your eyes

[ original korean lyrics here. ]

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[deulleya]

"goodbye, sorrow."

the fourteenth instalment of my musical translation series — within a vampire's castle where secrets, sorrow, and sentimentality linger.

the videos are not mine, but all translations are my own.

musical: the count (백작)

cast: [the count] lee seunghyun, park kyuwon, lee jinhyeok • [v] kim jion, kwon taeha, jo sungpil

synopsis: only at night does the vampire count emerge from the poenari castle, to fight off the humans that seek to topple his undefeated legacy. tired of their relentless attacks, the count takes v — the son of the enemy general — hostage. but the boy looks strikingly familiar, and the count begins to recall his past...

production: mj starfish (twitter / youtube)

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슬픔이여, 안녕 – goodbye, sorrow

kwon taeha as theodora, lee seunghyun as the count

[Theodora] The Count met Theodora for the first time.

[The Count] How does she know my heart so well?

[Theodora] Theodora stroked the Count’s hair, and extended a greeting. Hello, sorrow.

[The Count] Hello.

[The Count] Will this sorrow pass?

[Theodora] I cannot know

[The Count] Will it ever pass?

[Theodora] I cannot begin to guess

[The Count] If you do not know anything

[Theodora] The path that sorrow takes

[The Count] Then why did you greet me

[Theodora] Although I cannot know it

[Theodora] I will stay here Until the night passes I will stay with you Until you fall asleep I will lend you my shoulder Until your feverish forehead cools I will lend you my night Until your soaked shoes dry

[The Count] Why must I live?

[Theodora] I cannot know

[The Count] Why is it disappearing?

[Theodora] I cannot begin to guess

[The Count] If you do not know anything

[Theodora] The path that love takes

[The Count] Then why did you approach me

[Theodora] Although I cannot know it

[Theodora] I will stay here Until the night passes I will stay with you Until you fall asleep I will lend you my knees As if there is nothing in the world I will lend you my night Until your black tears dry up

If the night is too short I will sing for you

[All] So that time flows slowly

[Theodora] If the night is too deep Dance together with me

[All] Perhaps a night rainbow may rise

[Theodora] Let’s meet again If sorrow finds you Call me If you lose your way

[The Count] What do I call you?

[Theodora] The fragrance of evening primroses.

[The Count] The fragrance of evening primroses?

[Theodora] No, the night sky.

[The Count] The night sky?

[Theodora] No, the stars.

[The Count] The stars?

[Theodora] No, Theodora.

[The Count] Theodora.

[All] God’s gift.

[Theodora] I will lend you my hand To pluck out the vicious thorns I will lend you my night For that is all I have

[All] Goodbye, sorrow

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은화 한 닢 – a single silver coin

lee jinhyeok as the count, kim jion as the soldier

[The Count] I sang on the night streets, for at night, there is always a place that needs a song. Even a hundred, two hundred, and a thousand years ago.

[The Count] With a single silver coin Come and invite me I will sing a song Of blessings for you For the children That were hurriedly born For the souls That left too soon

Within this blessing The path that you come on Will not sting your eyes

Within this blessing The path that you leave on Will not hurt your feet

With a single silver coin Come and invite me I will sing a song Of curses for you For the cowardly ones That throw stones at your back For the vulgar ones That spit from their hiding place

With the melody Of my curse I will cut off their hands for you

With the melody Of my curse I will tear their lips for you

[The Count] A quiet night, and an ominous premonition. The commander, who recruited vampire mercenaries to fight humans on the battlefield at night. He tossed a heavy sack of three hundred silver coins before me, ordering me to sing. I refused. He raised the stakes to three thousand silver coins. I spat, and refused. His subordinates bound my limbs, and the commander issued an order. “When the sun rises, throw him out to burn.” At that moment, one vampire soldier stepped forward, subduing them all and biting down on one. As if annoyed, the commander left. The soldier extended a hand to me. In his hand lay a single silver coin.

[Soldier] Will you sing for me?

[The Count] With a single silver coin Come and invite me I will sing a song Of prayer for you For the soldier That leaves for the battlefield For the soldier That cannot return

The sun, moon, stars, and rainbow All exist in that sky Even when the cold rain falls Even when the storm sweeps in Even when the snow blankets all Even on the solar and lunar eclipses The sun, moon, stars, and rainbow All exist in that sky

[The Count] No. Don’t go. Don’t fight under that commander.

[Soldier] Where else can I go?

[The Count] Even with a song of prayer I could not turn his path back

Even with a song of pain I could not turn his heart back

[ original korean lyrics here. ]

[deulleya]

"who am i? do i know myself?"

the thirteenth instalment of my musical translation series — in which a playwright and a painter connect across spatial and temporal barriers, seeking both inspiration and solace in each other, staged through a blend of post-impressionist paintings and the theatre of cruelty.

the videos are not mine, but all translations are my own.

musical: artaud, gogh (아르토, 고흐)

cast (2023): [antonin artaud] yoo seunghyun, ahn jaeyoung, yang jiwon • [vincent van gogh] cho poongrae, kim junyoung, park jwaheon • [the doctor] lim byeongkeun, lee hyeonghoon, lim byeol

synopsis: suffering from the aftereffects of meningitis and secluded in a mental institution, the playwright antonin artaud learns of the deceased painter vincent van gogh. gazing at the postcards of gogh's paintings, artaud sinks into the realm of his unconscious, seeking out gogh to validate his own creative beliefs. misunderstood and shunned by a world that does not understand their art, artaud and gogh soon find a kindred spirit in each other...

production: never ending play (twitter / youtube)

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마음 속 태양 – the sun in our hearts

kim junyoung as gogh, yoo seunghyun as artaud

[Gogh] Recall it; imagine it You just have to close your eyes The ocean in my heart is yellow And the sky in my imagination is green

Recall it; imagine it You just have to gaze at it for a long time Like the sun shining boundlessly in the dark universe There is a sun in our hearts too

Even if darkness encroaches upon our lives The sun in our hearts will not be extinguished Even if the sun sets in the twilight of our lives The sun in our hearts will burn a bright red

Life is lived to burn questions Asking and writhing endlessly Life is lived to burn questions Falling and climbing boundlessly

[Artaud] Gogh’s paint does not simply colour in the monochrome. He makes the stilled nature — the nature tied down and suppressed by society’s gaze — quiver and come to life without a care. With the steel hammer that is his paint, he makes all that was asleep dance.

[Gogh] Life is lived to burn questions Asking and writhing endlessly Life is lived to burn questions Falling and climbing boundlessly It is burning; it is burning

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링크 – link

kim junyoung as gogh, yoo seunghyun as artaud

[Artaud] Stars. Crows. Fields. Flowers. Trees. Skies. And again, stars.

