Table of Contents
Thematic Analysis
Key Takeaways
Grammatical Analysis of the Sijo
Introduction to the Sijo Author
[Appendix] A short introduction to Korea's sijo
✒️ 이순신 “한산섬 달 밝은 밤에 (속칭, 한산도가)”
한산섬 달 밝은 밤에 수루에 홀로 앉아
큰 칼 옆에 차고 깊은 시름 하던 차에
어디서 일성호가는 남의 애를 끊나니
This sijo was written by General Yi Sun-sin, a renowned military commander of mid-Joseon, during the Imjin War while stationed at Hansando. It is a literary masterpiece that captures the turmoil and resolution he faced at the time. Hansando served as his strategic base, and the poem portrays the stillness of the night landscape there, the solitude amidst war, and the solemn dignity of a general.
Under the moonlight of Hansando, Yi Sun-sin is depicted sitting alone, bearing a heavy and lonely sense of duty. His inner solemnity and the decisive determination before battle are powerfully compressed into the short lines of the sijo. In particular, the final phrase, “Ilseonghoga (일성호가)”—“a single cry of ‘ho-ga’”—conveys the tense atmosphere and emotional surge evoked by just one distant shout, symbolizing the extreme anxiety and intensity of the times.
🐾 Imjin War (1592–1598)
The Imjin War, also known as the Japanese invasions of Korea, was a series of military campaigns launched by Toyotomi Hideyoshi of Japan to conquer the Korean Peninsula and eventually invade Ming China. The war began in 1592 and consisted of two major invasions, with a temporary truce.
Under the Joseon Dynasty, Korea was initially caught off guard, but with the help of Ming China and the heroic resistance of figures like Admiral Yi Sun-sin, the tide turned. Yi's naval victories, especially the legendary Battle of Myeongnyang, were critical in disrupting Japanese supply lines and halting their advance.
The war devastated Korea, both in terms of population and cultural heritage, but it also demonstrated the resilience of the Korean people and the strategic brilliance of their leaders.
🐾 속칭 한산도가 (commonly known as 'Hansando-ga’)
Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s sijo “On a Moonlit Night at Hansan Island” has no official title. For this reason, it is often referred to by its opening line, “On a Moonlit Night at Hansan Island.” Since the sijo was composed at Hansan Island, it is sometimes called “Hansando-ga.”
This video features a scene from a drama that aired on KBS1 from September 2004 to August 2005. The sijo (traditional Korean poem) is recited by actor Kim Myung-min, who played Admiral Yi Sun-sin in the series.
✒️ Thematic Analysis
- Line 1 (초장)
“한산섬 달 밝은 밤에 / 수루에 홀로 앉아”
“On a moonlit night at Hansan Island / I sit alone in the watchtower.”
→ In the quiet isolation of Hansan Island—a strategic naval base during the Imjin War—Admiral Yi Sun-sin sits alone beneath the luminous moon. This line sets a tone of solemn solitude, juxtaposing nature's serene beauty with a commander's heavy psychological burden. The peacefulness of the moonlit scene underscores his profound loneliness and the immense responsibility resting on his shoulders. Historically, Hansan was not just a place of retreat, but a tactical stronghold where Yi planned pivotal battles. Thus, his solitude is literal and metaphorical: he is separated from his comrades and emotionally isolated by the weight of command.
- Line 2 (중장)
“큰 칼 옆에 차고 / 깊은 시름 하던 차에”
“With my great sword by my side / I deeply contemplate.”
→ The presence of the sword—symbol of imminent conflict and martial authority—reveals that this is no ordinary night. It is a moment suspended between peace and battle. Admiral Yi is not simply resting; he reflects deeply, perhaps on strategies, potential losses, or the broader meaning of loyalty and sacrifice. The line evokes a restrained tension, where stillness conceals the storm of thoughts and emotions. This psychological battlefield foreshadows the literal war he must soon face. The juxtaposition of the calm environment with his inner turmoil elevates the emotional weight of this line, presenting the general not only as a warrior but also as a human grappling with fear, duty, and hope.
