Original subtitles

Hwang Jin-yi

Jang Mi-hee

Ahn Sung-ki

Shin Il-lyong

Jeon Moo-song

Script by Choe In-ho

Cinematography by Jeong Il-seong

Lighting by Kim Dong-ho

Music by Lee Seong-jae

Editing by Kim Hyeon

Development by Lee Gwon-seok

Production by Lee Woo-seok

Directed by Bae Chang-ho

Dear,

the night is far spent. Why don't you go to sleep now?

We may hear from young master Jin in few days.

Be prudent in your conduct.

Yes, mother.

Who is there?

Deok-bo!

Are you in there, Deok-bo?

The shoe thief came by again.

Well, why does he steal

the lady's shoes out of all things?

Deok-bo!

Deok-bo!

What are you doing there? You should be working.

That shoe thief came by again.

This time, our lady will

wear the shoes at her wedding.

Do your best and use good leather.

Born in the second hours, 36th day in the year of the horse.

Come.

Yes.

Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva.

May you fulfill your wish.

You are not at the place where you should be.

You are not lying on the place where you should be lying.

Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva.

By nature, there is no place for physical body.

Find a place for your mind.

What are you doing there?

Get ready to go pray to the Buddha.

I will not go, mother.

What are you saying?

This marriage has to be fulfilled.

Do you believe this marriage will be fulfilled

by praying to the Buddha after all the failed attempts so far?

I do not wish to get married yet.

That is not something a maiden shall say.

Sincerity moves heaven.

Go get ready, now.

Namo Amitabha.

Who is there?

Catch him!

Over there!

Catch him!

Over there!

What a mess!

Who is that?

This man tried to climb over the wall so we caught him.

Raise your head.

You are the butcher I have seen around the house.

What does he have on his chest?

Heavens!

He deserves to be beheaded

just for climbing over a wall of a noble house.

Yet, he has a wicked intention, too.

Such a man shall be quartered.

Take him to the governor and accuse him.

Steward,

stop there.

Mother,

no matter what,

this has caused by my lack of virtue.

If such shameful event is known to the world,

it will bring trouble to the family.

So what good will come by accusing him and making a mountain out of a molehill?

I will punish him to make sure such thing will never happen again.

Heavens!

All is well?

Yes, nothing to be worried about.

How odd!

What a pity to have a rain on the day before the wedding?

What a pity, our lady Jin-yi.

It is drizzling to drive out all the evils before the wedding.

Wait,

what a pitiful sound of a funeral procession?

I heard it is a good luck to see a funeral procession before a banquet.

Whose funeral is it?

You know that shoemaker on the hillside.

I don't know what happened but,

he set himself on fire and died.

How awful is that!

It must be that shoemaker's funeral.

Heavens, what a pity!

Push it to the back.

To the back.

Giddy-up!

♪ Light up the red and blue lanterns

♪ My forgotten lover is returning

♪ We came empty-handed and will leave empty-handed

♪ Why not have fun while we can

♪ Ninano Nilliriya

♪ Nilliriya Ninano

♪ Goody good Goody good

♪ Bees and butterflies here and there

♪ Flying in to find flowers

♪ Forsythia and azalea bloomed full, yet

♪ They are not as good as the Four Gracious Plants

♪ What is more sorrowful than not recognizing the fidelity of the Four Gracious Plants

What would you like?

I don't know about the state affairs.

A cool bottle of raw rice wine.

The voice of the people are the voice of the heavens.

Anything to eat?

Warm broth will do.

The nobles don't even allow us to speak.

That's the way it is. What can we do?

The heavens will take care of it all.

Life is hard.

I thought about selling my wife's drawers

and buy a government post.

Ugh, you idiot!

Why do you keep calling me an idiot?

How absurd!

Did it go well?

Oh well,

with a hundred coins, you could buy a tile-roofed house.

Yet, she said no.

Is Myeong-wol the only gisaeng in Songdo?

How absurd!

She will say no to not just one hundred coins

but to ten thousand coins.

Then why did she become a gisaeng?

Are you talking about that famous gisaeng in Songdo?

If you go see her looking this,

you will be refused too, sir.

So, is Myeong-wol a virgin?

A virgin gisaeng...

I have never heard of such thing.

Although she is a gisaeng now,

she is from a virtuous family.

Indeed!

Because of her cruel fate,

she put her hair up herself and became a gisaeng

- Hostess! - Yes.

Oh, well.

I did not expect

to greet you in Songdo, Your Excellency.

May I ask if you have come

as the secret emissary appointed by His Majesty?