[Artaud] I gaze at your painting I gaze at you, beyond your painting Your painting is burning Your questions are burning

Who are you? Do you know me? I want to meet you I want to ask you questions I want to burn you

[Gogh] I gaze at your face I gaze at you, beyond your face Your face is burning Your questions are burning

Who are you? Do you know me? I want to drink you I want to burn you I want to apply you

[All] If I burn you, can I know the answer? If I drink you, can I escape? If I apply you, can I live on? Who are you? (Who are you?) I burn you (I burn you)

The crow cries The fields dance The wine-coloured path Knocks on the afterlife’s door Passing by the gloomy underworld’s door The mystical door of the afterlife appears

[Artaud/Gogh] The straw hat / Dazzles the eyes The pipe between your lips / Gazes at you The torment of losing an ear / The abyssal waters of his calloused hand

[All] Engulfs him, sorrowfully

[Artaud] Wrapping not bandages, but paint Around his scorched hand

[Gogh] Carving the pain of scars Not into the heart, but upon the white wall

[All] Applying its paint onto the white wall Suffering moves my hand; I am alive Sorrow moves my hand; I am alive I am alive

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자연 – nature

kim junyoung as gogh, kim juho as the doctor, yoo seunghyun as artaud

[Doctor] Your two eyes are gazing towards death Your two hands are shaking with seizures Your sorrow, your seizures A madness and a curse

[Gogh] My two eyes are gazing towards nature My two hands are painting beyond nature My body is the wind, my body is a tree The sun and the universe

[Doctor] This brush is a knife that stabs you

[Gogh] This paint is the blood that cleanses my soul

[Doctor] In order to save your body

[Gogh] I must meet that person This brush is a knife that dismantles the world

[Doctor] This paint is the blood you spill

[Gogh] In order to protect my soul

[Doctor] You must kill your soul

[Doctor / Gogh] Sorrow / My body is the wind Seizures / My body is a tree Madness / My body is the sun Curse / My body is the universe

[Gogh / Doctor] Sorrow / Your sorrow Seizures / Your seizures Madness / Your madness Curse / Your curse

[All] Sorrow, seizures, madness, curse Sorrow, seizures, madness, curse

[Gogh] My body is the universe

[Doctor] Your curse

[D] This brush is a knife that stabs you [G] Sorrow, seizures

[D] Madness, curse [G] This paint is the blood that cleanses my soul

[D] In order to save your body [G] Sorrow, seizures

[D] Madness, curse [G] I must meet that person

[All] This brush is a knife that dismantles the world This paint is the blood that you spill In order to protect my soul You must kill your soul

[Doctor / Gogh / Artaud] Sorrow. / Wind. / The sorrowful wind. Seizures. / Tree. / The tree seizes. Madness. / Sun. / The sun’s madness Curse. / Universe. / Curses the universe.

[Gogh] You hear it too, don’t you? The voice calling to me from afar.

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산책 – a walk

yoo seunghyun as artaud, kim junyoung as gogh

[Artaud] It's dazzling; your painting Your two eyes that gaze at the world Your life, that falters as it walks Your life, torn apart by distorted eyes

[Gogh] It’s mystical; your mask Your two eyes that go beyond the world Your life, that falters as it walks Your life, shattered upon the era’s noise

[Artaud] Like seeds, the torn painting Is sown in the barren ground

[Gogh] Like salt, the shattered mask Is soaked by the cold ocean

[Artaud] When flowers bloom from the dry ground

[Gogh] When flowers bloom above the ocean

[All] May you be born again May you be born again

[A] It dazzles; your painting [G] It’s mystical; your mask

[A] Your two eyes that gaze at the world [G] Your two eyes that go beyond the world

[A] Your life, that falters as it walks [G] Your life, that falters as it walks

[A] Your life, torn apart by distorted eyes [G] Your life, shattered upon the era’s noise

[Artaud] It's dazzling; your painting

[Gogh] It’s mystical; your mask

[ original korean lyrics here. ]

[deulleya]

"people don't seem like people."

the twelfth instalment of my musical translation series — a gathering of scholars, in an inequitable world, and the political conflicts that ensue.

the videos are not mine, but all translations are my own.

musical: deungdeunggok (등등곡) (登登曲)

cast: [kim yeongwoon] kim jaebeom, yoo seunghyun, kim zychul • [choi yoon] kim bada, jeong jaehwan, ahn jeehwan • [cho] kang chan, park junhwi, kim seohwan • [jeong jinmyeong] park sunyeong, kim kyungrok • [yi gyeongshin] hwang doohyun, lim taehyun

synopsis: 1591, joseon. in the capital city of hanyang, young scholars gather unbeknownst to others. wearing strange masks, they begin a pastime of song and dance, termed deungdeunggok. "people are not people. since there is no meaning after death, let us play while we live!" and so the four noblemen's sons and one serf play, each of them concealing secrets and ambitions that may soon fracture them along political factions...

production: ninestory (twitter / youtube)

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등등곡 (登登曲) – deungdeunggok

yoo seunghyun as kim yeongwoon, jeong jaehwan as choi yoon, park junhwi as cho, kim kyungrok as jeong jinmyeong, lim taehyun as yi gyeongshin

[Jeong Jinmyeong] Today, too, you’ve worked hard acting like scholars!

[Yi Gyeongshin] Commence the scene! The eodukshini has arrived

[Cho] Open the gates! The revered ghosts have come

[Choi Yoon] Lay down your lives! The phantoms are watching

[Kim Yeongwoon] Play the music! The dokkaebi are dancing

[All] People don’t seem like people People don’t seem like people People don’t seem like people

[GS] Once you’re dead, what use is it all!

[JM] While you’re alive, enjoy it to the fullest!

[GS] Commence the scene! The eodukshini has arrived [C] Open the gates! The revered ghosts have come [Y] Lay down your lives! The phantoms are watching [YW] Play the music! The dokkaebi are dancing

[GS] Dance, with excitement [C] Sing, till your throat rips [Y] Eat, till your stomach bursts [JM] Get drunk on wine [YW] Till you die

[GS] Dance, with excitement [C] Sing, till your throat rips [Y] Eat, till your stomach bursts [JM] Get drunk on wine [YW] Till you die

[All] A reign of peace, a reign of peace Peace in the world, peace in the world

People don’t seem like people People don’t seem like people People don’t seem like people

[YW] Once you’re dead, what use is it all Enjoy it now!

[ in korean folklore, the eodukshini is a spectre that dwells in the darkness and grows larger when perceived. the dokkaebi is a goblin-like ghoul that enjoys both tricking and helping humans. ]

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그런 세상 – a world like that

jeong jaehwan as choi yoon, kim seohwan as cho

[Choi Yoon] A world without sorrowful acts, or sorrowful ones A world without wrongful acts, or wronged ones Where anyone can laugh and chatter And dance and sing to their heart’s content A world like that; if such a world comes If it could truly change Could we live in such a world?

