# Sae Taryeong

Sae Taryeong (Korean: 새타령; Hanja: 새打令; lit. Bird song) is a representative folk song (minyo) of the Jeolla-namdo region of Korea, that describes the sounds and physical descriptions of a variety of birds. The song uses onomatopoeia to describe bird calls from the parrot to the crane. The song was composed by Kim Sam-jin (Korean: 김삼진; Hanja: 金三鎭; MR: Kim Samchin), and the song first attained popularity after it was published in the pansori repertory Jeokbyeokga by Yi Dong-baek (Korean: 이동백). The song follows the Jungjungmori Jangdan beat (Korean: 중중모리 장단), which is also used in pansori and sanjo. The melodic pattern that the song follows is yukjabaegitori, which is a collection of four pitches with gestures (sikimsae), which consists of a vibrating note (tteoneunum), a note with no vibrato (cheong), appoggiatura (kkeokneunnum), and a note that goes upward in pitch while vibrating (eotcheong). An alternate hanja name for the song is "Bijoga" (Korean: 비조가; Hanja: 飛鳥歌).

## History

Sae taryeong originated in the Jeolla-do region of Korea. The song first attained popularity after it was published in the pansori repertory Jeokbyeokga. It is suggested that it has been sung since the late Joseon period. Singers such as Lee Seok-sun (reign of Heonjong), Il-chi (reign of Cheoljong), Park Yu-jeon (reign of Cheoljong), and Yi Dong-baek (Japanese occupation) were said to have been good at performing the song.

## Composition

The song is divided into two parts. The first part is about the scene of spring when swallows fly, and the second about the appearance and sounds of birds. The first section is sung in a fast jungjungmori rhythm using a tong-tong rhythm with 15 beats in 3 minutes and 4 beats. The second section is sung in a slower jungmori rhythm. As "Saetaryeong" is a long song, it can take over nine minutes to sing. It is regarded as a highly developed minyo due to the difficult singing method.