- Line 3 (종장)
“어디서 일성호가는 / 남의 애를 끊나니”
“Suddenly, the sound of a flute from somewhere / Tears at my heart.”
→ A single, piercing note from a distant flute (호가; 呼哥) shatters the contemplative silence, stirring unbearable sorrow. This unexpected sound triggers overwhelming emotion, possibly evoking memories of fallen comrades, separation from family, or the fragility of life in wartime. The auditory image is vivid: the lone flute cries out, as if mourning the inevitable tragedies of war. In traditional Korean music, the flute often symbolizes sorrow or yearning, intensifying the atmosphere of vulnerability and melancholy. The phrase “남의 애를 끊나니” (tears at another’s heart) reflects not only the emotional resonance of the sound but also the collective grief of those enduring war. It is a sudden collapse of composure, allowing raw human emotion to surface through poetic form.
🎯 Key Takeaways
If there is a difference between the archaic and modern language, the contemporary equivalent is provided after a slash (‘/’) following the original wording.
1. 한산섬
"한산섬" refers to Hansan Island, a strategic military base during the Imjin War. In poetry, it can symbolize calmness or strategic isolation. The modern name of the location is "Hansando (한산도)," and it is situated near Tongyeong in Gyeongsangnam-do Province.
📌 Example Usage
"한산섬은 이순신 장군의 주요 전쟁 전략지였다."
"Hansan Island was General Yi Sun-sin’s key strategic base."
2. "달
밝은 / 밝은
달이
떠
있는"
- "달 밝은 / 밝은 달이 떠 있는" means "bright moon" or "with the bright moon shining." It describes a night filled with the clear, glowing presence of the moon.
- "달 밝은": noun phrase with poetic inversion
- "밝은 달이 떠 있는": "밝다 (to be bright)" + attributive "-은" + "달 (moon)" + topic marker “-이” + "뜨다 (to rise)" + "-아/어 있다" continuous structure + attributive “-는”
📌 Example Usage
"밝은 달이 떠 있는 밤은 고요하다."
"The night with the bright moon shining is calm."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"달빛이 환한" – "moonlit"
📌 Example Usage
"달빛이 환한 밤길을 걸었다."
"I walked the moonlit road."
3. "밤에"
- "밤에" means "at night." It denotes the time of the poetic scene.
- "밤": night
- "-에": time particle meaning "at"
📌 Example Usage
"밤에 책을 읽는 걸 좋아해."
"I like reading at night."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"야간에" – "during nighttime"
📌 Example Usage
"야간에 운전하는 건 어렵다."
"Driving at night is difficult."
4. "수루에 / 망루
위에"
- "수루에 / 망루 위에" means "on the watchtower" or "at the pavilion." Both refer to high wooden structures used for observation.
- "수루에": "수루 (watchtower)" + "-에 (locative particle)"
- "망루 위에": "망루 (lookout post)" + "위 (top)" + "-에 (locative particle)"
📌 Example Usage
"수루에 앉아 전장을 내려다봤다."
"He sat on the watchtower, overlooking the battlefield."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"정자 위에" – "on the pavilion"
📌 Example Usage
"정자 위에 올라 풍경을 감상했다."
"He climbed up the pavilion and admired the view."
5. "홀로
앉아 / 혼자
앉아"
- "홀로 앉아 / 혼자 앉아" means "sitting alone." It emphasizes solitude and emotional introspection.
- "홀로": poetic word for "alone"
- "혼자": standard form of "alone"
- "앉아": "앉다 (to sit)" + connector "-아 (and)"
📌 Example Usage
"그는 수루에 홀로 앉아 있었다."
"He was sitting alone on the pavilion."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"외롭게 앉다" – "to sit in loneliness"
📌 Example Usage
"그는 외롭게 앉아 하늘을 바라봤다."
"He sat in loneliness, gazing at the sky."
6. "큰
칼"
- "큰 칼" means "big sword" or "large blade," symbolizing readiness for battle.
- "큰": "크다 (to be big)" + attributive "-ㄴ"
- "칼": sword
📌 Example Usage
"전사는 큰 칼을 들고 있었다."
