English translation and Korean lesson with the lyrics of Intro: Persona by BTS, from the 2019 album Map of the Soul: Persona.
Produced by: Hiss noise
Written by: Hiss nose, RM, Pdogg
Find it here: Youtube • Spotify • Apple Music • Amazon Music
나는 누구인가 평생 물어온 질문
Who am I? The question I’ve been asking my whole life.
나 = I, me
누구 = who, someone
평생 = one’s whole life, in one’s lifetime
묻다 = to ask
오다 = to come (Adding “to come” to a verb, in a context such as this, gives a meaning of doing that verb “up until now”.)
질문 = a question
아마 평생 정답은 찾지 못할 그 질문
The question I’ll probably never find the answer to in my whole life.
아마 = probably
정답 = an answer, a correct answer
찾다 = to find, to look for
-지 못하다 = to not be able to do X (찾지 못할)
그 = that, those
나란 놈을 고작 말 몇 개로 답할 수 있었다면
If a guy like me could be summed up with just a few words,
놈 = a guy
고작 = no more than, at most
말 = words
몇 = a few
개 = a word used for counting things
-로 = via X, using X (개로)
답하다 = to answer
-르 수 있다 / -을 수 있다 = to be able to do X (답할 수 있었다면)
-면 / -으면 = if/when X (있었다면)
신께서 그 수많은 아름다움을 다 만드시진 않았겠지.
God wouldn’t have created all these countless beauties, would He?
신 = God, a god
-께서 = the subject marking particle used only to show an extreme amount of respect, for example to your grandparents
수많다 = to be many, numerous
아름다움 = beauty
다 = all
만들다 = to make
-지 않다 = to not do X (만드시진 않았겠지)
-지 = adds a nuance of “you know” or “right?” (않았겠지)
How you feel? 지금 기분이 어때
How you feel? How do you feel right now?
지금 = now
기분 = feelings
어때 = how
사실 난 너무 좋아 근데 조금 불편해
I’m actually really good, but a bit uneasy.
사실 = “actually”, a fact
너무 = too, so (as in “You’re so kind”/”You’re too kind.”)
좋다 = to be good
근데 = but
조금 = a bit
불편하다 = to be uncomfortable, uneasy
나는 내가 개인지 돼진지 뭔지도 아직 잘 모르겠는데
I’m still not sure if I’m a pig or a dog, or what I am.
내 = I, me, my
개 = a dog
-지 = “whether”, “if”… used to indicate uncertainty about X, or to list multiple options (개인지, 돼진지)
돼지 = a pig
뭐 = what
아직 = still
잘 = well (as in, “He sings well”)
모르다 = to not know
남들이 와서 진주목걸일 거네
Others come and hang a pearl necklace on me.
남 = others
-들 = makes a noun plural (남들)
-아서 / -어서 = X, and then … (와서)
진주 = a pearl
목걸이 = a necklace
걸다 = to hang
-네 = adds a nuance of surprise or amazement (거네)
칵 퉤!
Hack ptooey! (That spitting sound. How do you even spell that in English?!)
예전보단 자주 웃어
I smile more than I used to.
예전 = the past, the old days
-보다 = more than X, compared to X (에전보단)
자주 = often
웃다 = to smile, to laugh
소원했던 superhero 이젠 진짜 된 것 같어
I think I’ve actually become the superhero I wanted to be.
(This is a double meaning with 소원 하다 and 소원하다. See below)
소원하다 = to be distant, far-off
소원 = a wish
하다 = to do
이제 = now
진짜 = really, something real
되다 = to become
것 같다 = to seem like X, to think X (X being the preceding noun/clause)
근데 갈수록 뭔 말들이 많어
But as time goes on, there’s more and more talk.
가다 = to go
-수록 = as X happens (갈수록)
많다 = to be many
누군 달리라고 누군 멈춰서라 해
Some say “run” and some stay “stop there”.
달리다 = to run
-고 = X and (달리라고)
멈추서다 = to stop (멈추다 = to stop + 서다 = to stand)
하다 = means “to do”, but is often used to mean “to say”
얘는 숲을 보라고 걔는 들꽃을 보라 해
This one says “Look at the forest” and that one says “Look at the wildflowers.”
