In Praise of Ki Parang

By: Chung-dam sa

The moon reveals itself; it does not follow after white clouds. In a pure blue stream is the reflection of Ki Parang. Even a pebble by the stream yearns for a bit of his mind. Ah!
You are like the pine tree branch high enough to never know the winter's frost.

translated by Kang Young-ok and Craig S. Shoemake

In Praise of Ki Parang: A Commentary

by Craig S. Shoemake

The obvious first question when reading this poem is "Who was Ki Parang?"
The answer requires a little understanding of Korean history, which begins around the time of Christ with the Three Kingdoms Period. During this time three major kingdoms dominated the region: Shilla, Koguryo, and Paekche. Shilla eventually conquered the other two and laid the foundations of Korean culture. Out of the Shilla's noble class there emerged an elite band of warriors who underwent special training, including meditative retreats on sacred mountains. These warriors were the Hwarang, or Flower Knights, who embodied the ancient Korean ideas of chivalry, spirituality and martial prowess. They were the core of Shilla's military strength and their ranks supplied many of Shilla's great heroes before their unification of the peninsula. Ki Parang was a member of the Hwarang.

History did not record the specifics of his identity. We know only that he was a Hwarang and, judging by this tribute to him, certainly a man of noble character. The poem's author compares him to the moon--a symbol of spiritual enlightenment in the Orient--which stands aloof from the clouds of fleeting passions. We can therefore guess Ki Parang was a man of high integrity and known for his wisdom, both practically (in the fields of warfare and leadership), and spiritually. His reflection in a "pure blue stream" suggests that his virtue shown widely, and many desired to follow him. This would include the writer, who humbly refers to himself as a mere "pebble by the stream" of Ki Parang. So aloof from worldliness was Ki Parang that the writer considered him like a pine tree branch untouched by winter's ravaging, another sign of his detachment.

This is all we know of Ki Parang. Exactly when he was born, the precise circumstances of his life, whether he attained any office and how he passed away: all these facts are lost to us. Fortunately, we do have a very good poem that stands as a reminder to any who read it of a time when human ideals and values were perhaps a little more lofty. While this may seem a romanticized notion from a long gone era, the thought of a great man can encourage us to better ourselves.