## Lyrics

| Korean original (Hangul) | Hanja | Revised Romanization | English translation |
| 삼월 삼짇날 연자 날아들고 호접은 편편 나무 나무 속잎 나 가지 꽃 피었다 춘몽을 떨쳐 원산은 암암 근산은 중중 기암은 층층 메사니 울어 천리 시내는 청산으로 돌고 이 골 물이 주루루루루루 저 골 물이 콸콸 열의 열두 골 물이 한데로 합수쳐 천방자 지방자 월턱져 굽이쳐 방울이 버큼 져 건너 병풍석에다 아주 꽝꽝 마주 때려 산이 울렁거려 떠나간다 어디메로 가잔 말 아마도 네로구나 요런 경개가 또 있나 새가 날아든다 왼갖 잡새가 날아든다 새 중에는 봉황새, 만수문전의 풍년새 산고곡심 무인처 울림비조 뭇새들이 농춘화답에 짝을 지어 쌍거쌍래 날아든다 말 잘허는 앵무새, 춤 잘 추는 학 두루미 소탱이 쑥국~, 앵매기 쑤리루~, 대천에 비우~ 소루기 남풍 쫓아 떨쳐 나니 구만리장천 대붕 문왕이 나 계시사 기산 조양의 봉황새 요란~ 기우~ 깊은 밤 울고 날은 공작이 소선 적벽 칠월야 알연장명의 백학이 위보규인 임 계신 데 소식 전튼 앵무새 글자를 뉘가 전하리 가인상사 기러기 생증장액수고란하니 어여쁠사 채난새 약수 삼천 먼먼 길 서왕모 청조새 (이하 생략) | 三月 삼짇날 燕子 날아들고 蝴蝶은 翩翩 나무 나무 속잎 나 가지 꽃 피었다 春夢을 떨쳐 遠山은 暗暗 近山은 重重 奇巖은 層層 메사니 울어 天里 시내는 靑山으로 돌고 이 골 물이 주루루루루루 저 골 물이 콸콸 열의 열두 골 물이 한데로 合水쳐 天方자 地方자 월턱져 굽이쳐 방울이 버큼 져 건너 屛風石에다 아주 꽝꽝 마주 때려 산이 울렁거려 떠나간다 어디메로 가잔 말 아마도 네로구나 요런 景槪가 또 있나 새가 날아든다 왼갖 잡새가 날아든다 새 중에는 鳳凰새, 萬壽門前의 豐年새 山高谷深 無人處 鬱林飛鳥 뭇새들이 弄春和答에 짝을 지어 雙去雙來 날아든다 말 잘허는 鸚鵡새, 춤 잘 추는 鶴 두루미 소탱이 쑥국~, 앵매기 쑤리루~, 大天에 비우~ 소루기 南風 쫓아 떨쳐 나니 九萬里長天 大鵬 文王이 나 계시사 岐山 朝陽의 鳳凰새 요란~ 기우~ 깊은 밤 울고 날은 孔雀이 蘇仙 赤壁 七月夜 戞然長鳴의 白鶴이 爲報閨人 임 계신 데 消息 傳튼 鸚鵡새 글자를 뉘가 傳하리 佳人想思 기러기 生憎帳額繡孤鸞하니 어여쁠사 彩鸞새 弱水 三千 먼먼 길 西王母 靑鳥새 (이하 생략) | Samwol samjitnal yeonja naradeulgo hojeobeun pyeonpyeon Namu namu sogip na gaji kkot pieotda chunmongeul tteolchyeo Wonsaneun amam geunsaneun jungjung Giameun cheungcheung mesani ureo Cheonri sinaeneun cheongsaneuro dolgo I gol muri jurururururu jeo gol muri kwalkwal Yeorui yeoldu gol muri handero hapsuchyeo Cheonbangja jibangja wolteokjyeo gubichyeo Banguri beokeum jyeo geonneo byeongpungseogeda aju kkwangkkwang maju ttaeryeo Sani ulleonggeoryeo tteonaganda eodimero gajan mal Amado neroguna yoreon gyeonggaega tto itna Saega naradeunda oengat japsaega naradeunda Sae jungeneun bonghwangsae, mansumunjeonui pungnyeonsae Sangogoksim muincheo ullimbijo mutsaedeuri Nongchunhwadabe jjageul jieo ssanggeossangrae naradeunda Mal jalheoneun aengmusae, chum jal chuneun hak durumi Sotaengi ssukguk~, aengmaegi ssuriru~, daecheone biu~ sorugi Nampung jjocha tteolchyeo nani gumanrijangcheon daebung Munwangi na gyesisa gisan joyangui bonghwangsae Yoran~ giu~ gipeun bam ulgo nareun gongjagi Soseon jeokbyeok chirworya aryeonjangmyeongui baekhagi Wibogyuin im gyesin de sosik jeonteun aengmusae Geuljareul nwiga jeonhari gainsangsa gireogi Saengjeungjangaeksugoranhani eoyeoppeulsa chaenansae Yaksu samcheon meonmeon gil seowangmo cheongjosae (iha saengryak) | On the third day of the third month, the swallow flies and the butterfly is elegant The inner leaves of the trees, the branches, and flowers bloom, shaking off the spring dream The far away mountain is deep and still, and the closer mountain is overlapping The strange rocks' cries echo layer by layer The stream of Tianli turns to the castle peak The water in the valley flows ju-ru-ru-ru-ru-ru (onomatopoeia), the water in another goes kwal-kwal (gurgling) The twelve valleys of the ten waters merge into one The heaven and the earth bend over Drops bubble into foam and cross over to the folding screen and hits very hard The mountain is rumbling and leaves; there is talk about where to go It's probably you, is there another scene like this? Birds are flying, all sorts of birds are flying The phoenix of all birds, in front of the Logevity Gate, bearer of good harvests In a deep valley with high mountains: many birds fly in the forest on this sunny spring day Birds fly in pairs, singing as though chatting about the pleasant spring weather Parrots, good at chatting; cranes, good at dancing Sot-daeng sing “sook-gook”; Ang-mae-gi sing “dduriru”; eagles sing “bi-woo” I chased away the south wind and got shaken; ninety thousand li long Peng bird King Wen the diviner; the phoenix of Qishang in the morning sun Yoran Kiwoo (onomatopoeia) the deep night cries and the day is as a peacock Su Shi, Red Cliffs, at a night of the seventh month, a long-calling white crane Reporting to the lady over there, a message-passing parrot Who will pass on the letters? The thoughts of a beautiful woman is the goose I hate that the veil is embroidered with a lone Nan, a beautiful, colorful Nan Yaksu River, a long, long three thousand [li]; Queen Mother of the West, azure bird (omitted below) |

## Gallery

A gallery of the birds mentioned within the song.
* Swallow - Yeonja (燕子)
* Phoenix - Bonghwang (鳳凰)
* Generic parrot - Aengmu (鸚鵡)
* Red crowned crane - Hakdurumi (학두루미)
* Eurasian Scops owl - Sotaengi (소탱이)
* Pacific swift - Aengmaegi (앵미기)
* Generic eagle - Daecheon (大天)
* The mythical Peng Bird - Daebung (大鵬)
* Peacock - Gongjak (孔雀)
* Generic goose - Gireogi (기러기)