"The warrior held a big sword."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"장검" – "long sword"
📌 Example Usage
"장검은 가까운 전투에 적합하지 않다."
"A long sword is not suitable for close combat."
7. "옆에
차고 / 허리에
차고"
- "옆에 차고 / 허리에 차고" means "wearing at the side" or "worn around the waist." It indicates how the sword is positioned.
- "옆에": "옆 (side)" + locative particle "-에"
- "허리에": "허리 (waist)" + locative particle "-에"
- "차고": "차다 (to wear on waist)" + connector "-고"
📌 Example Usage
"그는 칼을 허리에 차고 있었다."
"He wore a sword at his waist."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"허리에 두르다" – "to wrap around the waist"
📌 Example Usage
"그는 허리에 띠를 두르고 무대에 올랐다."
"He wrapped a sash around his waist and stepped on stage."
8. "깊은
시름 / 깊은
근심"
- "깊은 시름 / 깊은 근심" means "deep sorrow" or "profound worry." It refers to the general’s internal struggle or emotional burden.
- "깊은": "깊다 (to be deep)" + attributive "-은"
- "시름 / 근심": sorrow, anxiety
📌 Example Usage
"그는 깊은 근심에 잠겨 생각에 잠겼다."
"He was lost in deep worry, deep in thought."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"걱정이 많다" – "to have a lot of worries"
📌 Example Usage
"요즘 걱정이 많아서 잠이 안 와."
"I have so many worries lately that I can’t sleep."
9. "하던
차에 / 하고
있을
즈음에"
- "하던 차에 / 하고 있을 즈음에" means "right in the middle of doing something" or "just as something was happening."
- "하던": "하다 (to do)" + retrospective modifier "-던"
- "차에": idiomatic expression indicating timing
- "하고 있을 즈음에": continuous present progressive "하고 있다" + attributive “-을” + approximate time marker "즈음에"
📌 Example Usage
"잠들려고 하던 차에 전화가 울렸다."
"Just as I was about to fall asleep, the phone rang."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"막 하려던 참에" – "just about to do something"
📌 Example Usage
"막 나가려던 참에 비가 왔다."
"It started raining just as I was about to go out."
10. "어디서 / 어디에서"
- "어디서 / 어디에서" means "from where" or "at which place."
- "어디서": "어디 (where)" + shortened form of "-에서 (from/at)"
- "어디에서": complete form of locative particle
📌 Example Usage
"어디서 이런 소리를 들었지?"
"Where did you hear such a sound?"
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"어디로부터" – "from where"
📌 Example Usage
"그 소식은 어디로부터 온 거야?"
"Where did that news come from?"
11. "일성호가(一聲呼哥) / 한줄기
피리
소리"
- "일성호가(一聲呼哥) / 한줄기 피리 소리" means "a single cry of a flute" or "a lone call," poetically expressing the emotional disturbance caused by a sound in the night.
- "일성": one sound
- "호가": sound of a flute (especially poetic)
- "한줄기 피리 소리": "한줄기 (a single stream)" + "피리 소리 (sound of a flute)"
📌 Example Usage
"일성호가가 적막한 밤을 깨웠다."
"A single cry pierced the silence of the night."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"쓸쓸한 피리 소리" – "melancholy flute sound"
📌 Example Usage
"쓸쓸한 피리 소리가 가슴을 울렸다."
"The melancholy sound of a flute stirred my heart."
12. "남의
애를
끊나니 / 남의
애간장을
끊는다"
- "남의 애를 끊나니 / 남의 애간장을 끊는다" means "to tear at someone’s heart" or "to evoke deep emotional pain."
- "남의": possessive of "남 (another person)"
- "애 / 애간장": poetic for "emotions" or "innermost feeling"
- "끊나니": archaic poetic form of "끊는다 (to break/cut)"
📌 Example Usage
"그 소리는 남의 애를 끊는 듯했다."
"The sound felt like it tore through one’s heart."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"심금을 울리다" – "to strike the heartstrings"
📌 Example Usage
"그 연주는 심금을 울렸다."
"That performance touched my heart deeply."