얘 = this person (이 = this, these, + 애 = kid, guy)
숲 = a forest
보다 = to see, to look at
걔 = that person
들꽃 = a wildflower
내 그림자, 나는 망설임이라 쓰고 불렀네
I called my shadow by the name “hesitation”.
그림자 = a shadow
망설임 =hesitation
쓰다 = to use
부르다 = to call (aloud, not on the phone)
걘 그게 되고 나서 망설인 적이 없었네
Since then it hasn’t hesitated.
나서 = after
-ㄴ 적 없다 / -은 적 없다 = to never have done X (망설인 적이 없었네)
무대 아래든 아님 조명 아래든 자꾸 나타나
Whether it’s below the stage or under the lights, it keeps appearing
무대 = a stage
아래 = the bottom of something, the underneath part
아님 = or (shortened form of 아니면, which literally means “if not X”)
조명 = lighting
자꾸 = keeps (as in “this keeps happening”, not “can I keep it?”)
나타나다 = to show up, appear
아지랑이처럼 뜨겁게 자꾸 날 노려보네 (Oh shit)
and glaring at me as fiercely as a heat wave. (Oh shit)
아지랑이 = a shimmer of heat
-처럼 = like X (아지랑이처럼)
뜨겁다 = to be hot
-게 = used to turn an adjective into an adverb IE: “hot” becomes “hotly” (뜨겁게)
노려보다 = to glare
야, 이 짓을 왜 시작한 건지 벌써 잊었?
“Hey, have you already forgotten why you started doing this?
야 = hey
짓 = an act, something you do
왜 = why
시작하다 = to start
벌써 = already
잊다 = to forget
넌 그냥 들어주는 누가 있단 게 막 좋았던 거야.
You used to love just the fact that someone was listening.”
그냥 = just
들다 = to hear, to listen
-어주다 / -아주다 = adds a nuance of “for” or “as a favour to” (들어주다)
-가 있다 / -이 있다 = to have X (누가 있단)
가끔은 그냥 싹 다 헛소리 같아
Sometimes it all just sounds like nonsense.
가끔 = sometimes
싹 = entirely, completely
헛소리 = nonsense, nonsensical speech
같다 = to be like
취하면 나오는 거 알지… 치기 같아.
You know what comes out when you’re drunk, don’t you? Childishness.
취하다 = to be drunk
나오다 = to come out
알다 = to know
치기 = foolishness, childishness
나 따위가 무슨 music
Music? Someone like me?
따위 = “things like X”, “X etc”
무슨 = what/which. To say “무슨 X” means sort of like, “Yeah right” or “As if” to it. As if it’s ridiculous. Kind of like, “Music my ass!”
나 따위가 무슨 truth
Truth? Someone like me?
나 따위가 무슨 소명
A calling? Someone like me?
소명 = a calling
나 따위가 무슨 muse
A muse? Someone like me?
내가 아는 나의 흠 어쩜 그게 사실 내 전부
These flaws that I know of, maybe they’re all I’ve got.
-의 = indicates possession, like ‘s in English(나의)
흠 = a flaw
어쩜 = maybe
전부 = all, everything
세상은 사실 아무 관심 없어, 나의 서툼
The world actually isn’t remotely interested in my clumsy attempts.
세상 = a world
아무 = not at all, none
관심 = interest (not financial)
없다 = to not be found, to not exist
서툼 = clumsiness (not physically, but in the sense that you haven’t yet learned how to do something smoothly or perfectly)
이제 질리지도 않는 후회들과 매일 밤 징그럽게 뒹굴고
When I tossed about horribly every night with the regrets that I was past being sick of, and
질리다 = to be fed up with, sick of
후회 = a regret
-과 / -와 = “and” when followed by an accompanying noun. Otherwise “with” (후회들과)
매 = every
일 = day
밤 = night
징그럽다 = to be nasty, disgusting
뒹굴다 = to roll about, to toss
돌릴 길 없는 시간들을 습관처럼 비틀어도
even when, out of habit, I stewed and stewed over times that can’t be turned back,
(Literal translation is to “wring out” times that can’t be turned back. This is a Korean turn of phrase. You might be able to guess its meaning. If you wring out a cloth, you squeeze and squeeze until there’s nothing left to squeeze out.)
