[One Thousand Characters a Day] John Dyer's 'Country Walk'

Editor's NoteJohn Dyer is a poet, painter, and pastor from Wales, UK. His representative work is the descriptive and meditative poem (1726), praised for depicting the countryside as a picturesque and classical landscape. is a poem recording a walk on Gronoger Hill in the Welsh region of Carmarthenshire. In the sentences describing the surrounding scenery, one can capture his perspective as a painter who pays attention to light, shadow, and color. Excerpted from , translated by Yoon Gyo-chan and Jo Ae-ri. Word count: 930.

With warm morning sunlight, cheeks flushed red,
The vigorous sun rises.
Birds that woke early fly in the sky,
Sweetly singing to awaken the sun.
On this wonderful day,
I decide to stroll in the wide fields.
Above my head, the open sky
Is where the gods walk,
In front of the yellow barn,
Colorful splendid roosters strut,
Scattering empty chaff.
Hens, ducks, and geese brood their young,
Turkeys eat greedily.
Farmers thresh grain on the abundant floor,
Calling everyone to the door.
What a splendid natural scene to behold!
Augusta! Wipe the dust off your forehead.
Valleys buried in darkness and shining mountains
Are visible before my eyes, and I
Look at the blue sky and silver, golden clouds.
Now stepping into the fields,
Countless blooming flowers greet me,
Fences emit the fragrant scent of honeysuckle and welcome me.
Entering the daisy-covered meadow,
In my sparkling eyes,
A quietly flowing stream appears.
It flows slowly, as if enjoying itself.
Like meeting joy after a hard walk,
A country youth, exhausted, is asleep.
Beside him, paper is spread out,
Containing healthy food. Happy youth!
Happier than any noble king or prince!
May you enjoy sleep sweeter than a crown
On a soft, downy bed.
Now the sun radiates the energy of noon,
Scattering burning light around me.
After strolling a bit more,
I enter the shade of the forest,
Lying on green moss
That spreads over oak roots.
All around is quiet, but in the forest,
The joyful murmuring sound of a stream is heard.
Birds chirping among the twigs
Sing, enchanting even the silence.
Ah! Great silence!
You who conquer even the busy poet's heart!
The poet's thoughts
Follow the call of the beautiful waterfall's sound.
Like a mole that appears when all is quiet,
Rising without any fear,
They gather and roam here and there.

- , compiled by Suzy Cripps, translated by Yoon Gyo-chan and Jo Ae-ri, Influential, 16,800 KRW