Gangwondo Arirang
Unknown (Gangwon Oral Tradition)
Region
Gangwon-do
Genre
Gangwon Folk Song
Usage
Recreational Song
Gangwondo Arirang is the signature arirang of Gangwon-do, opening with the lively refrain "Ari-ari, sseuri-sseuri, arariyo." Its frank lyrics poke fun at the hardships of life on poor mountain farmland while openly confessing the flutter of love. This record is archive material collected to organize and preserve the representative lyrics and the transmission context of Gangwondo Arirang.
Commentary & Notes
Castor and camellia: Castor beans and camellia seeds were pressed for hair oil. Sung by a woman, the line is a lament: "Even with oiled hair, there's no one to charm." Sung by a man, it becomes a plea: "Her oiled hair is too tempting to resist."
Goeda: An old word meaning "to love" or "to cherish."
The song is strophic: the same melody carries verse after verse, and singers have added countless new verses over time.
Cultural Background
Gangwondo Arirang is handed down alongside Jeongseon Arirang and, with Han Obaengnyeon, carries the distinctive menari mode of the Taebaek mountain region. Joking about fields that grow only castor beans instead of the crops people need, it shows how mountain villagers met hardship with humor.
Lyrics
아리아리 쓰리쓰리 아라리요
아리아리 고개로 넘어간다
아주까리 동백아 열지 마라
누구를 괴자고 머리에 기름
열라는 콩팥은 왜 아니 열고
아주까리 동백은 왜 여는가
Ari-ari, sseuri-sseuri, arariyo
Over the Ari-ari pass I go
Castor beans and camellias, bear no fruit —
whom would I charm with oil in my hair?
The beans and peas we need — why won't they grow,
while castor and camellia bear so freely?