[Cho] In such a world Where a son can call his mother’s name aloud In such a world Where one can live on, not hating one’s father, but loving him without holding back

[C (Y)] Like that (like that) Freely (freely)

[Y/C] A world like that A vast world that embraces all its people Such a world, that we dream of together

[Choi Yoon] That is the path toward your convictions. Do not apologise, and till the very end, do not falter. …Let us meet again on a better day.

[Choi Yoon] A world without forlorn acts, or forlorn ones A world without woeful acts, or woeful ones Where anyone can laugh and chatter And dance and sing to their heart’s content

[Y/C] A world like that; if such a world comes

[Cho] Could we become friends, then?

[Choi Yoon] I shall live, simply, without holding back

[Cho] If such a world comes

[Y] A world that we wish for [C] That we wish for

[Y/C] A world like that

[ original korean lyrics here. ]

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그래도 가겠다 – even so, i will go

kim jaebeom as kim yeongwoon, jeong jaehwan as choi yoon, kang chan as cho

[Kim Yeongwoon] The night deepens, and the path is erased The wind stops, and the cloud halts in its tracks What was I hoping for, that I came all the way here? In this darkness, I wander, lost

[Choi Yoon] I held fast to my will, but the path disappeared I harboured a dream, but I stood facing a wall Was what I hoped for all an illusion? Within this darkness, I am trapped

[YW] I cannot see, even an inch ahead

[Y] I cannot go, even a step forward

[YW, Y] A world in which we are born as people Then live and die as people Can I not go to such a world?

[Cho] Even so, I will go I will go to you Even if this fate has already diverged Even if this fate’s end is already set in stone Ah, I will go to you For you are someone who came to me I will go to you

[YW] Even if I cannot see

[Y] Even if I cannot go

[All] Even if there is no path I will go where my will leads me A world in which we are born as people Then live and die as people Towards such a world, I

[YW / Y / C] Even so, I will go Till the end / To tomorrow / I will go to you

[YW] Even if this fate has already diverged Even if this fate’s end is already set in stone

[YW / Y / C] Till the end / To tomorrow / I will go to you

[All] For it is a destiny that came to me I will go

I will go, through this darkness Putting my all on the line Even so, I will go

[ jeong jaehwan focus cam here, kim jaebeom focus cam here ]

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영운 (嶺雲) – yeongwoon

yoo seunghyun as kim yeongwoon

That cloud, above the mountain ridges, which embroidered the midday The sun sets; to where is it bound? It seems that cloud, which embraced the azure skies Failed to rise fully above the sky

Is this Heaven’s will? A purpose unable to be fulfilled? Perhaps the destiny bestowed upon me Is a forlorn, preordained fate Had it been an ending written in stone?

Come, cloud, rise above the skies Rise further, rise beyond the skies The pledge I swore, to establish A world where all stand beneath the sky And all are equal

Come, cloud, rise above the skies Rise further, rise beyond the skies Come, unfurl a new sky And unfold a new era I bury this vow in my chest So that I may remember it in my next life Shame on you! I shall watch what will become of you

With these hands, I opened this chapter And so, with these hands, I shall close it

[ kim zychul's version here, studio version here. ninestory please give us kim jaebeom's version too ]

[deulleya]

"unburning, we are still alive."

the eleventh instalment of my musical translation series — in which a scratched car leads to a conspiracy, a makeover, a heist, and at the end of it all, a sobering realisation.

the videos are not mine, but all translations are my own.

musical: treadmill (트레드밀)

cast (2023): [a] jeong donghwa, yoon seungwoo, ban jeongmo, kim taehyeong • [b] yu taeyul, kim junyoung, kim bangeon, shin hyucksu (shin subin)

synopsis: having lost his parents to an arson attack, A works at the premium car wash "washing zone," cleaning cars by hand in order to repay his inherited debt. humiliated by the car wash's rich clients and the red button they incessantly press, it's all A can do to suppress his frustration, work diligently, and look forward to the arrival of the one client who smiles kindly at him — until, to his horror, he accidentally scratches her car. right then, the mysterious stranger B appears at the car wash, goading the belittled A into expressing his indignance and venting his anger. if A can't pay to fix the scratch, he can just extort money from a criminal. swept along in B's scheme, A finds himself liberated from his demeaning drudgery — but will he truly be able to start a new life, or is he simply running in place?

production: studio vibe stone (twitter / youtube)

[ this musical will be streaming online here! ]

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트레드밀 – treadmill

shin hyucksu as B (kim taehyeong as A)

That those actions, chosen thoughtlessly Tormented someone’s life Can you admit to it? That you, yourself, are an assailant

If those words, spat out thoughtlessly Carved my destiny How would I feel? If it were me, I’d shoot it all

The inevitable treadmill It’s not going forward Circling in place The inescapable treadmill

Treadmill

Can you believe it? That all the things you believed were right Are actually ruining your destiny. So, don’t be mistaken. This world isn’t all that beautiful.

The trigger beneath my finger When can I pull it? Towards the stench of destiny The treadmill you’ve chosen Get rid of your fear Shake up your destiny, treadmill

Treadmill

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악취 – the stench

jeong donghwa as A

Rising with the setting sun The stench that stings my nose All that my effort and exhaustion produces Is the acrid stench soaked into my body

Everything that I believed was right A day where all of that disappeared No matter how hard I try Reality is cold, once again

I pray that I may escape Even if only for one day, today I pray that I may disappear Even if only for one hour, today

The car, smashed into blackened bits Me, who’s reached the alley’s dead end If my prayers are illusions If they are unbearable scars There is no other choice

I pray that I may escape Even if only for one day, please I pray that I may disappear Even if only for one hour, please

So that I may escape, so that I may escape So that I may escape, so that I may escape

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왜 내 말이 틀려 – why, am i wrong?

kim junyoung as B (jeong donghwa as A)

How is this a crime? This is nothing compared to that red button of yours.

C’mon, try to refute it Why can’t you say anything? I know what it is you’re feeling

It’s your dulled heart And your bowed head That’s a crime Why, am I wrong?

Even if you run Even if you sprint The inescapable red button That’s your destiny

Conforming And being tamed The irreversible red button That’s you

Why did you come to me? Those emotions, burning deep within your heart Even when humiliated, you pretend not to know Your bruised heart

You, who neglects yourself. That’s a crime, y’know?