Seeing Your Excellency have gained weight,

there must be many worrying matters.

I felt weary.

Thus, I came to Songdo

for a change of scenery.

There are many attractions here in Songdo.

I am seeing one of them right now.

It is called the town of beauties.

All the ladies are beautiful indeed.

Allow me to show you a true beauty.

There is a fair gisaeng called Myeong-wol.

I have already sent for her

so I could present her to Your Excellency.

She must be quite arrogant.

She did not show her face

even during my inauguration banquet.

In fact, I have never even had a chance to grab her wrist.

She is arrogant as much as she is beautiful.

But she will definitely come today.

How dare she not!

Is there something on my face?

You are rejected as well.

Myeong-wol will not come because she is ill.

How impudent!

Let's go.

Did you have a good time?

Lord, when will you come see me again?

I will come see you in a few days.

You always say that.

Take care.

Come on in.

My lady,

shall I bring you dinner?

No thank you.

The bright moon is full upon the vacant hill

The flowing blue stream may stop to rest

Can the bright moon be soaked in the resting blue stream

The bright moon will sink under the unmoving sea

Steward.

♪ The mountain stays the same

♪ While water does not

♪ Flowing day and night

♪ it is never the same water

Who is there?

I came with a message calling Myeong-wol

to attend the birthday banquet of Lord Kim.

The lady is unwell.

She is refraining from leaving the house.

Damn.

Does she think she is the only gisaeng in Songdo?

Shall I bring you wine?

Then shall I bring you fruits?

Maid!

No thank you.

You have stayed for too long, have you not?

I think so.

I am leaving.

But I am not leaving forever.

I will come back

before the winter comes.

♪ Flowing blue stream in the green mountains

♪ Do not boast your swift course

♪ Once you reach the blue ocean

♪ Coming back will not be easy

Excuse me.

Sir.

Would you please give this to Lord Byeok Gye-soo?

Well,

this is the lord's handwriting.

Where did you come from?

Please tell him I came from Songdo.

The lord is not here right now.

He went to Ming as an envoy.

If you came from Songdo,

did you not see him there?

He stayed at the guest house in Songdo,

then left to Ming over two months ago.

I heard he has safely reached Ming just now.

Take care!

Welcome!

Bring more food here.

Welcome!

Please help yourself.

Come back soon!

Welcome!

Do you have a room for me to stay overnight?

Of course.

Why don't you come in?

Please, come in.

Hey, make up the room.

Hostess, hurry and bring me the food.

Yes, I'm coming.

Yes, I'll bring it to you.

Hurry and bring more wine.

Bring more wine here.

Bring more wine, please.

Yes.

Shall I bring you a maiden to keep your company?

No thank you.

Having a gisaeng by your side

will ease you from the fatigue of travel.

There is a maiden here

who is quite pleasing to the eyes and the ears.

Close the door for me.

Yes, I will.

Hey, Sam-wol!

Hurry and bring more wine.

I am called Jin-yi.

Thank you.

You have come early today.

Shall I bring you the pine needle wine?

Stop that horrible singing!

Hostess!

Where is that girl called Jin-yi?

She is attending another guest.

What?

Well, how dare you!

Do you wish to be spanked?

Bring her.

Bring her now.

Yes.

I am sorry.

Hostess!

You could go.

I am sorry.

I will bring food and wine soon.

I have never seen my lord give his heart

to such a lowly gisaeng like you.

You have played arrogant enough now.

You shall be obedient by now.

I could make you my concubine.

Your life could turn around.

Huh,

how dare you!

Excuse me.

You seem to be from a noble family, but I think you have drunk too much.

Well,

I did not know she had a ponce.

You are being rude.

You better watch your mouth.

Well, well...

Wearing the gat doesn't make you a noble lord.

You certainly look far better without it.

You!

If you don't act obedient again tomorrow,

that will be the end of this tavern!

Do you understand?

Yes, I understand.

I will not let you get away next time.

Don't forget my money.

Take care!

How disgusting! Clean off the table here.

How much longer shall we put up with him

being nasty behind his father's authority?

That's what I am saying.

How nasty!

Oh, heavens!

Look, Jin-yi.

You better make up your mind by tomorrow.

Bring more wine, please.

Okay.

When will the water recede?

Well,

it will take about five days at least.

What do you think?

I think so too.

You will have to take another route.

Let's go find another route.

Okay, let's go.

Excuse me.

Can the boats leave now?

They cannot.

The river has suddenly flooded.

