English translation and Korean lesson with the lyrics of 바다 (Sea) by BTS, from the 2017 album Love Yourself 承 ‘Her’.
Produced by: RM, Slow Rabbit
Written by: RM, Slow Rabbit, SUGA, j-hope
Verse 1:
어찌어찌 걸어 바다에 왔네
I was walking and somehow ended up at the sea.
어찌 = somehow, for some reason
걸다 = to walk
바다 = a sea / ocean
-에 = to/at X (바다에)
오다 = to come
-네 = adds a nuance of surprise or amazement (왔네)
From this sea, I look at the beach.
이 = this
-에서 = in/at/on/from X (바다에서)
나 = I/me
해변 = beach
보다 = to see, to look at
무수한 모래알과 매섭고 거친 바람
The innumerable grains of sand and the fierce, violent wind.
무수하다 = to be countless
모래알 = a grain of sand
-과 or -와 = “and” when followed by another noun, “with” in all other cases. (모래알과)
매섭다 = to be fierce, sharp
-고 = X and (매섭고)
거칠다 = to be rough, violent
바람 = wind
여전히 나는 사막을 봐
I’m still looking at a desert.
여전히 = still
사막 = desert
바다 갖고 싶어
I wanted to have the sea.
갖다 = to own, to have
-고 싶다 = to want to do X (갖고 싶다)
널 온통 들이켰어
I guzzled you all down.
너 = you
온통 = wholly, entirely
들이키다 = to guzzle; to drink up
근데 그 전보다 더 목이 말라
But I’m even thirstier than before.
근데 = but
그 = that, those
전 = before
-보다 = more than X, compared to X (전보다)
더 = more
목 = neck; throat
마르다 = to be dry
내가 닿은 이 곳이 진정 바다인가
Is this place I’ve reached really the sea?
닿다 = to touch, to reach
곳 = a place
진정 = really, truly
아니면 푸른 사막인가
Or is it a blue desert?
아니면 = or
푸르다 = to be blue
I don’t know I don’t know
내가 지금 파도를 느끼고 있는지
if I’m feeling the waves right now.
내 = I, me, my
지금 = now
파도 = a wave
느끼다 = to feel
-고 있다 = present progressive IE: “I am feeling” instead of “I feel” (느끼고 있는지)
-지 = whether X (있는지)
I don’t know I don’t know
아직도 모래바람에 쫓기고 있는지
if I’m still being chased by the sandy winds.
아직도 = still
쫓기다 = to be pursued, chased
I don’t know I don’t know
바다인지 사막인지 희망인지 절망인지
if this is sea, desert, sorrow, despair,
희망 = hope
절망 = despair
진짜인지 가짜인지 shit
real, or fake. Shit.
진짜 = something real
가짜 = something fake
I know I know
지금 내 시련을
The trials I’m facing now,
시련 = a trial, a hardship
I know I know
이겨낼 것을
I’ll overcome them.
이겨내다 = to overcome
I know I know
나야말로 네가 의지할 곳이란 것을
I’m exactly the thing you rely on.
-야말로 = X in particular, especially X (나야말로)
의지하다 = to rely on, to lean on
좋게 생각해 마른침 삼켜
I think positively. I swallow my dry saliva.
좋다 = to be good
생각하다 = to think
침 = spit, saliva
삼키다 = to swallow
불안하더라도 사막일지라도.
Even if I feel uneasy, even if it’s a desert,
불안하다 = to be anxious, uneasy
아름다운 나미브 사막이라고
it’s the beautiful Namib Desert.
아름답다 = to be beautiful
Chorus:
희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네
Where there is hope there are sure to be trials.
반드시 = certainly, without fail
-에 있다 = to be at a location (곳엔 … 있네)
희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네
Where there is hope there are sure to be trials.
희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네
Where there is hope there are sure to be trials.
희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네
Where there is hope there are sure to be trials.
희망이 있는 곳엔
Where this is hope…
You know you know you know you know yeah yeah
희망이 있는 곳엔
Where this is hope…
You know you know you know you know yeah yeah
Verse 2:
바다인줄 알았던 여기는 되려 사막이었고
This place that we thought was the sea was actually the desert, and
-줄 알다 = to think X, to believe X to be the case (ie “We thought this was the sea.)
여기 = here
되려 = on the contrary (dialectic form of 도리어)
별거 없는 중소아이돌이 두번째 이름이었어
“small-time idols of no importance” was our second name.
두번제 = second (as in “second name”, not as in “10 seconds later”)
이름 = a name
방송에 짤리기는 뭐 부지기수
Cut from broadcasts countless times,
방송 = a broadcast
짤리다 = to be cut, to be fired
부지기수 = something innumerable
누구의 땜빵이 우리의 꿈
Our dream was to fill in for someone.