Even if you run Even if you sprint The inescapable red button That’s your destiny

Conforming And being tamed The irreversible red button That’s you

If you try running And try sprinting You can escape it The red button; your destiny

Express it And smash it up You can turn back The red button; that’s you

[ studio version here, with the full B cast. original korean lyrics here. ]

[deulleya]

"people leave, while art remains."

the tenth instalment of my musical translation series — a biographical tale chronicling the intersecting timelines of the essayist and artist kim hyang-an's life, spanning her marriages to a poet and then a painter, and how her love for art suffused every moment of her journey.

the video is not mine, but all translations are my own. (also, happy birthday kim eehoo!!)

musical: l'art reste (라흐 헤스트)

cast (2023): [kim hyang-an] lee jisook, choi sujin, j-min • [kim whanki] kim jonggoo, yoon seokwon, park youngsu • [byun donglim] lim chanmin, park juyeon, kim eehoo • [yi sang] jin taehwa, ahn jihwan, lim jinseop

synopsis: as the last moment of her life draws near, kim hyang-an reminisces on the path she's taken. while her time flows in reverse, the days of her youth as byun donglim tick forward. at the crossroads of her two names, her juxtaposed journeys, she turns the page upon a poignant farewell. les gens partent mais l’art reste — people leave, while art remains.

production: hong company (twitter / youtube)

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각설탕만 만지작 만지작 – fiddling with sugar cubes

kim eehoo as byun donglim, jin taehwa as yi sang

[Yi Sang] Today, will she come again? The bookworm that suddenly appeared in the Nakrang Parlour That girl, who walks alone amidst these unfortunate, ill-fated times

Fruitlessly, with these sugar cubes, I’m Fiddling, fiddling Fiddling, fiddling

[Yi Sang] She’s here again. Hello. Have you come to read today, too?

[Donglim] What else would I come for?

[Yi Sang] Simply to look around. Everyone’s basking in this atmosphere, after all. With a cup of coffee in front of them, they while their time away. No one comes solely to read books, other than you.

[Donglim] I like the coffee and music here. Isn’t that enough of a reason?

[Yi Sang] Of course. But still…

[Donglim] Goodbye.

[Yi Sang] What kind of person could she be? The enigmatic bookworm who flusters me She shines alone amidst these disgraceful times I’m fiddling with sugar cubes

[S] Fiddling [D] Fiddling

[Yi Sang] Excuse me…

[Donglim] What is it this time?

[Yi Sang] May I ask what book you’re reading?

[Donglim] The Brothers Karamazov.

[Yi Sang] A father and his sons, entangled in their desires; The prose steeped in good and evil, contempt and shame – You can understand it?

[Donglim] In this book, no complete humans exist. There are those who have a body, but lack a soul…

[Yi Sang] And there are those who lack a body, but are the very definition of a soul itself. This is simply…

[Donglim / Yi Sang] The human unconscious!

[Yi Sang] Could you… take a look at this poem?

[Donglim] A circle of an arbitrary radius The line that connects a point within To a point outside the circle The temporal influence of these existences Did the line murder the circle?

With black ink, towards the world The sugar cube boy who asks questions, in loneliness

What kind of person could he be? Again, with the sugar cubes, he’s Fiddling, fiddling Fiddling, fiddling

[Donglim / Yi Sang] Simply, in the Nakrang Parlour With the sugar cubes

[D] Fiddling [S] Fiddling

[D] Fiddling [S] Fiddling

[ original korean lyrics here. ]

[deulleya]

"sometimes, life resembles fiction more than fiction itself."

the ninth instalment of my musical translation series — the story of a washed-up author that receives a second chance through a passionate editor, until his fiction starts turning into reality.

the videos are not mine, but all translations are my own. (also, happy birthday kim junyoung!!)

musical: the fiction (더 픽션)

cast (2023): [gray hunt] kim dovin, yoo seunghyun, kim junyoung │ park yoodeok, ju minjin, jeong donghwa • [white hismann] choi hoseung, lim junhyuk, hwang minsu, park sanghyuk • [hue decker] kim seohwan, bak junhyung, hong sungwon

synopsis: 1932, new york. black, the protagonist of gray hunt's serialised fiction "the man without a shadow" has inexplicably appeared in reality. a serial killer who etches a stigma upon the criminals he murders, black — both the fictional character and the mysterious real-life vigilante — earn the fervent support of the public. then, abruptly, the serialisation ends with the death of the author. suspicious of the circumstances surrounding gray hunt's death, the detective hue decker confronts white hismann, the editor that approached gray hunt to revive his career and lift him out of obscurity...

production: hj culture (twitter / youtube)

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이번에는 – this time

kim junyoung as gray hunt

The sound of the clock ticking The sound of the pages turning My heart races

Don’t have any expectations Or you’ll be disappointed again Will this time be any different?

This side of me is unfamiliar It’s been a long time since I felt this way My stories, which felt like my own mutterings Can I share them with others now?

Writing my heart into each word, and every sentence Now I shall harbor a new dream, one I couldn’t see before The moment I’ve been waiting for is right before my eyes With each line of fiction, will I be able to convey hope?

Writing my heart into each word, and every sentence The story rides on the wind, reaching the world again Can it become a comforting ray of hope to someone? With each line of fiction, will I be able to change the world?

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낙인 – stigma

kim junyoung as gray hunt and black, park jungwon as white hismann

[White] “The Man Without a Shadow” – the final instalment? Black decided upon his last candidate for judgment. His footsteps traced a path to the author’s house. Then came the sound of a knocking upon the door.

[White] The black shadow, visible through the door’s gap The unwavering eyes The cold and unsettling expression

[White] The author came face-to-face with a black silhouette. And the dark shadow met his gaze.

[Black] Don’t be nervous You’re the one who created me, after all The story that you started It’s time for me to end it

[White] The author stepped backwards. One step, and again, another. Then there was no longer anywhere to retreat, or escape, to.

[White] Black’s shadow, that engulfed the author

[Black] Don’t act clueless This is what you’ve chosen Your writhing black desire Now, it’s time to pay the price

I, who brands stigma upon sinners That scar remains forever It’s the price for playing with human lives You shall reap what you’ve sown

It’s too late to turn back You’ve fallen into the trap you laid The world will remember the tragedy of your death As a comedy

[White / Black] I, who brands stigma upon sinners It shall be imprinted upon your heart Now, it’s your turn No heaven exists for you

This is the final judgment This is the end

[ non-spliced, full cam video for stigma here. ]

[ original korean lyrics here. ]

[deulleya]

"the artists of today, must sing of today."

the eighth instalment of my musical translation series — an omnibus musical about two notable portrait painters, chronicling their lives and their inspiration.

the videos are not mine, but all translations are my own.

musical: modigliani (모딜리아니) / egon schiele (에곤 실레)

cast (2023): [modigliani / egon schiele] yang jiwon, kim junyoung, hwang minsu, choi minu • [jeanne / wally] keumjo, park saehim, sun yuha • [art dealer / artist] kim mingang, sim suyoung, shin hyucksu (shin subin)

synopsis: the italian portrait painter amedeo modigliani, who drew the unconscious that is neither truth nor fiction; and the austrian expressionist painter egon schiele, who created self-portraits from the reflection he gazed at in the mirror. in amedeo's final moments, he reflects upon his life — his muse jeanne, whom he fell in love with; his first solo exhibition; and his lifelong wish for people to recognise the human unconscious in his paintings. as for egon, who had chafed under the rigid teachings of his art academy, his mentor klimt helped his art to flourish. together with his lover and muse wally, egon explored sensuality and sexuality in his paintings, only to find himself imprisoned amidst a scandalous accusation...

production: hj culture (twitter / youtube)

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르네상스 미술 – renaissance art

shin hyucksu as the artist, yang jiwon as egon schiele

[Artist] The great legacy that mankind has preserved till this day The exquisite beauty of Renaissance art For anyone who wishes to surpass it There is no other answer All we can do is follow in their footsteps

[Egon] I understand now! [Singer] Sit down. Again.

