English translation and Korean lesson with the lyrics of Butterfly by BTS, from the 2015 album The Most Beautiful Moment in Life Pt.2.
Produced by: Pdogg
Written by: “Hitman” Bang, Slow Rabbit, Pdogg, Brother Su, RM, SUGA, j-hope
Find it here: Youtube • Spotify • Apple Music • Amazon Music
Verse 1:
아무것도 생각하지 마
Don’t think about anything.
아무것도 = nothing
생각하다 = to think
-지 마 = “Don’t do X” (생각하지 마)
넌 아무 말도 꺼내지도 마
Don’t say anything either.
너 = you
아무 = any, no (as in “there are no people here”, not “the answer is no”)
말 = words
-도 = X too/neither, even X (말도)
꺼내다 = to take out, to bring something up
그냥 내게 웃어줘
Just smile at me.
그냥 = just
내 = I, me, my
-에게 = to X, for X (내게)
웃다 = to smile, to laugh
-어주다 / -아주다 = adds a nuance of “as a favour to” or “for” someone (웃어줘)
난 아직도 믿기지가 않아
I still don’t trust myself.
나 = I, me
아직 = still
믿기다 = to be believed, to be trusted
-지 않다 = to not do X (믿기지 않아)
이 모든 게 다 꿈인 것 같아
It feels like all of this is a dream.
이 = this, these
모든 = every
게 = a thing
다 = all
꿈 = a dream
것 같다 = to feel like X, seem like X (X being the preceding clause)
사라지려 하지마
Don’t disappear.
사라지다 = to disappear, to fade away
-려 하다 = to intend to do X, to be “going to do X”
Pre-Chorus:
Is it true? Is it true?
You You
너무 아름다워 두려워
are so beautiful it scares me.
Untrue Untrue
You You You
너무 = so, too
아름답다 = to be beautiful
두렵다 = to be scared
Chorus:
곁에 머물러줄래
Can you stay by my side?
곁 = one’s side (not the side of their body, but the spot right beside them)
-에 = at X, on X (곁에)
머무르다 = to stay
-ㄹ래 / -을래 = Used to make a soft request. “Would you?” “Could you?” (머물러줄래)
내게 약속해줄래
Can you promise me?
약속하다 = to promise
손 대면 날아갈까 부서질까
If I reach out and touch you will you fly away? Will you shatter?
손 = a hand
대다 = to touch
-면 / -으면 = if/when X (대면)
날아가다 = to fly away (날다 = to fly + 가다 = to go)
-ㄹ까 / -을까 = used to wonder something, sort of to oneself. “I wonder if X will happen?” (날아갈까)
부서지다 = to be broken, smashed
겁나 겁나 겁나
I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared.
겁나다 = to be scared
시간을 멈출래
Can you stop time?
시간 = time
멈추다 = to stop
이 순간이 지나면
If this moment passes
순간 = a moment
지나다 = to pass by
없었던 일이 될까? 널 잃을까?
will it be erased? Will I lose you?
없다 = to not be found, not exist
일 = a thing, a matter (incredibly versatile word)
되다 = to become
잃다 = to lose
겁나 겁나 겁나
I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared.
Butterfly, like a butterfly
마치 butterfly, bu butterfly 처럼
Like a butterfly, bu butterfly.
마치 = a word often placed at the beginning of a sentence that will imagery in it.
-처럼 = like X (butterfly처럼)
Butterfly, like a butterfly
마치 butterfly, bu butterfly 처럼
Like a butterfly, bu butterfly.
Verse 2:
넌 마치 butterfly
You’re like a butterfly.
멀리서 훔쳐봐 손 닿으면 널 잃을까
I steal glances from afar. If I reach out and touch you, will I lose you?
멀다 = to be far off, distant
훔쳐보다 = to steal a glance (훔치다 = to steal + 보다 = to see, to look at)
닿다 = to reach, to touch
이 칠흑 같은 어둠 속 날 밝히는 나비효과
A butterfly effect that illuminates me in this utter darkness.
