English translation and Korean lesson with the lyrics of Rain by BTS, from the 2014 album Dark & Wild.
Produced by: Slow Rabbit
Written by: Slow Rabbit, RM, SUGA, j-hope
Find it here: Youtube • Spotify • Apple Music • Amazon Music
Intro:
(비가 오는 짙은 색 서울 그 위에)
(Over Seoul, rainy and dark)
비 = rain
오다 = to come
짙다 = to be dark, deep
색 = a colour
그 = that, those
위 = the top of something, above something
-에 = at X, on X (위에)
달리는 차들, 사방에 꿈틀대는 우산들
Cars racing, umbrellas moving all around.
달리다 = to run
차 = a car
-들 = makes a noun plural (차들)
사방 = all around
꿈틀대다 = to stir, to move around
우산 = an umbrella
날씨는 흐림 공기는 맑음
Cloudy weather, clear air.
날씨 = weather
흐리다 = to be cloudy
공기 = air
맑다 = to be clear
(저 비가 그쳐 고인 물 위에 비쳐진)
(Reflected in the stagnating water after the rain has stopped)
저 = that, those
그치다 = to stop (used with precipitation)
고이다 = to stagnate
물 = water
비치다 = to shine, to reflect
연회색 배경의 난 왜 여기 멈춰 섰을까
Why did I, with a light grey background, come to a stop here?
현회색 = light grey
배경 = a background
-의 = indicates possession, like ‘s in English (배경의)
나 = I
왜 = why
여기 = here
멈추다 = to stop
서다 = to stand
-을까 / -ㄹ까 = used to wonder about something, sort of to oneself (섰을까)
생각이 많은 건지 없는 건지 잘 몰라
I don’t know if I have a lot of thoughts or no thoughts.
생각 = a thought
많다 = to be many
없다 = to not be found, not exist
잘 = “well” (as in, “He sings well.”)
모르다 = to not know
잘 모르다 = to not be sure
Verse 1:
바깥이 환해졌을 때쯤 잠에서 깨
I wake up around the time it’s getting bright outside.
바깥 = the outdoors, outside
환하다 = to be bright
-아지다 / -어지다 = makes an adjective transitional. IE: “to be getting bright” instead of “to be bright” (환해졌을)
때 = the point in time when something happens
-쯤 = roughly, about (때쯤)
잠 =sleep
-에서 = from X, inside of X (잠에서)
깨다 = to wake up
피곤에 찌든 손으로 연신 머리를 쓸어대
With tired, worn hands I keep smoothing down my hair.
피곤 = fatigue, tiredness
찌들다 = to be worn out, careworn
손 = a hand
-으로 / -로 = via X, using X (손으로)
연신 = “keep” as in to keep doing something
머리 = head/hair
쓸어대다 = to sweep across, sweep over
지난 밤 완성치 못한 노래의 메모장
The notepad with a song I couldn’t finish last night.
지나다 = to be passing
밤 = a night
완성하다 = to complete
-지 못하다 = to not be able to do X (완성치 못한)
노래 = a song
장 = a sheet of paper
오늘은 끝낸다 눈 질끈 감고 한숨 푹 쉬어보네
I’ll finish it today. I shut my eyes tight and let out a sigh.
오늘 = today
끝내다 = to end something
눈 = an eye
질끈 = tightly
감다 = to close (eyes only, not doors, windows, etc)
-고 = X and (감고)
한숨 = a sigh
쉬다 = to breathe
-어보다 / -아보다 = to give X a try, to see about doing X. Read more here. (쉬어보네)
-네 = (쉬어보네)
뭐라 변명해? 말 지어보네
What excuse should I make? I try to think of something.
뭐 = what
변명하다 = to make an excuse
말 = words
짓다 = to make, to contruct
어차피 못한 거 그냥 아무 말이나 지어 보내
In the end I can’t. I just write down something or other and send it.
어차피 = anyway, in the end
그냥 = just
아무 = any, anything
보내다 = to send
시선을 돌린 창 밖은 온통 회색 빛
I turn to look, and it’s completely grey outside the window.
시선 = a view, what one is looking at
돌리다 = to turn
창 = window
밖 = the outside of something
온통 = completely
회색 = grey
빛 = light
회색 시의 회색 빌딩, 회색 길 위의 회색 비
The grey city’s grey buildings, grey rain on the grey streets.
시 = a city
길 = a road
이 세상 모든 게 느려
Everything in this world is slow.
이 = this, these
세상 = a world
모든 = every, all
느리다 = to be slow
잠에서 깬 동생 자꾸 말끝을 흐려
My little brother is up, and he keeps slurring the ends of his words.