[Artist] Upon the plane of the paper The perspective that creates a spatial depth And the contrast of light and shadow Amplified through chiaroscuro

Through the rich colours made possible with oil paints And the steady pyramidal compositions Spread the beauty of humans far and wide

Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Titian All we can do is follow in their footsteps Following them, who completed the perfect Renaissance

The great legacy that mankind has preserved till this day The exquisite beauty of Renaissance art For anyone who wishes to surpass it There is no other answer All we can do is follow in their footsteps

[Egon] The great legacy that mankind has preserved till this day [Artist] Figure and proportion, composition and spatial depth

[Egon] The exquisite beauty of Renaissance art [Artist] These are the basics of painting

[Egon] For anyone who wishes to surpass it [Artist, Egon] There is no other answer [Egon] All we can do is follow in their footsteps

[ original korean lyrics here. ]

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창가에 햇빛이 들었으면 좋겠어 – i hope sunlight shines through your window

kim junyoung as amedeo modigliani, sun yuha as jeanne hébuterne

[Modigliani] Everyone says so That yesterday’s darkness will get better That tomorrow will be different

Yet, after saying that so easily They turn their backs and leave The words, “it’s okay,” that linger in the emptiness Only made me lonelier

That’s why, when the rain comes, I’ll be your umbrella I won’t say such trite words Right now, all I can do is To hold your hand and weather the rain together

I hope sunlight shines through your window I won’t comfort you merely with easy words Draw aside the curtains that covered you I will stay by your side

[Jeanne] Today, you’ve painted my eyes at last. [Modigliani] Let’s be each other’s models, forever. [Jeanne] Even after I die, I will stay with you. So that you will no longer be a stranger in this vast world.

[Modigliani] Forget yesterday, when we hadn’t known each other Don’t get caught up in the uncertainty of tomorrow So that, even after time passes We will remember today, when we were together

I hope sunlight shines through your window I won’t comfort you merely with easy words Draw aside the curtains that covered you I will stay by your side

[ original korean lyrics here. ]

[deulleya]

"am i a person, or a painting?"

the seventh instalment of my musical translation series, on the 7th day of the 7th month — 七七, 칠칠, chil chil, or seven seven. when a renowned joseon painter travels to the mountains to paint its landscapes, he is instead swept up in doubts regarding his past, his paintings, and his identity itself.

the videos are not mine, but all translations are my own. (also, happy 6th debut anniversary kim junyoung!!)

musical: seven seven (칠칠)

cast (2023): [choi buk] park kyuwon, ahn jaeyoung, kim junyoung • [mumyeong] jo sangwoong, song yootaek, kim hyunjin, hong kibeom • [wonjun] kim juho, lee sian

synopsis: joseon's first hwanjaengi — a derogatory term for a painter — choi buk. selling his paintings to earn a living, choi buk gains renown for his prowess as a landscape painter. yet he is prone to eccentricities such as soaking his paintings in water or tearing them up in front of a paying client, and his capricious nature leads others to distance themselves from him — save for his sole friend, mumyeong. hoping to paint a masterpiece, choi buk sets out for mount kumgang together with mumyeong, where he finds himself faced with the past he'd turned his back on. choi buk completes the painting, and when the pair return to hanyang, the influential politician wonjun approaches them to purchase it, offering to tell a story in return...

production: orchard musical (twitter / youtube)

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설강도가 – song of the snowy river painting

kim junyoung as choi buk, yoo seunghyun as mumyeong

[Choi Buk] In the capital, Choi Buk lives on, selling his paintings Even if a cold draught blows through the four walls Of the collapsed thatched-roof house He shuts the door all day, planning to paint the landscapes Ah, only the glass spectacles and wooden brush holder lie therein Only the glass spectacles and wooden brush holder

Selling a handful in the morning, and earning breakfast Selling a handful in the evening, and earning dinner Seating a guest upon the cushion worn thin from the frigid winter Out of sight, upon the little bridge Snowfall has gathered in a three-inch layer

Look here, when I come, will you draw me a snowy river painting? Look here, when I come, will you draw me a snowy river painting?

[Mumyeong] Rice is running out, and there is no firewood to last the winter. Even this paper you can’t live without has only a scant few pages left. You chase the clients who offer a high price away, claiming they have no eye for paintings. And as for the clients who do not offer a high price!

[Choi Buk] Of course, I chase them away, since they have no eye for paintings!

[Mumyeong] Poetry lies upon the spring wind’s bridge And I lie upon a donkey’s back amidst the snow The donkey, that is headed for the bridge Even if the village lady’s straw is crushed beneath the snow The lonely fishing boat floats, a lone leaf upon the water

[M] Why, so [C] In the capital

[M] Even if a cold draught blows through [C] Choi Buk sells his paintings

[M] The four walls of the thatched-roof house, collapsed [C] And lives on

[M] Within the snowstorm that weighs down the overcast valley [C] Shutting the door all day and painting the landscapes

[M] The sun sets, and a peach blossom [C] Out of sight, upon the little bridge

[M] Floats upon the water [C] The snowfall has gathered in a three-inch layer

[Choi Buk, Mumyeong] Look here, will you paint the spring mountains upon the snowflake paper once more? Look here, will you paint the spring mountains upon the snowflake paper once more?