누구 = who, anyone, or someone, depending on context
의 = indicates position. Equivalent to ‘s in English (누구의)
땜빵 = a replacement, a fill-in for something
우리 = we, us, our
꿈 = dream
어떤 이들은 회사가 작아서
Some said that because our company was small
어떤 = some, which, depending on context
회사 = a company
작다 = to be small
-아서 or -어서 = therefore, because of X (작아서)
제대로 못 뜰거래
we’d never truly make it.
제대로 = properly
못 = can’t, to not be able to do X
뜨다 = to rise, to float in the air
I know I know 나도 알아
I know I know. I know too.
-도 = too, as well (나도)
알다 = to know
한방에서 일곱이 잠을 청하던 시절도
The days when the seven of us tried to fall asleep in one room, and
한 = one (shortened form of 하나)
방 = a room
일곱 = seven
잠 = sleep
청하다 = to ask, to request, to try to sleep
시절 = days, year (ie. Back in those days)
잠이 들기 전에 내일은 다를거란 믿음도
the faith we had, before falling asleep, that tomorrow would be different.
들다 = to enter (Koreans say “enter sleep”, not “fall asleep”)
-기 전에 = before X (잠 들기 전에)
내일 = tomorrow
다르다 = to be different
믿음 = faith, belief
사막의 신기루 형태는 보이지만
The shape of a mirage was visible in the desert, but
신구루 = a mirage
형태 = shape, form
보이다 = to be seen
-지만 = X but (보이지만)
잡히지는 않았고
it couldn’t be laid hold of.
잡히다 = to be seized, grabbed (잡다 = to seize, to grab)
끝이 없던 이 사막에서 살아남길 빌어
Praying we’d survive in this endless desert,
끝 = the end of something
살아남다 = to survive, come through
빌다 = to beg, to pray
현실이 아니기를 빌어
Praying this wasn’t reality,
현실 = reality
아니다 = to not be
결국 신기루는 잡히고 현실이 됐고
Finally we seized the mirage and it became reality.
결국 = finally, in the end
되다 = to become
두렵던 사막은
The desert that we were afraid of
두렵다 = to be afraid
우리의 피 땀 눈물로 채워 바다가 됐어
was filled with our blood, sweat, and tears, and became a sea.
피 = blood
땀 = sweat
눈물 = tear(s)
-로 = with, via, using X (눈물로)
채우다 = to be filled
그런데 이 행복들 사이에 이 두려움 들은 뭘까
But what are these fears coming in amidst this happiness?
행복 = happiness
-들 = makes something plural
사이 = a gap, a space (often used figuratively)
원래 이곳은 사막이란걸 우린 너무 잘 알아
We know all too well this place used to be a desert.
원래 = originally, by nature
너무 = too
잘 = well (ie, to eat well, to study well, etc.)
울고 싶지 않아
I don’t want to cry.
울다 = to cry
-지 않다 = to not do X (싶지 않아)
쉬고 싶지 않아
I don’t want to rest.
쉬다 = to rest
아니 조금만 쉬면 어때
No, how about resting just a little?
조금 = a bit, a little
-만 = just X, only X (조금만)
-면 = if/when X (쉬면)
어때 = how, how about it?
아니 아니 아니
No no no.
지고 싶지 않아
I don’t want to lose.
지다 = to lose
원래 사막이잖아
We know this was originally a desert.
-잖아 = used when saying something that the speaker and listener both already know
그럼 달려야지 뭐
Then we just have to run.
그럼 = then, therefore
달리다 = to run
-아야지 or -어여지 = to have to do X (달려야지)
더 울어야지 뭐
We just have to cry some more.
더 = more
Chorus:
희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네.
Where there is hope there are sure to be trials.
희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네
Where there is hope there are sure to be trials.
희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네
Where there is hope there are sure to be trials.
희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네
Where there is hope there are sure to be trials.
희망이 있는 곳엔
Where there is hope
You know you know you know you know yeah yeah
희망이 있는 곳엔
Where there is hope
You know you know you know you know yeah yeah
Bridge:
Ocean, desert, the world,
Everything is the same thing, different name.
I see ocean I see desert I see the world
Everything is the same thing but with a different name
It’s life again
Chorus:
희망이 있는 곳엔
Where there is hope
You know you know you know you know yeah yeah
희망이 있는 곳엔
Where there is hope
You know you know you know you know yeah yeah
희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네.
Where there is hope there are sure to be trials.
희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네
Where there is hope there are sure to be trials.
희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네
Where there is hope there are sure to be trials.
희망이 있는 곳엔 반드시 시련이 있네
Where there is hope there are sure to be trials.
Outro:
우린 절망해야해 그 모든 시련을 위해
We have to despair for all those trials.
우린 절망해야해 그 모든 시련을 위해
We have to despair for all those trials.
