My Lark (나이 종달아 ) is a beautiful and haunting song from the 1964 film A Story About a Fighter. Listen to the recording from the vinyl here at Yanggak Island Discs. Lyrics by Ri Ho Il, music by Kim Kil Hak, and sung by Chon Gyong Ok.

Here is a translation of the song:

Lark, lark, of my lark, / fly, fly to that sky, to that distance / Oh lark, lark, beloved lark / that whispering creek of my beloved home / the green fields of wheat sway only in my heart / How can I endure this unbearable injustice, this unbearable pain? / Envious of your wings, I sing this song.

Lark, lark, oh my lark / go and cry my song, my heart. / Oh lark, lark, beautiful lark / over the dark clouds, the sky is blue / and this my endless dream flutters without limit / Give me your free wings / and wings unfurled, I'll fly away.

Give me my wings / and wings unfurled, I'll fly away.

We have yet to track down a copy of the film, but you can see a synopsis below from the 1966 Korean FIlm Catalogue.

Yanggak Island Discs is a regular posting on songs from old North Korean vinyls. Follow the Yanggak Island Discs Sound Cloud for more recordings of featured songs. Thanks to Explore Korea (探索朝鮮) for assistance with this post. For readers of the Chinese language, Explore Korea offers an unrivaled resources on DPRK music, movies, and culture.