(동생 is actually not a gender-specific word. This song seems to be written from the point of view of the dorm BTS was living in at the time, and RM was sharing a room with V, so that’s probably who he’s referring to here. So I’ve chosen to say “brother/he” instead of “sister/she”.)
동생 = younger sibling, or younger person with whom one is very close
자꾸 = “keep” as in “he keeps doing that”
말끝 = the end of a word or sentence
흐리다 = to slur, to be blurry
죄 없는 냉장고 또 열었다 닫어
I open the innocent fridge and close it again.
죄 = offence, crime
냉장고 = a fridge
또 = again, once more
열다 = to open
닫다 = to close
밀려온 알 수 없는 허전함에
An unknown feeling of emptiness floods me, so
밀려오다 = to surge, to flood (밀리다 = to be pushed + 오다 = to come)
알다 = to know
-ㄹ 수 없다 / -을 수 없다 = to not be able to do X (알 수 없는)
허전함 = a feeling of emptiness
일단 나가야겠다고 생각하지
I think I should just go outside
일단 = first of all, from the outset
나가다 = to go out
생각하다 = to think
-지 = adds a nuance of “isn’t it” or “dont’ you agree?” (생각하지)
우산도 하나 없이
without even an umbrella.
-도 = X too, even X (우산도)
하나 = one
없이 = without
선명해 비들이 세상에 닿는 소리
The sound of the rain meeting the world is so vivid.
선명하다 = to be sharp, vivid
닿다 = to touch, to reach
소리 = a sound
피식 웃어 최고의 배경 음악
I grin. The best background music.
피식 = gigglingly, grinningly, with a chuckle
웃다 = to smile, to laugh
최고 = the best
음악 = music
미친놈처럼 콧노래를 흥얼거린다
I hum like a lunatic.
미치다 = to be crazy
놈 = a guy
-처럼 = like X (미친놈처럼)
코 = a nose
흥얼거리다 = to hum
몇 시일까
I wonder what time it is.
몇 = how many, a few
시 = hour, time
Chorus:
비가 오는 짙은 색 서울 그 위에
Over Seoul, rainy and dark.
여전히 잠 못 이루는 내가 흐려지네
Still unable to sleep, I grow dull.
저 비가 그쳐 고인 물 위에 비쳐진
Reflected in the stagnating water after the rain has stopped,
오늘따라 더 초라한 내가 그려지네
I look especially pitiful today.
Verse 2:
비 내리는 밤 창문을 노크 하는 비는 때리지 마음을
On a rainy night, the window knocking at my window strikes my heart.
내리다 = to descend
창문 = a window
하다 = to do
때리다 = to hit, to strike
마음 = one’s heart/mind (in the metaphorical, not the anatomical sense)
시큰한 어깨를 잡고 확인한 문자 “요즘 어때?”
Holding my sore shoulder I check my texts. “How are you these days?”
시큰하다 = to be sore
어깨 = a shoulder
잡다 = to hold, to take in one’s hand
확인하다 = to check, to confirm
문자 = a text message
요즘 = lately, these days
어때 = how. Also used to mean, “How is it?” “How are you?” etc.
친구의 안부문자는 나를 감성에 젖게 만들지
The message from my friend makes me emotional.
친구 = a friend
안부 = a greeting
감성 = emotion, sensitivity
젖다 = to get wet, get soaked (Korean expression used above is to be soaked in emotion)
만들다 = to make
눅눅한 빗방울의 향기를 맡으며
Smelling the damp scent of the raindrops,
눅눅하다 = to be damp, humid
빗방울 = a raindrop
향기 = scent, fragrance
맡다 = to sniff, to smell
-으며 / -며 = while X (맡으며)
기지개를 편 다음 난 화장실로 간 뒤
after stretching and going to the bathroom,
기지개 = stretching
다음 = next
화장실 = a bathroom
-로 / -으로 = to X, into X (화장실로)
가다 = to go
뒤 = behind something, after something
잠에서 덜 깬 거울 속 내게 인사한 뒤,
after greeting myself, half-asleep, in the mirror,
덜 = less
거울 = a mirror
속 = the inside of something
내 = I, me, my
-에게 = to X, for X (내게)
인사하다 = to greet
만날 사람도 없는데 괜히 더 길게 샤워를 하지
even though I’m not even meeting anyone I take an unnecessarily long shower.
만나다 = to meet
사람 = a person
괜히 = with no need, to no avail
더 = more
-게 = makes an adjective into an adverb. IE: “Quick” becomes “quickly” (길게)
숙소 밖 여전히 비는 내리네
Outside the dorm the rain is still coming down.
숙소 = a dorm
여전히 = still
갈 곳도 딱히 없는데 우산을 챙긴 채
Even though I don’t really have anywhere to go, I take an umbrella along
곳 = a place
챙기다 = to take along, to pack
채 = indicates one is doing X while doing something else (X being the preceding clause)
처벅처벅 걸어 정처 없이
and plod along with no set destination.
