Arirang
Encyclopedia
"Arirang" is a Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

n folk song, sometimes considered the unofficial national anthem of Korea. Arirang is an ancient native Korean word with no direct modern meaning.

Variations

Many variations of the song exist. They can be grouped into classes based on the lyrics, when the refrain is sung, the nature of the refrain, the overall melody, and so on. Titles of different versions of the song are usually prefixed by their place of origin or some other kind of signifier.

The original form of Arirang is Jeongseon Arirang, which has been sung in for more than 600 years. However, the most famous version of Arirang is that of Seoul. It is the so-called Bonjo Arirang, although it is not actually "standard" (bonjo: 본조; 本調). This version is usually simply called Arirang, and is of relatively recent origin. It was first made popular by its use as the theme song of the influential early feature film Arirang
Arirang (1926 film)
Arirang is a 1926 Korean film. One of the earliest feature films to be made in the country, it is named after the traditional song Arirang, which audiences were said to sing at the conclusion of the film. The silent, black and white film was written and directed by Na Un'gyu , and stars Na Un'gyu,...

(1926). This version of the song is also called Sin Arirang (Shin; "new") or Gyeonggi Arirang, after its provenance, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

, which was formerly part of Gyeonggi Province. (The titles Bonjo Arirang and Sin Arirang are also sometimes applied to other versions of the song.)

Particularly famous folk versions of Arirang—all of which long predate the standard version—include:
  • Jeongseon Arirang, (정선 아리랑) from Jeongseon County in Gangwon
    Gangwon (historical)
    Gangwon Province or Gangwon-do was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The province was formed in 1395, and derived its name from the names of the principal cities of Gangneung and the provincial capital Wonju .In 1895, Gangwon-do was replaced by the Districts of...

     Province;
  • Jindo Arirang (진도 아리랑) from Jindo County in South Jeolla Province; and
  • Miryang Arirang (밀양 아리랑) from Miryang
    Miryang
    Miryang, often spelled Milyang, is a city in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, South Korea. Neighboring cities include Changnyeong to the west, Cheongdo to the north, Ulsan to the east, and Yangsan, Gimhae, and Changwon to the south. The city bird is the Korean magpie, the city tree is the pine, and the...

     in South Gyeongsang Province.


Paldo Arirang is sometimes used to collectively denote all the many regional versions of the song, as sung in the far-flung regions of Korea's traditional Eight Provinces
Eight Provinces (Korea)
During most of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea was divided into eight provinces . The eight provinces' boundaries remained unchanged for almost five centuries from 1413 to 1895, and formed a geographic paradigm that is still reflected today in the Korean Peninsula's administrative divisions, dialects,...

 (Paldo).

Also, the American composer, John Barnes Chance
John Barnes Chance
John Barnes Chance was a composer, born in Beaumont, Texas. Chance studied composition with Clifton Williams at the University of Texas, Austin, and is best known for his concert band works, which include Variations on a Korean Folk Song, Incantation and Dance, and Blue Lake Overture...

, based his 1967 concert band
Concert band
A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...

 composition Variations on a Korean Folk Song
Variations on a Korean Folk Song
Variations on a Korean Folk Song is a major musical piece written for concert band by John Barnes Chance in 1965. As the name implies, Variations consists of a set of variations on the Korean folk song Arirang, which the composer heard while in Korea with the U.S. Army in the late 1950s...

on a version of Arirang which he heard in Korea in the late 1950s.

In Korean Cultural Series Vol. V, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

 Sings Folk and Popular Music and Lyrics
(민요와 현대가요) published by Tae Hung Ha (하태흥), Yonsei University
Yonsei University
Yonsei University is a Christian private research university, located in Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1885, it is one of the oldest universities in South Korea, the top private comprehensive universities in South Korea, and is widely regarded as one of the top three comprehensive...

 Press, 1960, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1978, contains Arirang as an example of Korean folk songs. This volume introduces Arirang, Miryang Arirang and Kangwon-do Arirang.

An orchestral reference to the song can be heard in the film Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, also released as Remo: Unarmed and Dangerous, is a 1985 American film. The action–adventure-thriller film featured Fred Ward, Joel Grey, Wilford Brimley and Kate Mulgrew, as well as many guest roles...

, and at one point Chiun, the Korean martial arts master played by Joel Grey
Joel Grey
Joel Grey is an American stage and screen actor, singer, and dancer, best known for his role as the Master of Ceremonies in both the stage and film adaptation of the Kander & Ebb musical Cabaret. He has won the Academy Award, Tony Award and Golden Globe Award...

, can be heard singing it, upon which Remo sarcastically asks, "Is it painful?" Chiun replies "I was singing old Korean love song".

The most recent cinematic handling of Arirang is in the Korean/American co-produced film called D-War
D-War
D-War , is a 2007 South Korean fantasy action film released in North America as Dragon Wars: D-War, War of the Dragons in Malaysia, and sometimes referred to colloquially and in some marketing materials as Dragon Wars. It is written and directed by Shim Hyung-rae...

 aka Dragon Wars. Sung with a choir of 900 members, the song was made this time by Steve Jablonski of Hans Zimmer Media. The song serves as an end credit song. The song is in the movie upon the request of the director, Shim Hyung Rae.