돌리다 = to turn something, to spin something
길 = a path/road/way
시간 = time
습관 = a habit
비틀다 = to twist, to wring out
-어도 / -아도 = even if X (비틀어도)
그때마다 날 또 일으켜 세운 것
every time, the thing that got me back on my feet
그때 = then, that time
-마다 = every time X happens (그때마다)
일으키다 = to pick up, to raise up
세우다 = to stand something up
최초의 질문
was the question that came first:
최초 = the first of its kind
내 이름 석 자 그 가장 앞에 와야 할 but.
That “but” that has to come before the 3 characters of my name.
이름 = a name
석 = three
자 = a character, a letter
가장 = most (as in “the most beautiful moment in life”, not “most of the time”)
앞 = the front of something
-에 = at, on X (앞에)
-아야 하다 / -어야 하다 = to have to do X (와야 할)
So I’m askin’ once again, yeah,
Who the hell am I?
Tell me all your names, baby.
Do you wanna die?
Oh do you wanna go?
Do you wanna fly?
Where’s your soul? Where’s your dream?
Do you think you’re alive?
(How about you?)
(I don’t know, man)
(But I know one thing)
Yeah, my name is R
내가 기억하고 사람들이 아는 나
The me that I remember and that people know.
기억하다 = to remember
사람 = a person
날 토로하기 위해 내가 스스로 만들어낸 나
The me that I myself created so that I could express myself.
토로하다 = to express one’s feelings, speak one’s mind
-기 위하다 = for X, for the benefit of X (토로하기 위해)
스스로 = one one’s own
Yeah 난 날 속여왔을지도
Yeah, I may have been fooling myself up until now,
속이다 = to deceive, trick someone
뻥쳐왔을지도
I may have been lying to myself up until now,
뻥 = a fib, a lie
치다 = a super multi-functional verb. The most common definition is “to hit”, “to strike”, but I see it used in so many ways
But 부끄럽지 않아. 이게 내 영혼의 지도
But I’m not ashamed. This is the map of my soul.
부끄럽다 = to be ashamed, embarrassed
영혼 = a soul
지도 = a map
Dear myself
넌 절대로 너의 온도를 잃지 마
don’t ever lose your temperature,
절대 = never
온도 = temperature
잃다 = to lose
-지 마 = “Don’t do X” (잃지 마)
따뜻히도 차갑게도 될 필요 없으니까
because you don’t need to be warm or cold.
따뜻하다 = to be warm
차갑다 = to be cold
필요 = a need
-으니까 / -니까 = because X (없으니까)
가끔은 위선적이어도 위악적이어도
Even if sometimes I’m hypocritical and deceptive,
위선적 = being hypocritical (noun)
위악적 = pretending to be evil (noun)
이게 내가 걸어두고 싶은 내 방향의 척도
this is the standard I want to set for the course I’m on.
걸어두다 = to leave behind/set up (걸다 = to hang something + 두다 = to put, to place)
-고 싶다 = to want to do X (걸어두고 싶은)
방향 = direction, way, course
척도 = a measuring tool, a criterion, a yardstick (in the metaphorical sense)
내가 되고 싶은 나
The me that I want to become,
사람들이 원하는 나
the me that people want,
원하다 = to want
니가 사랑하는 나
the me that you love,
니 = you (alternate spelling of 네)
사랑하다 = to love
또 내가 빚어내는 나
and the me that I am creating.
또 = plus, once again
빚어내다 = to create, to bring about
웃고 있는 나
The smiling me.
-고 있다 = present progressive form IE: “to be smiling” instead of “to smile” (웃고 있는)
가끔은 울고 있는 나
The me who is sometimes crying.
울다 = to cry
지금도 매분 매순간 살아 숨쉬는 persona
The persona that I’m still living and breathing as every minute, every moment.
-도 = X too, even X (지금도)
분 = a minute
순간 = a moment
살다 = to live
숨 = breath
숨 쉬다 = to breathe
Who the hell am I?
I just wanna go
I just wanna fly
I just wanna give you all the voices till I die
I just wanna give you all the shoulders when you cry
Persona
Who the hell am I?
I just wanna go
I just wanna fly
I just wanna give you all the voices till I die
I just wanna give you all the shoulders when you cry
