The night is deep
Only the sound of the water clock
Everyone, withdraw
By day a thousand bow down before me
By night no one may see my face
The petitions pile up and I've read them all
I know even the names of the thugs in Jongno's back alleys
Who took the bribe and who sold the house
Which household's servant girl is selling words
Whose birth hour the shaman has tucked into her robe
It all comes in, all the way to this room, it all comes in
Lift the brush and one head falls
Set the brush down and ten starve to death
So today again I don't lift the brush
Pretending not to know is also how a country is ruled
They say this seat was given by heaven
But heaven says nothing
If I spoke everything I know
This country would fall in a single night
So I — only listen
So I — pretend not to know
They say the executioner drinks three cups and lifts his blade
The seal stamped on that paper is mine
The one who fled down the night road is my subject
And the one chasing him is my subject too
The throne is wide but there's little room to sit
The gold crown is heavy and my head grows empty
As a boy I thought a king could change everything
The only thing I could change — was my own sleep
In Jongno the royal band plays for me
It carries over the wall, that sound of horns
All my people are inside that sound
As long as I can hear it, I don't go out
The magistrate asked, what shall we do
I answered — handle it yourselves
Those few words, the longest speech of my life
They say this seat was given by heaven
But heaven says nothing
If I spoke everything I know
This country would fall in a single night
So I — only listen
So I — pretend not to know
So I — am the king
The water clock has stopped
Day is breaking
Time to pretend not to know again