양식의 맨 위
✒️ Grammatical Analysis of the Sijo
한산섬 달 밝은 밤에 수루에 홀로 앉아
- "한산섬": the old name of the place name 'Hansando (한산도)'
- "달 밝은 밤에": "달 (moon)" + "밝은 (bright)" + "밤 (night)" + locative particle "-에" → ‘on a moonlit night’
- "수루에": "수루 (watchtower or pavilion used for observation or defense)" + locative particle "-에" → ‘at the pavilion’
- "홀로": alone
- “앉아”: “앉다 (to sit)” + connective ending “-아”
→ ‘Sitting alone at the pavilion on a moonlit night in Hansan Island’
📝 Meaning
The poet describes a moment of solitude under a bright moon at a military lookout, evoking both serenity and anticipation.
큰 칼 옆에 차고 깊은 시름 하던 차에
- "큰 칼": "크다 (big)" + attributive “-ㄴ” + noun "칼 (sword)" → ‘a large sword’
- "옆에": "옆 (side)" + locative particle "-에" → ‘by one’s side’
- "차고": "차다 (to wear, carry at the waist)" + connective ending "-고" → ‘wearing’
- "깊은 시름": "깊다 (deep)" + noun "시름 (sorrow, anxiety)" → ‘deep sorrow’
- “하던 차에”: “하다 (to do)” + retrospective attributive “-던” + “차에 (in the midst of)” → ‘just as I was immersed in’
→ ‘With a large sword at my side, just as I was in deep sorrow’
📝 Meaning
This line captures a general’s mental burden and readiness for battle, highlighting both emotional weight and military tension.
어디서 일성호가는 남의 애를 끊나니
- "어디서": "어디 (where)" + locative particle "-에서" → ‘from somewhere’
- "일성": "일 (one)" + "성 (sound, cry)" → ‘a single cry or voice’
- "호가": "호가 (sound of a flute)” + subject marker "는"
- "남의 애를": "남 (another)" + possessive particle "-의" + "애 (affection, emotion, inner feeling)" + object particle "-를"
- "끊나니": "끊다 (to cut off)" + archaic ending "-나니" → rhetorical/emotional question or exclamation
→ ‘From somewhere, a sound of a flute cuts through one’s emotions’
📝 Meaning
The sudden sound of a flute in the distance disturbs the poet's reflection, symbolizing a jarring emotional stir, possibly the echo of war or longing.
✒️ Introduction to the Sijo Author
Yi Sun-sin (이순신, 1545–1598) was a military commander of the mid-Joseon Dynasty, widely known by his posthumous title, Chungmugong (충무공). During the Imjin War, he led the Joseon navy to numerous victories against Japanese forces in key naval battles such as the Battle of Okpo, the Battle of Hansan Island, and the Battle of Myeongnyang, earning his place as a national hero.
Yi Sun-sin was a war hero and a distinguished man of letters, leaving behind a significant literary legacy such as the "Nanjung Ilgi" (난중일기, War Diary). His writings conveyed his inner struggles, war anguish, and devotion to the people, providing invaluable historical insight and emotional depth for future generations.
Major Literary Works
"Nanjung Ilgi" (War Diary): A collection of diary entries written during wartime. It reflects both the personal anguish of Yi as a human being and the intense resolve of a military commander.
"Hansando-ga" (The Song of Hansan Island): A masterpiece of sijo poetry that concisely captures Admiral Yi’s psychological state and the urgent atmosphere of wartime.
[Appendix] A short introduction to Korea's sijo
The Sijo began in the late 13th century to the 14th century, and became a representative literary style for its heyday in the Joseon Dynasty (1392 ~ 1897). Typically composed of three lines, each with a distinct role—introduction(초장, first line), development(중장, middle line), and conclusion(종장, final line)—sijo balances structure with expressive depth. Unlike Western sonnets or haikus, sijo often reflects themes of nature, love, philosophy, or loyalty, delivered in a compact yet lyrical way. Korean musical traditions influence its rhythm and tone, and it was originally recited or sung. Today, sijo remains a beloved form of Korean literature, appreciated for its elegance, emotional clarity, and cultural richness.
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