I am translating a poem from Korean. The poet is deliberately avoiding a gender reference (or, deeming it unnecessary) by using a neutral impersonal pronoun. In Korean there are generally few inbuilt gender markers; you have to put them in deliberately. The poet here does not specify. The context seems to refer to a woman, because as far as I know he speaks of his wife, but judging from the language I thought he meant for this poem to appeal to anyone in any relationship - be that friendship, romantic, hetero or homo-sexual etc. There is also a contrast between the impersonal pronoun in the beginning and a switch to a personal pronoun in the end when he refers to his companion. I want to preserve that too.
So how can I refer to this person? "They" is just aesthetically displeasing to me for some reason, and may even confuse someone into thinking the poet is actually referring to a plural number of people rather than one. I tried it, and I can see how it could make it confusing. "He or she" is even worse, it sounds a document, and is very clumsy to fit into poetic structure. I don't want to use 'you' because the poet is using an impersonal pronoun, and I'm sure he has a reason. Is there any other way?
Here is a draft of my translation using 'they' as an interim. It is a beautiful poem. The title is 'Flower'.
Before I called their name
They were but a gesture, no more.
Yet when I called their name
They came to me
And became my flower.
Now I call out
To anyone out there
Of colour, and scent akin to mine:
Please, call my name.
I want to be called,
By such a kindred spirit
And to come to them.
To become their flower.
We all of us want
To become something.
You to me, and I to you
Want to become
Just one meaning
To never be forgotten.
