''Jeongeupsa'' (, , "The Song of Jeongeup") is the only surviving
''gayo'' () song from the
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla.
Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jum ...
kingdom.
''Jeongeupsa'' is the oldest song recorded in
Hangul
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...
, and is thought to be a popular
folk song
Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be c ...
originating sometime after the rule of King
Gyeongdeok of Silla
Gyeongdeok of Silla (景德王; 742–765) was the 35th ruler of Silla and son of King Seongdeok (reigned 702–737). He succeeded his elder brother, King Hyoseong, the 34th ruler of Silla. His reign is considered a golden age in Unified Silla ...
. It was later used as
court music during the
Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...
and
Joseon
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
dynasties.
Background
Although not mentioned in the original composition, the title and commentary were recorded in "''
Akhak gwebeom
The ''Akhak gwebeom'' (Hangul: 악학궤범, Hanja: 樂學軌範; literally "Musical Canon") is a nine-volume treatise on music, written in Korea in the 15th century, in the Joseon Dynasty. It is written by hand in hanja, and depicts, in line dra ...
''" in the ''
Goryeosa
The ''Goryeosa'' (), or ''History of Goryeo'', is the main surviving historical record of Korea's Goryeo dynasty. It was composed nearly a century after the fall of Goryeo, during the reign of King Sejong, undergoing repeated revisions between ...
'', although the lyrics themselves were not. The author and exact date of composition are both unknown, although the song is believed to have been written during the mid-7th century CE, and set to music sometime during the
Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...
era, likely during the 10th century CE. The lyrics were only recorded during the
Joseon
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
period; accordingly, the original lyrics likely differ significantly.
Reportedly, the song derives from a legend of a man from
Changsha
Changsha (; ; ; Changshanese pronunciation: (), Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is the capital and the largest city of Hunan Province of China. Changsha is the 17th most populous city in China with a population of over 10 million, an ...
(now in
the Haeri region of
Gochang County
Gochang County (''Gochang-gun'') is a county in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is a rural area, and is home to only one institution of higher education: Gochang Polytechnic College.
Notable people from Gochang include the 20th-century ...
,
South Jeolla Province
South Jeolla Province (; ''Jeollanam-do''; ), also known as Jeonnam, is a province of South Korea. South Jeolla has a population of 1,902,324 (2014) and has a geographic area of located in the Honam region at the southwestern tip of the Korean ...
) who departed for military service and did not return for a long time, so his wife climbed
Seonunsan
Seonunsan is a mountain of Jeollabuk-do, western South Korea, with an elevation of 336 metres. It is a popular destination for hiking, with a variety of trails. Some leading to a giant 13m carving of Gautama Buddha, Buddha on a cliff, which dates b ...
to watch for him, and composed and sang the song. Another version of the legend say that the man was a peddler who went out to sell his wares and did not return, so his wife climbed the cliff and sang a prayer to the moon that it would light her husband's path back home. It is also said that a
Mong Fu Shek
Amah Rock (, ''Mong Fu Shek'', "husband-watching stone") is a naturally shaped rock located on a hilltop in southwest Sha Tin District, Hong Kong.
Description
The rock is approximately 15 meters in height, and is shaped much like a woman car ...
can now be found in the place where the woman waited for her husband.
Lyrics
Lee Chang-guy wrote:
"Jeongeupsa," the only surviving gayo (poetic song) from the Baekje period, starts with the line, "Oh, moon, up so high in the sky." Popular through the Goryeo and Joseon periods, it was sung, according to the "History of Goryeo," by the wife of a peddler as she waited for her husband who had gone to market to sell his wares. She went up on a rock and asked the moon to shine its light around so that her husband would not come to harm on his way back home. To commemorate this song, the municipal orchestra of Jeongeup city, in North Jeolla Province, holds various traditional Korean music performances every month around the time of the full moon.
The lyrics describe the woman's concern for her husband, praying to the moon to shine brighter and higher in the sky to light the way for her husband's safe return.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jeongeupsa
Culture in Baekje
Korean traditional music