처벅처벅 = onomatopoeic sound for plodding or trudging along
걷다 = to walk
정처 = a fixed place, a definite destination
더러워진 신발에 비는 존재를 알리듯 흔적을 새기네
The rain leaves traces on my dirty shoes as if to let me know its there.
더럽다 = to be dirty
신발 = a show
존재 = existence, presence
알리다 = to let someone know, to inform
-듯 = as if X (알리듯)
흔적 = a trace, a mark
새기다 = to carve, to engrave, to mark
이처럼 난 너에게 비처럼 흔적을 새긴 사람일까
Like this, like the rain, could I leave a trace on you?
너 = you
그게 아니라면 갑자기 내린 소나기처럼 그저 왔다가는 존재는 아닐까
If not, will my existence be like a sudden rain shower that just comes and goes?
아니다 = to not be X (X being the preceding noun)
-면 / -으면 = if/when X (아니라면)
갑자기 = sudden, suddenly
소나기 = a rain shower
그저 = just
Chorus:
비가 오는 짙은 색 서울 그 위에
Over Seoul, rainy and dark.
여전히 잠 못 이루는 내가 흐려지네
Still unable to sleep, I grow dull.
저 비가 그쳐 고인 물 위에 비쳐진
Reflected in the stagnating water after the rain has stopped,
오늘따라 더 초라한 내가 그려지네
I look especially pitiful today.
Verse 3:
몸을 일으켜 찌뿌둥하다고 느낄 쯤 창문을 볼 때
When I get up, feeling out of sorts, and look out the window
몸 = a body
일으키다 = to raise up, pick something up
찌뿌둥하다 = to feel out of sorts, heavy, under the weather
느끼다 = to feel
보다 = to look at, to see
내 몸을 예상이라도 한 듯 비가 내리고 있네
the rain’s coming down as if it expected my body to feel this way.
예상하다 = to expect
-이라도 = “…or something” (예상이라도)
-고 있다 = present progressive form. IE: “to be going” instead of “to go” (내리고 있네)
창문에 맺혀 있는 빗물들 바라보며
As I look at the rain drops that have formed on the window, they feel
맺히다 = to form
바라보다 = to look at
느끼지 마치 내 마음속을 흐른 눈물들
like tears running down inside my heart.
마치 = often used to preface sentences that have imagery in them
흐르다 = to flow
눈물 = tears
미묘함 뒤로 밖을 보면 내 상황 같애
When I move past this subtlety and look outside, it looks like my situation.
미묘함 = a subtlety, a nicety
상황 = situation, circumstances
같다 = to be like X (X being the preceding noun)
선율같이 내리는 비에 모두 다 안단테
With the rain falling like a melody, everything is andante.
선율 = a melody
모두 = everything, everyone
다 = all
준비를 하고 나가, 내 인상처럼 구겨진 우산을 쫙 펴고
I get ready and go out. I open the umbrella that’s as rumpled as I look.
준비하다 = to get ready
인상 = one’s face, appearance
구기다 = to be crumpled, creased
펴다 = to unfold, spread open
걸으며 빗소릴 듣는 순간
As I’m walking, listening to the rain
듣다 = to listen
순간 = a moment
이 비는 누굴 위해서 내리는 걸까?
I wonder, who is this rain falling for?
누구 = who
위하다 = to be for X (X being the preceding noun)
쓸쓸한 회색 시멘트 위 부딪혀 때리는 청각
The sound of it striking the lonesome grey cement.
Come slow down
쓸쓸하다 = to be lonesome, solitary
부딪히다 = to bump into, to hit
청각 = hearing
Chorus:
비가 오는 짙은 색 서울 그 위에
Over Seoul, rainy and dark.
여전히 잠 못 이루는 내가 흐려지네
Still unable to sleep, I grow dull.
저 비가 그쳐 고인 물 위에 비쳐진
Reflected in the stagnating water after the rain has stopped,
오늘따라 더 초라한 내가 그려지네
I look especially pitiful today.
Outro:
나 이 비가 멎어도 저 구름이 걷혀도
Even as this rain stops, even as those clouds clear up,
멎다 = to stop, to die down
구름 = a cloud
걷히다 = to clear up (weather)
우두커니 서 있어 이 모습 그대로
I’m standing here absent-mindedly like this.
우두커니 = absent-mindedly, vacantly
모습 = one’s appearance
그대로 = just as it is
아무 말도 않은 채 세상을 내려다봐
Without saying anything I look down at the world.
내려다보다 = to look down at
거긴 아름답지 못한 내가 날 보고 있어
A not-so-beautiful me is there looking at me.
거기 = there
아름답다 = to be beautiful