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살아있다 – alive

kim junyoung as choi buk

I am still alive That which suits me keeps me living When my life ends someday Even if I wander in an empty void, still, I am

A world that hides nothing, for I am me A world that runs neither to me, nor away from me Living on, reaching out to that which descends upon me I am alive

I am still alive Within me, fervently Even as I despise myself, tormented, I live on as myself

Still, I am alive Within me, fervently Even as I despise myself, tormented, I live on as myself

Even if I turn to dust, I am here Even if I turn to dust, I am here, now, I am

I am alive

Even as I despise myself, tormented, I live on as myself I am still alive; within me, fervently Even if I turn to dust, I am Alive

[ 2022 version here. original korean lyrics here. ]

[deulleya]

"i don't belong here."

the sixth instalment of my musical translation series — adapted from antonio buero vallejo's play of the same name, this musical questions the binary nature of ideologies through the lens of attitudes toward disabilities.

the videos are not mine, but all translations are my own.

musical: in the burning darkness (타오르는 어둠 속에서)

cast: [carlos] park jungwon, yang heejun, noh yun • [juana] han jae-ah, ju daon • [ignacio] jeong jaehwan, hong seungan, yun jaeho • [doña pepita] lee youngmi, moon hyewon • [miguelín] lee jinhyeok, hwang seongjae • [elisa] jeon haejoo, sun yuha • [lolita] kim dowon • [esperanza] kim hayeon • [andrés] jo minho • [alberto] park joohyuk • [swing] kim dongjun, lee jiwoo

synopsis: in don pablo's school for the blind, the students walk around freely without canes. this is their utopia, where nothing in the world — especially not their lack of sight — can hold them back. then a transfer student by the name of ignacio arrives, clutching his cane like a lifeline. refusing to accept the idealistic facade of don pablo's students, ignacio denounces their misguided ideology. "you call yourselves sightless, trying to ignore the reality of your disability," ignacio says, "but in truth, you're all blind. we all are." while ignacio rationalises his suffering through his unfair lot in life, the students' leader carlos upholds optimism to disavow the limitations of their unseeing eyes. clinging fast to their own belief systems, carlos and ignacio inevitably clash — and their conflict heralds a chaos that will shake the very foundation that the school has been built upon.

production: new production (twitter / youtube)

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모두 장님이니까 – because we are all blind

jeong jaehwan as ignacio

No matter how brightly we carry ourselves Or how neatly we dress Some part of us will always look strange Because we are all blind

At times, we wear dark sunglasses Is it to look cool? No It’s to conceal our eyes, which have lost their focus

Other people’s disgust and pity, We all know it through experience The fact that our deadened eyes Cannot gaze at each other

No matter how we try to wear a smile Or how confidently we walk Or how we act as if nothing’s wrong In the end, we’ll always look strange

Because we’re all blind

Caught up in a futile world We believe the darkness is light, but that’s not it Unable to see anything at all, That’s us

Caught up in a futile world We believe the darkness is light, but that’s not it Unable to see anything at all, That’s us

Because all of us are, ultimately, Blind

[ studio version and original korean lyrics here. ]

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내 자리 – my place

noh yun, yang heejun, park jungwon as carlos

My place, which has disappeared Amidst the trembling of my body And the passing wind Everyone has left While I remain alone in this abandoned place

Amidst the nightmare that whips past And the dizzying darkness Everything has turned on its head While my exhausted footsteps lose their way

All that I had grown used to Now feels unfamiliar Even if the truths I’ve always believed in Are said to be false I will protect my place, for you

In this nightmare, you find me In this darkness, you call my name I will square my chastened shoulders Once again, for you

Even if everything is an illusion Even if everything is a shadow Here is the place I must be

Even if everything shatters Even if everything disappears Here is the place I must protect By your side I must find my way to it again

My place, for you My place, I will find it Again

[deulleya]

"lie and truth."

the fifth instalment of my musical translation series — entering an elite academy amidst shrewd lies and shocking truths. will friendship endure, or will betrayal tear them apart?

the video is not mine, but all translations are my own.

musical: eli (일라이)

cast: [lyon] yu taeyul, ki sejung, noh yun • [eli] bae nara, hong seungan, park jwaheon • [sophie] lee seoyoung, lee jiyeon • [alice] im yejin, seong minjae • [yulia] baek yeeun, sun yuha • [justin] shin hyucksu (shin subin), hong kibeom • [headmaster] jeong jaeheon, byun heesang

synopsis: in the prestigious brixton academy for the rich and elite, the scholarship student lyon and his best friend eli are lauded as role models for the student body. that is, until the transfer student sophie upends the status quo alongside whispers and rumours. amidst the burgeoning distrust, the students defend themselves with lies upon lies that shake the very foundation they've built themselves upon. everyone has secrets, yet everyone seeks the truth — but is the truth they yearn for truly the real truth? and is there even a real truth at all?

production: new production (twitter / youtube)

[ this musical will be streaming online here, here, and here (different cast each day). hyuckstin and nyun lyon!! ]

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일라이 230328 스페셜 커튼콜 - 하나만큼은 + 바람rep (노윤,박좌헌)

230328 뮤지컬 일라이 스페셜 커튼콜 - 하나만큼은 + 바람rep 1080p노윤, 박좌헌ⓒ 2023. RJ all rights reserved.재업로드 및 2차가공 금지

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하나만큼은 – at least one

+ 바람 rep. – wind (reprise)

noh yun as lyon, park jwaheon as eli

[Lyon] What are you doing?

[Eli] I have faith in you. Whatever comes your way, you’ll pull through. That’s who you are. The real problem is me. Nothing interests me nowadays. As expected, the righteous path of law ought to be treaded upon by someone like you. A righteous person, like you. Not someone like me.

[Lyon] What do you mean by that?

[Eli] Hey, should I just flunk an exam? Or perhaps I'll withdraw from the moot court? That way you’ll definitely get in, regardless of what Sophie does.

[Lyon] What do you think you’re saying?! We promised to enter the same university together. Look, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t even be here. You were the one who led me into this world. That’s why we have to keep going together, till the end!

[Eli] Lyon… I’m sorry. Calm down, okay?

[Lyon] …I’m sorry.

[Lyon] From a certain point Not a single thing has been going my way Not my grades, nor my evaluations, not even my emotions

The words that surface endlessly in my mind Perhaps the image you have of me May not be the real thing

Scared, fearful, unfamiliar, anxious These feelings, this side of me This isn’t who I am

I don’t want anything to change I’m going to live as I planned

[Lyon] When I’m with you, I can stay true to myself. The me whom you believe in. That side of me.

[Lyon] The future that I dream of I can’t let it crumble Can’t just this one thing Turn out the way I wish for? Without anything changing Even if it’s just the two of us

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[Lyon] Hey, that’s dangerous. Come back down—

[Eli] Lyon! You remember, right? You told me so — as long as I hold fast to my balance, I won’t be swayed!

[Lyon] I did..?

[Eli] Do you still remember? The day we first came to this place A school we’d never aimed for A dream we’d never harboured As if wearing ill-fitting clothes We were nothing but stifled

[Eli] C’mere. Ah, c’mon!

[Lyon] Coming.

[Eli] Ah, it’s refreshing!

[Lyon] Ah, it’s refreshing.

