Yongbieocheonga (Song of Dragons Flying in Heaven), Volumes 1-2

This is an epic poem recording the process of Joseon's founding, from Mokjo, the great-great-grandfather of King Taejo Yi Seong-gye, down to King Taejong, together with related episodes, matched against corresponding episodes of successive Chinese emperors and kings. It was compiled to proclaim the legitimacy of the founding of Joseon as an act ordained by Heaven's Mandate. The Yongbieocheonga takes as its main text 125 cantos in Hangeul verse together with corresponding Chinese poems, with a commentary attached to each canto. In 1445, the 27th year of King Sejong, Gwon Je, Jeong In-ji, An Ji and others completed the main text; Choe Hang, Bak Paeng-nyeon, Gang Hui-an and others then added commentary and phonetic glosses to each canto, and it was published in 1447, the 29th year of King Sejong, in ten volumes bound as five books. The Sejong sillok, the Veritable Records of King Sejong, records that in October 1447, 550 copies of the Yongbieocheonga were distributed to court officials. This book is of major importance as the first book ever recorded in Hunminjeongeum. The copy held by the Kyujanggak is an original edition published in 1447, of which only the single volume containing Books 1 and 2 survives. It is in good condition, and a seal reading "seonsajigi", marking it as a royal gift, is stamped at the start of the volume. Missing are the front of the three leaves of the jinjeonmun, a memorial of presentation at the very beginning of the book, the back of the first leaf of the main text of Book 1, and leaves 44, 45 and 46 at the end of Book 2; leaves 41 and 42 of Book 2 are partly damaged and have been backed with paper for reinforcement. The cover has been rebound, and the title is recorded on a title label reading "Yongbieocheonga, Books 1 and 2." The Kyujanggak copy of the Yongbieocheonga is important material for research into the Korean language and bibliography of King Sejong's reign. The 125 cantos of Hangeul verse and their corresponding Chinese poems are valuable not only as a literary work in their own right, but also as precious material for examining the Korean language at the time Hunminjeongeum was created; and the archaic spellings of proper nouns and official titles appearing in the commentary are important material for the study of the Korean language. Moreover, although parts of it are missing, its overall state of preservation is generally good, and given the rarity of surviving copies, its value as source material is very high.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gwanak-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물