Query: Song that cannot bear its own sound

Subject: Query: Song that cannot bear its own sound
From: Peter Timmerman
Date: 03 Jun 97 - 10:51 AM

Serious request! I heard a folk song -- maybe oriental originally, it was very wistful -- a long time ago, with the lines:

"Oh, love has gone, but I cannot let you go,

This song that cannot bear its own sound

brings oh brings the grief it sings --

Oh song, what are you?

Oh singing, why is there singing?"

I suspect it comes originally from a poem. It is, of course, a fine thing. Can anyone give me a lead? Yours, Peter

Subject: RE: Query: Song that cannot bear its own sound
From: Andres S.
Date: 06 Jun 97 - 10:35 AM

Peter: You are right about some parts of this. It comes from a famous Korean poem "Love's Silence" by Han Yong-un, one of the great modern poets. The first two lines do. The rest is added on and I don't know the song at all. I spent a few years in Korea and never heard it.

Subject: RE: Query: Song that cannot bear its own sound
From: Peter Timmerman
Date: 10 Jun 97 - 11:38 AM

Dear Andres, Many, many thanks for the lead. I have some Korean friends who I can ask for more details. Yours, Peter