칠흑 = pitch darkness
같다 = to be like
어둠 = darkness (어둡다 = to be dark)
속 = the inside of something
밝히다 = to brighten, to illuminate
나비 = a butterfly
효과 = an effect
니 작은 손짓 한 번에 현실을 잊어 난
At one small gesture of your hand, I forget reality.
니 = you (alternate spelling of 네)
작다 = to be small
손짓 = a hand gesture
한 = one (shortened form of 하나)
번 = a time (as in “one time”, not as in “What time is it?”)
현실 = reality
잊다 = to forget
살며시 쓰다듬는 바람 같아
Like the gentle caress of the wind,
살며시 = gently, furtively
쓰다듬다 = to stroke, to pet
바람 = wind
살포시 표류하는 먼지 같아
like softly drifting dust,
살표시 = softly, gently
표류하다 = to drift
먼지 = dust
넌 거기 있지만 왠지 닿지 않아
you’re there, but somehow I can’t reach you
거기 = there
있다 = to be found, to exist
-지만 = X but (있지만)
왠지 = somehow
Stop
꿈 같은 넌 내게 butterfly, high
You’re like a dream. To me you’re a butterfly, high.
Pre-Chorus:
Untrue Untrue
You You You
Chorus:
곁에 머물러줄래
Can you stay by my side?
내게 약속해줄래
Can you promise me?
손 대면 날아갈까 부서질까
If I reach out and touch you will you fly away? Will you shatter?
겁나 겁나 겁나
I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared.
시간을 멈출래
Can you stop time?
이 순간이 지나면
If this moment passes
없었던 일이 될까 널 잃을까
will it be erased? Will I lose you?
겁나 겁나 겁나
I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared.
Bridge:
심장은 메마른 소리를 내
My heart lets out a parched sound.
(Korean imagery describes a heart as being dried up and in need of water, in the same way that English imagery refers to a heart as being frozen and in need of thawing.)
심장 = a heart
메마르다 = to be arid, parched
소리 = a sound
내다 = to make, put, place
꿈인지 현실인지 알 수 없네
I can’t tell if it’s a dream or reality.
-인지 = whether X, if X (꿈인지, 현실인지)
알다 = to know
-ㄹ 수 없다 / -을 수 없다 = to not be able to do X (알 수 없네)
-네 = adds a nuance of surprise or amazement (없네)
나의 해변의 카프카여
-의 = indicates possession, like ‘s in English (나의)
해변 = the shore, the beach
저기 숲으로 가진 말아줘
Please don’t go into those woods.
저기 = over there
숲 = a forest, woods
-으로 = towards X, into X (숲으로)
가다 = to go
내 마음은 아직 너 위에 부서져 조각조각 까맣게 녹아 흘러
My heart is still being shattered and piece by piece melting away into blackness over you.
마음 = one’s heart/mind (in the metaphorical, not the anatomical sense)
위 = the top of something
조각 = a piece, a slice, a strip
까맣다 = to be pitch-black
-게 = turns an adjective into an adverb. IE. “quick” becomes “quickly” (까맣게)
녹다 = to melt
흐르다 = to flow
(난 그냥 이대로 증발하고 싶어)
(I just want to evaporate like this)
이대로 = like this, in this way
증발하다 = to evaporate
-고 싶다 = to want to do X (증발하고 싶어)
내 사랑은 영원인 걸
My love is forever.
(영원, meaning forever, sounds exactly like 영 원, meaning “zero won”, or free.)
It’s all free for you, baby.
사랑 = love
영원 = forever, eternity
Chorus:
곁에 머물러줄래
Can you stay by my side?
내게 약속해줄래
Can you promise me?
손 대면 날아갈까 부서질까
If I reach out and touch you will you fly away? Will you shatter?
겁나 겁나 겁나
I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared.
시간을 멈출래
Can you stop time?
이 순간이 지나면
If this moment passes
없었던 일이 될까 널 잃을까
will it be erased? Will I lose you?
겁나 겁나 겁나
I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared.
Butterfly, like a butterfly,
마치 butterfly, bu butterfly 처럼
Like a butterfly, bu butterfly.
Butterfly, like a butterfly
마치 butterfly, bu butterfly 처럼
Like a butterfly, bu butterfly.
