Uhwudong


Uhwudong was a Korean dancer, writer, artist, and poet from a noble family in the Joseon Dynasty of the 15th century. Most of her work has not been preserved.

Life

Uhwudong was from was a noble family of the Joseon Dynasty. She married Yidong, prince Taegang, the great grandson of Joseon Taejong. She was forced to divorce him on account of adultery charges and subsequently she became an active poet, writer, artist, and dancer.
She was noted for her exceptional beauty, dancing, singing talent, poetry, quick wit and charm, and extraordinary intellect. Her personal life has become almost myth-like, having inspired novels, movies, TV series, operas, and numerous poets. After the destruction of the Joseon Dynasty in 1910, due to her renowned assertive and independent nature, she has become a modern popular cultural icon of Korea.

Works

Although only a handful of sijo and geomungo pieces exist today, they nonetheless show skilled craftsmanship of words and musical arrangement. These verses hint at the tragedy of her lost loves. Some are also responses to numerous famous classic Chinese poems and literature.

Poems

'
玉淚丁東夜氣淸 / The beads flow like tears, illuminate the night
白雲高捲月分明 / The white clouds flow high, the moonlight is brighter.
間房叔謐餘香在 / Your scent remains in one small room.
可寫如今夢裏情 / I will be able to picture a dreamlike affection.
'
白馬臺空經幾歲 / How many years passed the house been empty?
落花巖立過多時 / 'The stone with fluttering flowers' spent many years standing.
靑山若不曾緘黙 / If the 'blue mountain' was not silent,
千古興亡問可知 / I would have been able to find out about the rising and falling of long time.

In popular culture