English translation and Korean lesson with the lyrics of ON by BTS, from the 2020 album Map of the Soul: 7.
Produced by: Pdogg
Written by: Pdogg, RM, August Rigo, Melanie Joy Fontana, Michel “Lindgren” Schulz, SUGA, j-hope, Antonina Armato, Krysta Youngs, Julia Ross
Find it here: Youtube • Spotify • Apple Music • Amazon Music
Sia version: Spotify • Apple Music • Amazon Music
Verse 1:
I can’t understand what people are sayin’
어느 장단에 맞춰야 될지
or what rhythm I’m supposed to follow.
(장단에 맞추다 – to match the beat – is a Korean expression meaning to follow what others are doing, do things their way, or play by their rules.)
어느 = which
장단 = rhythm
-에 = at, on, to X (장단에)
뭊추다 = to make something match with something else, adjust something to fit with something else
-야 되다 = to have to do X (맞추야 될지)
한 발자국 떼면 한 발자국 커지는 shadow
When I take a step my shadow gets a step bigger.
한 = one
발자국 = footstep
떼다 = to remove, to detach
크다 = to be big
-어지다 / -아지다 = moves an adjective into a transitional state IE: “to be getting big” instead of “to be big” (커지는)
잠에서 눈을 뜬 여긴 또 어디
I wake up and open my eyes. Where am I now?
잠 = sleep
-에서 = out of X, from X (잠에서)
눈 = eye(s)
뜨다 = to open (eyes only. Doors, windows, etc, use a different verb)
여기 = here
또 = again, once again
어디 = where
어쩜 서울 또 New York or Paris
Maybe Seoul or New York or Paris.
어쩜 = maybe
일어나니 휘청이는 몸
My body reels as I get up.
일어나다 = to get up
휘청이다 = to stagger, falter, reel
몸 = body
Look at my feet, look down
날 닮은 그림자
The shadow that looks like me.
나 = I, me
닮다 = to resemble
그림자 = shadow
흔들리는 건 이놈인가
Is that shaking thing this guy
흔들리다 = to be shaking
거 = thing
이 = this, these
놈 = guy
아니면 내 작은 발끝인가
or is it the ends of my small feet?
아니면 = or (literally, “if not X…”, X being the preceding clause)
내 = I, me, my
작다 = to be small
발끝 = the end of a foot (발 = foot + 끝 = the end of something)
두렵지 않을 리 없잖아
There’s no way I’m not afraid.
두렵다 = to be scared
-지 않다 = to not do X (두렵지 않을)
-리 없다 = “There’s no way X would be the case.”
-잖아 = used when saying something the speaker and listener both already know (없잖아)
다 괜찮을 리 없잖아
There’s no way everything is okay.
다 = all, everything
괜찮다 = to be fine, to be okay
그래도 I know 서툴게 I flow
But still, I know. Awkwardly I flow.
그래도 = even so, however, still
서툴다 = to be unskilled, clumsy, awkward; but not because you’re not talented, but because you are fairly new to something or haven’t fully learned it yet. (서투르다 is another accepted spelling)
-게 = turns an adjective into an adverb IE: “awkward” becomes “awkwardly” (서툴게)
저 까만 바람과 함께 날아
I fly together with that black wind.
저 = that, those
까맣다 = to be black
바람 = wind
-과 / -와 = “and” when followed by another noun. “with” in all other cases. (바람과)
함께 = together
날다 = to fly
Pre-Chorus:
Hey na na na
미치지 않으려면 미쳐야 해
If you don’t want to go crazy, you have to go crazy.
미치다 = to be/go crazy
-으려 / -려 = in order to do X (않으려면)
-면 / -으면 = if/when X (않으려면)
-야 하다 = to have to do X (미쳐야 해)
Hey na na na
나를 다 던져 이 두 쪽 세상에
I throw myself completely into these two worlds.
던지다 = to throw
두 = two
쪽 = direction
세상 = world
Hey na na na
Can’t hold me down ’cause you know I’m a fighter
제 발로 들어온 아름다운 감옥
This beautiful prison that I entered on my own two feet.
Find me and I’m gonna live with ya.
제 = my, its, his/her, their
-로 = via X, using X (발로)
들어오다 = to come into (들다 = to enter + 오다 = to come)
아름답다 = to be beautiful
감옥 = a prison
Chorus:
(Eh-oh) 가져와
(Eh-oh) Bring it!
가져오다 = to bring something (가지다 = to have something + 오다 = to come)
Bring the pain oh yeah
(Eh-oh) 올라타봐
(Eh-oh) Get on!
