Poem "On Pubyok Pavilion" by Kim Hwang Won
Researcher Han In Yong at the Academy of Social Sciences says:
"Kim Hwang Won became famous all the more as he left the unfinished poem 'On Pubyok Pavilion' which sang of the beautiful Pyongyang.
The short and refined poem sang of the shores of the River Taedong and the mounds dotted on a wide field in the east across the river seen from the Pubyok Pavilion as if they were reflected on a landscape. Rhythmic and pictorial poetic words were selected and antithesis was used to depict the charm and characteristics of the superb scenery vividly and impressively through the most appropriate poetic description."
Here is a story telling how the famous poet left his unfinished poem.
The poet climbed the Pubyok Pavilion on Moran Hill in Pyongyang and saw the marvellous scenery of Pyongyang. Fascinated by its superb scenery, he had the urge for writing. He made up his mind to write a poem becoming to the beautiful Pyongyang and thus add to its value as a place of natural beauty.
The river water is rolling on one side of the long wall.
Mounds are dotted at the eastern end on a wide field.
He wrote the poem to this extent at a breath, but did not go on any more. He thought over and over for a long while, but could not finish the poem. He is said to have regretted till late at night his talents too insufficient to sing of the superb view of Pyongyang before leaving the Pubyok Pavilion.
Later, people put a hanging board with the poem at a pillar of the Pubyok Pavilion before moving it to the Ryongwang Pavilion on the bank of the River Taedong in Pyongyang with a desire to boast of the beauty of Pyongyang even the famous poet had failed to sing of because of lacking poetic words.
Dear audience,
If you have a chance to visit Pyongyang, please go to the Ryongwang Pavilion, where you can see the unfinished poem "On Pubyok Pavilion" by Kim Hwang Won.