[Eli] Lyon.

[Eli] Do you remember that day? You told me, who felt trapped Not knowing where to head towards Or what to pursue, To feel the wind

[Lyon/Eli] Feel the wind If we feel it with our hearts Even without flying, we can soar As long as we don’t lose our balance We can be free, anywhere

[Eli] Hey, grab my hand! Grab it, grab it! Lyon. Shall I tell you a secret?

[Lyon] I have one too. A secret.

[ alternate pairings here (yu taeyul, bae nara) and here (ki sejung, hong seungan). ]

[deulleya]

"amoroso, beklemmt, intenso."

the fourth instalment of my musical translation series — following the creative process of a disillusioned composer as he struggles to regain his inspiration through murder. within the pages soaked in blood, lies a harrowing tale of friendship, ambition, love, guilt, and at the heart of it all, music.

the videos are not mine, but all translations are my own.

musical: sonata of a flame (광염 소나타)

cast (2024): [j] yang jiwon, kim zychul, hyun seokjoon, park junhwi • [s] kim kyoungsu, yoo seunghyun, yu taeyul, kim junyoung • [k] lee si-an, lim byeongkeun, lee hyunjae

synopsis: once hailed as a prodigy, the composer j now struggles to write even a single piece, stifled by the overwhelming success of his debut. fearing he will soon be forgotten by the world, j seeks out the acclaimed music professor k, hoping to revitalise his songwriting career. yet inspiration still does not strike — until the night j accidentally hits someone with his car. amidst the cloying scent of blood, a melody takes shape in his mind. that night, j feverishly pens the first movement of a sonata. learning the truth behind j's composition, k spurs j towards killing, and three more movements are crafted with spilled blood. the talented pianist s worries for his longtime friend j, all while j's inspiration dwindles yet again — and at last, k incites j to complete the final movement with the death of s. will j be able to finish writing his sonata?

the composer who completes his pieces through murder. the bloodstained five movements begin.

production: nangman barricade, theater yeonwoo (twitter / youtube)

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빛바래지지 않게 – so that the light doesn't fade

kim junyoung as s, yang jiwon as j

[S] What is it that you wanted to say? Hmm? You said you had something to tell me.

[J] I want to listen to your playing.

[S] What?

[J] Will you play for me, for the last time?

[S] I will, but only if you say it’s not the last time.

[J] I’m not joking around right now.

[S] I’m not joking around, either.

(S relents, then plays a silly tune on the piano.)

[J] What do you think you’re doing?!

[S] You look too solemn right now!

[J] Can’t you take me seriously for once?

[S] Then what should I play?

[J] A song that inspires you.

[S] Inspiration… Alright. The song I like most.

[S] Do you remember this? The first song you composed. Back then, when I hadn’t had any hope… Do you know what I thought upon hearing this song? "I want to pursue music too, just like you." Come here, let’s play together like we used to.

[S] Upon the keyboard, my fingers dance I’ll become the music notes, and you’ll become the rest signs Mormorando; quietly, as if whispering

[J] Sforzando; playing just that note with emphasis

[S] I'll quickly complete this music

[J] And go to you

[J, S] So that the light doesn’t fade

[ other pairings here (kim kyoungsu, kim zychul) and here (yoo seunghyun, yang jiwon), for different actors' interpretations of these characters and their (doomed) relationship. ]

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이름 없는 사람 – a person without a name

kim kyoungsu as s, park junhwi as j, lee hyunjae as k

[K] Do you know why I accepted him as my protégé? Those eyes. You wouldn’t know. I know that gaze better than anyone. The nature of that emotion. That anxiety, which you ultimately gave him.

[S] Don’t speak as if you know everything about us.

[K] It is impossible to linger forever in a fleeting moment of beauty. Realising that, he grew anxious. That’s why I helped him find freedom.

[S] Stop it! That filthy logic of yours is what pushed him to this extent. Why won’t you recognise that?

[S] A person, who respected Your music, to the tips of your fingers That person is eternally sacrificed within your greed With even his name erased

Those infernal late nights Born from your filthy lies How much did he tremble, in that darkness?

That so-called musical inspiration Has become an offering to your avarice As he composed pieces in that darkness How many tears did he shed?

[J] I can’t feel anything. Nothing at all!

[S] I wanted to see it The scene of you walking upon A path more torturous than death Even if, every night, I kill you again and again That person without a name can no longer return

My one and only person

[ bonus sitzprobe video, for a highlight medley of some numbers. ]

[ original korean lyrics here. ]

[deulleya]

"amongst us brothers, who is it that desired his death?"

the third instalment of my musical translation series — a classic work of russian literature, transposed to the stage. adapted from fyodor dostoyevsky's novel of the same name, this musical delves into the conflicting ideologies of four brothers in the wake of their father's death. what lies between action and intention, faith and reason, blood and bonds?

the video is not mine, but all translations are my own.

musical: the brothers karamazov (브라더스 까라마조프)

cast (2023): [fyodor] kim juho, shim jaehyun • [dmitri] yang seungri, choi hoseung, lee hyunghoon • [ivan] kim jaebeom, oh jonghyuk, kang jeongwoo • [alyosha] donghyun, jeong jaehwan, park sanghyuk • [smerdyakov] park jwaheon, kim rihyun, lee junu

synopsis: based on the novel by fyodor dostoyevsky, this is a tale of patricide intertwined with philosophical pondering. when the karamazov patriarch is murdered, suspicion brews amidst his four sons – the ex-soldier dmitri, the intellectual ivan, the devout alyosha, and the neglected smerdyakov. while the eldest son dmitri is apprehended as the prime suspect, the shared history between his half-brothers ivan and alyosha draws them closer, even as ivan's atheistic arguments antagonise alyosha's beliefs. as for the illegitimate smerdyakov, his inferior status belies his shrewd mind – and his scheming spurs the brothers to confront truths they'd turned a blind eye to all this while. where exactly does evil begin? what is faith founded upon? and how thick does blood truly run?

production: orchard musical company (twitter 1, 2 / youtube)

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헛소리 – nonsense

kim juho as fyodor, choi hoseung as dmitri, oh jonghyuk as ivan, jeong jaehwan as alyosha, lee junu as smerdyakov

[Smerdyakov] It’s not who carried out the act that’s important Rather, it’s who wanted it most that matters Amongst us brothers, who is it that desired his death? Who is it that wanted to kill our father?