올라타다 = to get onto/into a vehicle (오르다 = to go up + 타다 = to ride)
Bring the pain oh yeah
Rain be pourin’
Sky keep fallin’
Everyday oh na na na
(Eh-oh) 가져와
(Eh-oh) Bring it!
Bring the pain oh yeah
Verse 2:
Bring the pain
모두 내 피와 살이 되겠지.
It will all become my flesh and blood.
모두 = everything, all
피 = blood
살 = flesh, fat
되다 = to become
-지 = adds a nuance of “you know”, “isn’t it?” (되겠지)
Bring the pain
No fear, 방법을 알겠으니
No fear, because I’ll know what to do.
방법 = a way, means, method
알다 = to know
-니 / -으니 = because X (알겠으니)
작은 것에 breathe
In the small things, breathe.
그건 어둠 속 내 산소와 빛
They’re my oxygen and light in the dark,
어둠 = darkness (어둠다 = to be dark)
속 = the inside of something
산소 = oxygen
빛 = light
내가 나이게 하는 것들의 힘
the strength of the things that make me me.
하다 = to do
-들 = makes a noun plural (것들의)
-의 = indicates possession, like ‘s in English (것들의)
힘 = strength, power
넘어져도 다시 일어나 scream
Even if I fall, I get up again, scream.
넘어져도 다시 일어나 scream
Even if I fall, I get up again, scream.
넘어지다 = to fall over
-어도 / -아도 = even if X (넘어져도)
다시 = again
언제나 우린 그랬으니
Because that’s what we’ve always done.
언제나 = always
우리 = we, us, our
그렇다 = to be like that
설령 내 무릎이 땅에 닿을지언정
Even if my knees hit the ground,
설령 = even if, even though
무릎 = knee(s)
땅 = earth, ground
닿다 = to reach, to touch
-ㄹ지언정 = even if X (닿을지언정)
파묻히지 않는 이상
as long as I don’t get buried
파묻히다 = to be buried
-지 않는 이상 = unless X happens
그저 그런 해프닝쯤 될 거란 걸.
it’ll just be like those times.
그저 = just
해프닝 = a happening (konglish)
-쯤 = around, about, more or less (해프닝쯤)
Win no matter what
Win no matter what
Win no matter what
네가 뭐라던 누가 뭐라던
No matter what you say. No matter what anyone says.
네 = you, your
뭐 = what
누가 = who, someone, anyone (context dependent)
I don’t give a uh
I don’t give a uh
I don’t give a uh
Pre-Chorus:
Hey na na na
미치지 않으려면 미쳐야 해
If you don’t want to go crazy, you have to go crazy.
Hey na na na
나를 다 던져 이 두 쪽 세상에
I throw myself completely into these two worlds.
Hey na na na
Can’t hold me down ’cause you know I’m a fighter
제 발로 들어온 아름다운 감옥
This beautiful prison that I entered on my own two feet.
Find me and I’m gonna live with ya.
Chorus:
(Eh-oh) 가져와
(Eh-oh) Bring it!
Bring the pain oh yeah
(Eh-oh) 올라타봐
(Eh-oh) Get on!
Bring the pain oh yeah
Rain be pourin’
Sky keep fallin’
Everyday oh na na na
(Eh-oh) 가져와
(Eh-oh) Bring it!
Bring the pain oh yeah
Bridge:
나의 고통이 있는 곳에
In the place where my pain is
고통 = pain
-이 있다 = to have X (고통이 있는)
곳 = a place
내가 숨 쉬게 하소서
Please let me breathe.
숨 = breath
숨 쉬다 = to breathe
-게 하다 = to make/let someone do X (숨 쉬게 하소서)
My everythin’ My blood and tears
Got no fears.
I’m singin’ ohhhh
Oh I’m takin’ over
You should know yeah
Can’t hold me down ’cause you know I’m a fighter
깜깜한 심연 속 기꺼이 잠겨
Willingly I sink into the pitch-black abyss.
Find me and I’m gonna bleed with ya
깜깜하다 = to be pitch-dark
심연 = an abyss
기꺼이 = gladly, willingly
잠기다 =to sink into, be submerged in
Chorus:
(Eh-oh) 가져와
(Eh-oh) Bring it!
Bring the pain oh yeah
(Eh-oh) 올라타봐
(Eh-oh) Get on!
Bring the pain oh yeah
Rain be pourin’
Sky keep fallin’
Everyday oh na na na
(Eh-oh) Find me and I’m gonna bleed with ya.
(Eh-oh) 가져와
(Eh-oh) Bring it!
Bring the pain oh yeah
(Eh-oh) 올라타봐
(Eh-oh) Get on!
Bring the pain oh yeah
All that I know is just goin’ on and on and on and on.
(Eh-oh) 가져와
(Eh-oh) Bring it!
Bring the pain oh yeah
