Suhyun J. Ahn 安 丁 秀賢

While exploring the ITKC website last night, I found that they have recordings of 聲讀. The rhythm and melody remind me of Buddhist chanting, and it’s simply fascinating.

I believe most Koreans are somewhat familiar with the concept of “聲讀,” even without being aware of it. That’s how you learn (at least the first line of) 千字文. But reading 四書 using 聲讀 while adding 吐 (adding Korean particles as you read Classical Chinese texts)? I don’t think even specialists do that at this point unless you’re old like Seong Baek-hyo (成百曉), a famous Classical Chinese-modern Korean translator. I’m sharing the video of him “singing” 論語集注.

(People trained at the Taedong Center for Eastern Classics are the exception, as they spend three years in the middle of nowhere, memorizing the major Confucian classics. But very few people dare to go through that, and I myself do not want to do a dare, either.)