아리랑 Ari-rang - translated by Paul Yeon Lee 아리랑, 아리랑, 아라리요... Ari-rang, Ari-rang, Ara-ri-yo...
Ari-rang, Ari-rang, Ara-ri-yo... 아리랑 고개로 넘어간다.Crossing over Ari-rang Pass.
Crossing over Ari-rang Pass. 나를 버리고 가시는 님은Dear who is leaving me
Dear who is leaving me 십리도 못가서 발병난다.Will not even walk a mile before (his/her) feet hurt.
Will not even walk a mile before (his/her) feet hurt.Arirang is perhaps the most famous and beloved Korean folk song. There are a few different versions of Arirang from various provinces in Korea, but the most well-known version is from Seoul, Gyeonggi Province. Koreans love it, cherish it and enjoy singing Arirang, despite its tempo is slow. The lyrics evoke deep pain and suffering, however, Koreans sometimes like to dance to it in fast tempo. The meaning of Arirang is ambiguous. It is an ancient native Korean word with no direct modern meaning. The literal meaning of “Ari” is “beautiful” or “lovely” and “rang” can mean “dear”.
I grew up listening to Arirang since I was a little kid in Seoul, South Korea. I can close my eyes and still reminisce my dear grandmother singing it softly in pansori style (pansori is a traditional Korean narrative song style that developed in 17th Century and proliferated in 19th Century). Once hated out-of-tune, husky and harsh tone like pansori, I now hear the echoes of my grandmother’s Arirang ever so tenderly. I am deeply honored to use this beautiful Arirang from Gyeonggi Province in my first string quartet ARI, Ari… ari.
ARI, Ari… ari was commissioned by and dedicated to Del Sol String Quartet. It was finished on December 7, 2008. The premiere performance was on Sunday, May 3, 2009 at the Dance Palace in Point Reyes Station, CA. It was subsequently performed on Friday, May 8, 2009 at Main Post Chapel in the Presidio of San Francisco, CA. My music is intensely personal, and I hope it speaks for itself.
- Paul Yeon Lee "... stormed the heavens with sweeping melodic gestures, romantic yearning ..."
The Washington Post
"The Lee piece is one that deserves many more performances... It’s a perfect example of how lyrical and richly textured a modern work can be..."
Strings Magazine
ARI, Ari... ari (아리, 아리... 아리)
for String Quartet (2008)
