Neoyeong Nayeong
Unknown (Jeju Oral Tradition)
Region
Jeju Island
Genre
Usage
Jeju Folk Song
Recreational Song
Neoyeong Nayeong means "you and I" in the Jeju language, and true to its title it cheerfully sings of the joy of being together and the affection between lovers. Along with Odolttogi and Iyahong Taryeong, it is counted among the best-known songs of Jeju. This record is archive material collected to organize and preserve the representative lyrics and the transmission context of Neoyeong Nayeong.
Commentary & Notes
Neoyeong nayeong: Jeju dialect for "you and me," meaning the two of us together.
Baengnokdam and Hallasan: Baengnokdam is the crater lake at the summit of Hallasan. On the climb, a pair who began as "brother and sister" end up as groom and bride, a playful line whose exact meaning remains a riddle even to Jeju natives.
The refrain "neoyeong nayeong duridungsil nolguyo" returns after every verse, while the verses change as the song goes on.
Cultural Background
Neoyeong Nayeong was a favorite at feasts and gatherings where young men and women mingled, and it represents the festive side of a Jeju song tradition dominated by work songs. It is carefully handed down by the Jeju Folk Song Preservation Society, and it has recently reached new generations through modern arrangements on television.
Lyrics
너영 나영 두리둥실 놀구요
낮이 낮이나 밤이 밤이나
참사랑이로구나
백록담 올라갈 땐
누이동생 하더니
한라산 올라가니
신랑 각시가 된다
You and I, let's play together, drifting free
By day, by day, and by night, by night,
this is true love
On the way up to Baengnokdam,
you called me your little sister,
but once we climbed Hallasan,
we became groom and bride