I. Arirang

Refrain:

Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo,

Arirang Pass is the long road you go.

후렴:

아리랑 아리랑 아라리요

아리랑 고개로 넘어간다.

1st Verse:

If you leave and forsake me, my own,

Ere three miles you go, lame you'll have grown.

2nd Verse:

Wondrous time, happy time—let us delay;

Till night is over, go not away.

3rd Verse:

Arirang Mount is my Tear-Falling Hill,

So seeking my love, I cannot stay still.

4th Verse:

The brightest of stars stud the sky so blue;

Deep in my bosom burns bitterest rue.

5th Verse:

Man's heart is like water streaming downhill;

Woman's heart is well water—so deep and still.

6th Verse:

Young men's love is like pinecones seeming sound,

But when the wind blows, they fall to the ground.

7th Verse:

Birds in the morning sing simply to eat;

Birds in the evening sing for love sweet.

8th Verse:

When man has attained to the age of a score,

The mind of a woman should be his love.

9th Verse:

The trees and the flowers will bloom for aye,

But the glories of youth will soon fade away.

II. Miryang Arirang

1st Verse:

Look on me! Look on me! Look on me!

In midwinter, when you see a flower, please think of me!

Chorus: Ari-arirang! Ssuri-Ssurirang! Arariga nanne!

O'er Arirang Pass I long to cross today.

2nd Verse:

Moonkyung Bird Pass has too many curves--

Winding up, winding down, in tears I go.

3rd Verse:

Carry me, carry me, carry me and go!

When flowers bloom in Hanyang, carry me and go.

Note: Bird Pass or "Saejae" is the summit of a high mountain, rising north of Moonkyung
Mungyeong Saejae
Mungyeong Saejae is a mountain pass in central South Korea. It lies on Joryeong Mountain between the main peak and Sinseon Peak . The pass itself rises to above sea level. Mungyeong Saejae connects Mungyeong City, North Gyeongsang province with Goesan County in North Chungcheong province...

 in the ancient highway, linking Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

 with Miryang and Tongnae (Pusan). Its sky-kissing heights are so rugged that in their eyes. This is a love song of a dancing girl from Miryang
Miryang
Miryang, often spelled Milyang, is a city in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, South Korea. Neighboring cities include Changnyeong to the west, Cheongdo to the north, Ulsan to the east, and Yangsan, Gimhae, and Changwon to the south. The city bird is the Korean magpie, the city tree is the pine, and the...

 who was left behind by her lover from Seoul (Hanyang
Hanyang
Hanyang was one of the three cities that merged into modern-day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, People's Republic of China. Currently, it is a district and stands between the Han River and the Yangtze River, where the former falls into the latter...

). She is calling him to take her with him to Hanyang. She believed that her own beauty was above all flowers in Hanyang. The words in the first line of the chorus are sounds of bitter sorrow at parting. This song was composed by Kim Dong Jin.

III. Gangwon
Gangwon (historical)
Gangwon Province or Gangwon-do was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The province was formed in 1395, and derived its name from the names of the principal cities of Gangneung and the provincial capital Wonju .In 1895, Gangwon-do was replaced by the Districts of...

 Arirang

1st Verse:

Castor and camelia, bear no beans!

Deep mountain fair maidens would go a-flirting.

Chorus: Ari-Ari, Ssuri-Ssuri, Arariyo!

Ari-Ari Pass I cross and go.

2nd Verse:

Though I pray, my soya field yet will bear no beans;

Castor and camelia, why should you bear beans?

3rd Verse:

When I broke the hedge bush stem, you said you'd come away;

At your doorway I stamp my feet, why do you delay?

4th Verse:

Precious in the mountains are darae and moroo;

Honey sweet to you and me would be our love so true.

5th Verse:

Come to me! Come to me! Come and join me!

In a castor and camelia garden we'll meet, my love!

Note: The highland maids would like to make up their hair with castor and camelia oils and go love-making instead of going to work in the soya-bean fields. Moroo is a mountain grape; darae is a banana-shaped fruit with black seeds studded in its flesh. These are precious foods to mountain folk. The song is sarcastic, but emotional to comfort the fair solitary reapers who go about gathering the wild fruits in the deep mountains of Kangwon-do.

Verse 1:
A - ri -rong a - ri - rong A - ra - ri o.
A - ri - rong ko - ge - ro no - ma - gan da.
Se ha - nul se ddang - i ir - uo jo - ne.
Se no re - pu - ru - myo - wha - dong ha se!

Verse 2:
A - ri -rong a - ri - rong A - ra - ri o.
We are cross-ing o - ver the crest of the hill.
Let us sing to - geth - er with a new heart.
We will see the dawn of the great new day!

