Like Those Lovely Salmon Rising Against the River Stream

I recently discovered a Korean folk rock song from 1998. It's got a long quirky title but the lyrics are only a little quirky and pretty meaningful....



Like those lively salmon rising against the river stream
By Kang San Ae

For the same mysterious reasons

that salmons rise against

the river stream of their own will.

 

I don’t know since when,

I’ve been walking, walking

and walking this road.

I wonder how much further

I have to go in the days ahead.

 

Among many prongs of a fork in the road.

Even if this path that I’m walking

is an inevitable detour onto a winding road.

Though it will harden my feet

if I keep walking, walking and walking,

I will be lying down in those wide flower beds to take some rest.

 

Among many prongs of a fork in the road.

Even if this path that I’m walking is in the pitch black dark, even without starlight

I cannot just give up now.

If I keep walking, walking and walking

I will be able to see the sunlight

That’s passionately shattered for me

 

Even so I know I have been blessed so much

with so many roads to choose to walk ahead of me

Right, if I start walking again

If I keep walking, walking and walking

One day I’ll be thankful for all these things

 

The end of the road is not in sight

You hang your weary shoulders and sigh but

please don’t be afraid

Like those lively salmon rising against the river stream

If you keep walking

If you keep walking

If you keep walking…