(Yonhap Interview) French poet sees 'passion for life' in Korean poetry

(ATTN: photos available)
By Shin Hae-in
JEJU ISLAND, South Korea, Sept. 11 (Yonhap) -- Since about 15 years ago, Korean
poetry has taken up a significant part of French poet and translator Claude
Mouchard's life.

Enchanted by their beauty and strength, the French scholar
strives, to this date, to translate and promote as many Korean poems as possible
in his home country.
"I detect a strong passion and hope for life in Korean poems, something very rare
in poems from elsewhere," said Mouchard. "Even the saddest and the most tragic
poems contain a hope for life in them."
Born in Dreux in 1941, Mouchard is considered one of the most influential living
literary figures in his country, active in both writing and translating poems.
Teaching French literature and comparative literature at Paris 8 University, he
is also an editor of the French poetry magazine "Po&sie."
In 1999, Mouchard published a special edition introducing poems of 12
representative Korean poets including Lee Sang, Kim Chun-soo, Ko Eun and Ki
Hyung-doh. He received a letter from French poet Philippe Jaccottet after the
publication, the contents of which are still vivid in Mouchard's mind.
"The renowned poet, whom I had never even met in person, told me the special
edition had given him the strength to live," he said. "I think this shows why
poetry is so important in our lives. Although only a very few people read poetry
now, it remains to tell people something about the society, the world we live in
that must not be overlooked."
Although Mouchard's Korean is far from perfect and the frequent use of
onomatopoeic and mimetic words continues to confuse him when he is taking part in
the translation process, the French scholar hopes to introduce as many Korean
poems as possible to his country.
"Korean students of mine were always so keen to introduce their country's
literature to me. It was their affection for their native literature that first
gave me the passion for Korean poetry 15 years ago," he said.
Translating poetry is a crucial part of creating his own, said Mouchard, an
author of several collections of poems including Perdre (1979-1989), Ici (1986)
and Papiers! (2007).
"Both (writing and translating poems) are very difficult processes, but one thing
is for sure. Translating poems helps me to free myself from my mother-tongue, a
crucial factor in creative writing."
Mouchard has been chosen as one of several maestros for the third International
Delphic Games, a global cultural contest being held on this South Korean island.
He will give a special lecture on poetry on the sidelines of the competitions and
participate as a jury member for the poetry recital games.
In the lecture, he plans to talk about the issue of "accepting poems written in
different languages."
"For a long time, people have said it is close to impossible to translate poetry
and that the genre is limited to people who share the same language and culture,"
he said. "What I plan to emphasize is the power of poetry, the power which
enables it to overcome the language barrier and carry sentiments throughout
different cultures."
Calling the atmosphere of the Delphic Games "emotional," the French poet said he
hasn't been able to sleep much since his arrival on the South Korean island.
"I have seen and experienced so many things that I am spending most of the night
writing down my thoughts and feelings," he said. "I believe that poetry can have
a real meaning when related with other cultural sectors. The Delphic Games, in
this sense, has a significant meaning to the global culture."
hayney@yna.co.kr
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