Then, how do I get to the market in Ganggyeong?

Ganggyeong, you say...

Yes.

If you want to get to Ganggyeong, you better go to Yesan

and follow the mountain path.

Oh well...

The boats cannot leave. You should go back.

You should go back. The boats cannot leave.

No?

No, they cannot.

Sir!

Oh...

You were humiliated because of me yesterday.

No.

You are the one who is leaving because of me.

But, where are you going?

Wherever my feet take me to.

I will wander aimlessly

and see the world.

That is good to hear.

We could keep each other's company for a while.

You could leave.

I will be off.

Where are you headed?

I am going to the market.

Why are you going there?

I am going there for a trade.

- You could leave. - Yes.

You could leave.

You could leave.

You!

Where are you headed?

Well, I...

I am going to the market in Ganggyeong.

You two married?

Yes.

You could leave.

Yes.

Where are you headed?

I am going to Ganggyeong.

Thank you.

You look unwell.

Since when?

Why don't you go back to Songdo?

I am only an inexperienced scholar but,

how could I have not heard of

the famous gisaeng Hwang Jin-yi in Songdo?

Please lie down.

Sir,

do you have anything awaiting you at Ganggyeong?

I just

wish to see my wife and children.

It has been over a year since the last time I saw them.

They say a person cannot see beyond his nose.

So how could I have known that

I, a mere scholar, would be drawn into the political conflict

and be on the run?

Maybe I am better off this way.

Being a scholar or taking up a government post

is not quite important in one's life.

Now,

once I am reunited with my wife and children,

I will quietly head to a remote village

and live a peaceful life

plowing a field

and growing crops.

That is my last wish.

Buy some rice cake!

Buy some rice cake!

Buy some rice cake!

Here is the money you earned from trading.

You keep it for your travel.

I had a good time with you.

Are you going to Songdo?

I will go to Hanyang.

Lord Daejaehak has

secretly called for me.

There must be a good news soon.

But my wife is ill.

She will be fine once I get to Hanyang and send someone to look after her.

Take care of yourself then.

They are gone.

My wife is gone.

She was sold as a slave.

My children too...

You are suffering.

Because of me...

And it has been quite a while.

Where are you going?

Excuse me?

Excuse me?

Who is there?

Well...

I am looking for work.

I did not have a chance to learn much but,

I could sing some songs

and know how to dance.

I do not want much in return.

I am asking for a room and some food for two.

I have closed down my business long ago.

Who would come to drink at a tavern during this year of famine?

Then, could I ask for some food?

I could give you some warm soup and rice.

Thank you.

I am a widower.

I haven't been with a woman for months.

I could give you some travel money.

People shall be generous to one another.

Come on in.

I have already eaten.

You might look more suspicious not wearing the gat.

Your face and hands

don't belong to a commoner.

Money....

Where did you get the money?

Money...

Where did you get the money?

Go away!

How dare you beg around

spreading your misfortune during a famine!

How ominous!

You go your way.

Go...

Go!

What are you doing?

I lost my shoe.

Hurry up.

How much food do we have left?

Well,

we have enough for three or four days.

Try to eat less.

Yes.

We are not eating enough already.

Shut your mouth!

We shall last till the 60th birthday banquet of Lord Chambong in Yesan.

Things will get better from then.

Do you understand?

Yes, we do.

Behave yourself!

Excuse me.

Do you have a room to spare for the night?

Go ahead.

You could sleep up over there.

Yes.

Close the door.

Yes.

What shall we sing at the birthday banquet?

Changbuga, of course.

You fool!

Since when did we earn money by singing?

You could sing anything as long as you don't sound like a dying pig.

When we go to Yesan this time,

What do you want?

I told you to go upstairs.

Yes.

You girls listen to me.

When we go to Yesan, you better accept all the men there

even they are harelips and cripples.

Do you understand?

Even the paralyzed?

Shut up!

Don't be sloppy

unless you want to starve to death this winter.

Chun-shim!

Are you up for it?

Heavens, just take a look.

How could she accept a man with her bulging belly?

Getting pregnant at a time like this...

Excuse me.

I am sorry but,

would you give me some food?

Look.

We don't even have enough food for us.

Hand me a spoon.

Well...

By any chance,

are you looking for a woman who could sing?

The woman who came with me

could sing and dance.

She looked fair.

She did.

Sir,

we do need more girls, don't we?

How about you?

I am not good at anything.

All I am asking is little money for travel.

Just little?

No way!

She did not look healthy.

She can't stand to travel with us actors.

No!

Off with you.