Origin of the title

Many versions of the song open by describing the travails the subject of the song encounters while crossing a mountain pass. "Arirang" is one name for the pass and hence the title of the song. Some versions of Arirang mention Mungyeong Saejae
Mungyeong Saejae
Mungyeong Saejae is a mountain pass in central South Korea. It lies on Joryeong Mountain between the main peak and Sinseon Peak . The pass itself rises to above sea level. Mungyeong Saejae connects Mungyeong City, North Gyeongsang province with Goesan County in North Chungcheong province...

, which is the main mountain pass on the ancient Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...

 road between Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

 and southeastern Gyeongsang
Gyeongsang
Gyeongsang was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Gyeongsang was located in the southeast of Korea....

 Province.

There are apparently a number of passes in Korea called "Arirang Pass". One such is a pass among some hills in central-northeastern Seoul. That Arirang Pass, however, was originally called Jeongneung Pass and was only renamed in 1926, to commemorate the release of the film Arirang. Older versions of the song long predate the movie.

Arirang Pass (아리랑 고개) is an imaginary rendezvous of lovers in the land of dreams, although there is a real mountain pass, called, "Arirang Gogae," outside the Small East Gate of Seoul. The heroine of the story from which the Arirang Song originated was a fair maid of Miryang. In fact, she was a modest woman killed by an unrequited lover. But as time went on, the tragic story changed to that of an unrequited lady-love who complained of her unfeeling lover. The tune is sweet and appealing. The story is recounted in "Miss Arirang" in Folk Tales of Old Korea (Korean Cultural Series, Vol. VI). Arirang was a theme of some title events such as the 1988 Olympics.

The refrain

In all versions of the song, the refrain and each verse are of equal length.
In some versions—such as the standard version and Jindo Arirang—the first refrain precedes the first verse, while in other versions—including Miryang Arirang—the first refrain follows the first verse. Perhaps the easiest way to classify versions—apart from melody, which can vary widely between different versions—is the lyrics of the refrain. In the standard and some other versions, the first line of the refrain is "Arirang, Arirang, arariyo..." while in both Jindo Arirang and Miryang Arirang (which are otherwise quite different from each other), the first line of the refrain begins with "Ari arirang, seuri seurirang...." ("Arariyo" and "seurirang" are both meaningless words which are simply plays on "Arirang.")

Refrain (후렴)

아리랑 아리랑 아라리요

아리랑 고개로 넘어간다

The lyrics

The table below gives the refrain (first two lines; the refrain precedes the first verse) and first verse (third and fourth lines) of the standard version of the song in Hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...

, romanized
Revised Romanization of Korean
The Revised Romanization of Korean is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea proclaimed by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, replacing the older McCune–Reischauer system...

 Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...

, and a literal translation into English.
Korean

아리랑, 아리랑, 아라리요...

아리랑 고개로 넘어간다.

나를 버리고 가시는 님은

십리도 못가서 발병난다.
Romanization

Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo...

Arirang gogaero neomeoganda.

Nareul beorigo gasineun nimeun

Sibrido motgaseo balbyeongnanda.
English


Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo...

Crossing over Arirang Pass.

Dear who abandoned me [here]

Shall not walk even ten li
Li (unit)
The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer...

before his/her feet hurt.

Additional verses

The standard version of Arirang has three verses, although the second and third verses are not as frequently sung as the first verse. They are listed below (excluding the refrain):

Verse 2

청청하늘엔 별도 많고

우리네 가슴엔 꿈도 많다

Cheongcheonghaneuren byeoldo manko

Uline gaseumen kkumdo manta

Just as there are many stars in the clear sky,

There are also many dreams in our heart.

Verse 3

저기 저 산이 백두산이라지

동지 섣달에도 꽃만 핀다

Jeogi jeo sani Baekdusaniraji

Dongji seotdaredo kkonman pinda

There, over there that mountain is Baekdu Mountain
Baekdu Mountain
Baekdu Mountain, also known in China as Changbai Mountain and Baitou Mountain , is a volcanic mountain on the border between North Korea and China, located at...

,

Where, even in the middle of winter days, flowers bloom.

Association with the United States

The South Korean government designated Arirang as the official march of the US Army 7th Infantry Division, after its service in Korea during the Korean War, though the official Division song was the "New Arirang March," Arirang arranged into an American-style march. (The 7th Infantry Division is currently deactivated.)

On February 26, 2008, the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...

 performed Arirang for an encore during its unprecedented trip to North Korea.

See also

  • List of Korea-related topics
  • Variations on a Korean Folk Song
    Variations on a Korean Folk Song
    Variations on a Korean Folk Song is a major musical piece written for concert band by John Barnes Chance in 1965. As the name implies, Variations consists of a set of variations on the Korean folk song Arirang, which the composer heard while in Korea with the U.S. Army in the late 1950s...

  • Arirang TV
    Arirang TV
    Arirang TV is an international, English-language network based in Seoul, South Korea, operated by The Korea International Broadcasting Foundation...

  • Alilang Group
    Alilang Group
    Alilang Group is a Chinese pop music group, made up of four Korean Chinese members: Jin Zenan , Jin Runji , Zhang Jinyou and Quan He , all of Jilin Province, China...

     (Arirang Group, China
    China
    Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

    )

External links



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