Master Wolmyeong

Wolmyeong was a monk of the kingdom of Silla under King Gyeongdeok, in the eighth century; his origins and the date of his death are unknown. The Samguk yusa, which devotes a brief notice to him, calls him a companion of the hwarang, those young men of the elite, and a resident of the temple of Sacheonwang. He played the flute with such art, according to the legend, that one evening the full moon stopped before the temple to listen to him. In 760, when two suns appeared together, the king asked him for a ritual prayer, to which he responded with a second surviving song.

In the catalogue 1

• Poetry제망매가Master Wolmyeong · 750not translated into EnglishLiteraturePublic domain