[Alyosha] It’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense

[Ivan] Dmitri always said he’d kill our father Loathing each other over money And cursing each other over women Had our father not died, it would have been Dmitri

[Dmitri/Alyosha] It’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense

[Dmitri] Ivan turned his back on our father’s opinions Yet he despised his penniless self And his knowledge, that would gain him no coin He despised our father still, who looked upon him as a wastrel Had our father not died, he’d have remained within that disdain

[Ivan/Alyosha] Nonsense, nonsense, nonsense, nonsense

[Smerdyakov] Alyosha ran away, averting his eyes to all of our father’s filth Holding fast to his faith in God He stayed a bystander to his actual father As he grew closer to God’s sanctity He shuddered at our father’s filth He shuddered at our father’s filth Had his actual father not died Would he have been able to walk towards the Holy Father?

[Dmitri/Ivan/Alyosha] Nonsense, nonsense, nonsense, nonsense

[Alyosha] Smerdyakov, I am afraid of you I fear you, for you resemble our father There’s no other person who could have committed such an act But you, who from the very beginning have been insane

[D] If a person dies, can they go to Heaven? [I] Becoming a legless bird, that flies and nothing else [A] Mother, please tell me, who is my father? [S] Within faith always lies deceit

[D] If one dies, can one dream of ascending to Heaven? [I] All the bird can do is fly, for it has no place to rest [A] Who is it that emerged from your womb? [S] All of you, at least once, have struck me with gleeful blows

[D] If so, that would truly be enough [I] From the moment it grew afraid of what lies below [A] Now, I no longer know who I am [S] Putting on a noble act, and loving furtively

[D] Even if not a single person can remember my face [I] The day I touch the ground is merely the day I die [A] All that you bequeathed me are these seizures [S] Putting on an innocent act, and deceiving one another

[D/A] It’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense [I] With my own hands, I wish to tear all my father’s blood from my veins [S] Ah, ah, ah, ah–

[D/A] With my own hands, I wish to tear all my father’s blood from my veins [I] It’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense [S] Ah, ah, ah, ah–

[D/I/A] It’s nonsense [S] Ah–

[D] In warfare, barbarians have never once won, and thus [I] I shall become the most beautiful drowned corpse in this world, for you [A] One day, even I shall go insane as you have [S] Ah, ah, ah, ah–

[D] Now, I shall fear defeat no longer; if you’re afraid, raise the gun and shoot me [I] Let go of me, your lovely creation, and toss me away [A] That’s why I left for the monastery, lest the fear drive me insane [S] Ah, ah, ah, ah–

[All] It’s nonsense It’s nonsense!

[ alternate close-up video here, featuring the 2021 cast of kim juho (fyodor), cho poongrae (dmitri), yoo seunghyun (ivan), kim junyoung (alyosha), and choi sukjin (smerdyakov). ]

[ original korean lyrics here. ]

[deulleya]

"even a story written by someone like me."

the second instalment of my musical translation series — travelling back to the joseon era for a feminist tale of empowerment, dignity, and writing one's own past, present, and future.

the video is not mine, but all translations are my own.

musical: here, pihwadang (여기, 피화당)

cast: [gaeunbi] jeong inji, choi soojin, kim eehoo • [maehwa] jang boram, jeong daye • [gyehwa] baek yeeun, kwak nayoon • [huryang] cho poongrae, cho hun • [puppy] ryu chanyeol, lee chanryeol

synopsis: in the postwar landscape of late seventeenth-century joseon, the women who had been dragged away and violated by the invading qing army finally return home — to a country that shames them and families that scorn them. fleeing from the in-laws who plan to kill her to preserve their reputation, the noblewoman gaeunbi — together with her handmaiden gyehwa and the crossdressing swordswoman maehwa — seeks solace in a cave deep within the mountains. brought together by their shared trauma, the three women label their new abode "pihwadang," a place of refuge from misfortune. under the cloak of anonymity, gaeunbi writes stories that gain widespread popularity amongst the public. meanwhile, huryang writes to clear his father's name and criticise the country for its treatment of the women who returned from qing, but barely anyone pays him any attention. resolving to commission the renowned anonymous author so that his story can reach a wider audience, huryang sets off in search of the elusive writer with his loyal servant, gathering clues from gaeunbi's tale...

production: hong company (twitter / youtube)

[ this musical will be streaming online here! kim eehoo my love ]

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나 같은 사람이 쓴 이야기도 — even a story written by someone like me

kim eehoo as gaeunbi

I’m not sure Am I truly someone capable of such? The words I write Can they truly have such power?

All I did was live on, flickering faintly Like a candle burning out In a dark cave

Even a story written by someone like me Can it remain in this world? Even a story written by someone like me Can it be of comfort to someone?

I worry that If, by any chance Someone may be hurt by The words I write

I fear that The truth behind Pihwadang may come to light While writing the story of that winter

Even a story written by someone like me Can it remain in this world? Even a story written by someone like me Can it be of comfort to someone?

Still, I wish To let our stories be heard Still, I wish To let our voices be heard

Although it’s so painful I wish to avoid it And erase those memories

Even a story written by someone like me If it can remain in this world Even a story written by someone like me If it can be of comfort to someone

If it can be so

[ original korean lyrics here. ]

[deulleya]

"for that beginning, i endure today."

to begin my musical translation series, here's a number from the musical that started my daehakro journey, and therefore holds a special place in my heart.♡

the video is not mine, but all lyric translations are my own.

musical: 98 Percent (98퍼센트)

cast: [x] song yootaek, donghyun, kim taehyeong • [ethen] yu taeyul, cho hun, shin hyucksu (shin subin) • [jupiter] choi youngjun, jung sangyoon, lee jinhyeok

synopsis: in an apocalyptic world ravaged by war, the researcher jupiter creates the synthetic human "x" with enhanced battle capabilities to win the battle at all costs. plagued by abnormal physical symptoms and an inexplicable sense of deja vu, x escapes the laboratory to seek the answers that jupiter won't give him. chasing after x is the soldier ethen, who had been taken in as a child by jupiter after his older brother was dragged away one day. with only three days left until the government shuts down jupiter's lab, will he able to complete the perfect human he's dreamed of? and will x and ethen find the answers they yearn for?

production: studio vibestone (twitter / youtube)

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종이접기 rep. — origami (reprise)

donghyun as x, shin hyucksu as ethen

My brother told me, my brother said so That I could create anything The way that I want, the way that I wish to

It can become a ship that journeys towards the vast sea Or a great whale that swims within It can become the shining stars in the sky Or a plane that soars between It’s not just mere paper; that’s what my heart is saying

Connecting the dots that lie in different places So that they can meet safely (So that they can meet safely, like this) Connecting the dots that lie in different places Gathering and collecting the scattered dots That complete a unified shape when they meet

The ephemeral moments that interweave the world Taking flight through the fleeting freedom The breathtaking world that welcomes me

The ephemeral moments that interweave the world Taking flight through the fleeting freedom The breathtaking world that welcomes me

An ordinary day without anything special Those days, that everyday, like this origami When I wasn’t alone, when I was happy

[ original korean lyrics here. ]