English translation and Korean lesson with the lyrics of First Love by BTS, from the 2016 album Wings.
Produced & written by: SUGA, Miss Kay
Find it here: Youtube • Spotify • Apple Music • Amazon Music
내 기억의 구석 한 켠에 자리잡은 갈색 piano.
In the corner of my memory, a brown piano taking up space on one side.
내 = I, me, my
기억 = memory
-의 = indicates possession. Equivalent to ‘s in English. (기억의)
구석 = corner
한 = one
켠 = a side
-에 =in/at/on X (켠에)
자리잡다 = to take up space, to occupy a spot
갈색 = brown
어릴 적 집 안의 구석 한 켠에 자리잡은 갈색 piano
In the corner of my childhood home, a brown piano taking up space on one side.
어리다 = to be young (the age of a child)
집 = ahouse/home
안 = the inside of something
그때 기억해
I remember that time,
그때 = that, those
때 = a point in time
내 키보다 훨씬 더 컸던 갈색 piano 그게 날 이끌 때.
the time when that brown piano, so much taller than me, guided me.
키 = height
-보다 = more than X, compared to X (키보다)
훨씬 = much more
더 = more
크다 = to be big
게 / 것 / 건 / 걸 = a thing
나 = I, me
이끌다 = to guide, to lead
널 우러러보며 동경했었네
I looked up to you, I admired you.
너 = you
우러러보다 = to look up at
-며 / -으며 = while X (우러러보며)
동경하다 = to yearn for, to admire
작은 손가락으로 널 어루만질 때
The time when I stroked you with my small fingers.
작다 = to be small
손가락 = finger(s)
-로 / -으로 = using, by way of, via X (손가락으로)
어루만지다 = to stroke, caress
“I feel so nice, mom I feel so nice.”
그저 손 가던 대로 거닐던 건반
The keyboard where my hands just sauntered wherever they wanted to go.
그저 = just
손 = a hand
가다 = to go
거닐다 = to stroll, to saunter
건반 = keyboard/key
그땐 너의 의미를 몰랐었네
I didn’t understand what you meant to me at the time.
의미 = meaning, significance
모르다 = to not know
-네 = add a nuance of surprise or amazement (몰랐었네)
바라보기만 해도 좋았던 그때
That time when I was happy just looking at you.
바라보다 = to look at
좋다 = to be good
그때 기억해
I remember that time.
초등학교 무렵
It was around middle school,
초등학교 = middle school (학교 = school)
무렵 = about, roughly
내 키가 너의 키보다 더 커졌던 그때
that my height overtook yours.
그토록 동경했던 널 등한시하며
Now, as I neglected you who I had once admired
그토록 = to that extent, that much
등한시하다 = to neglect
백옥 같던 건반 그 위 먼지가 쌓여가며
and dust piled up on your white jade keys,
백옥 = white jade
같다 = to be like
위 = on
먼지 = dust
쌓이다 = to be piled up
방치됐던 니 모습 그때도 몰랐었지 너의 의미
you looked abandoned, but I still didn’t realize what you meant to me.
방치되다 = to be neglected, abandoned
모습 = form; appearance
-도 = X too/either (그때도)
내가 어디 있든 항상 넌 그 자릴 지켰으니
Because no matter where I was, you were always in that spot.
어디 = where/somewhere/anywhere (depending on context)
항상 = always
자리 = a spot (as in, “Don’t sit there, that’s my spot.”)
지키다 = to guard, protect, to be in a spot
-으니 / 니 = because X (지켰으니)
그런데 그게 마지막이 될 줄 몰랐네
But I didn’t know that would be the last time.
마지막 = the last, the final, the end
이대론 가지마
Don’t leave like this.
이대로 = like this, in this way
-지마 = don’t do X (가지마 = don’t go)
You say
“내가 떠나도 걱정은 하지마.
“Even though I’m leaving, don’t worry,
떠나다 = to leave
-아도 or -어도 = even though X, even if X (떠나도)
걱정하다 = to worry
넌 스스로 잘 해낼 테니까
because you’ll make it just fine on your own.
스스로 = on one’s own
잘 = well (placed before a verb, to mean, “to do X well”)
해내다 = to achieve, to accomplish, to make it
-니까 / 으니까 = because X (테니까)
널 처음 만났던 그때가 생각나
I think back to the time when I first met you.
처음 = first
만나다 = to meet
생각나다 = to have a thought come up
어느새 훌쩍 커버렸네, 니가
And just like that, you’re all grown up.
어느새 = before one knows it
훌쩍 = lightly, or swiftly
우리 관계는 마침표를 찍지만
Our relationship is ending, but
(Literally: A period is being put at the end of our relationship. This is a Korean expression.)
우리 = we, us, our
관계 = a relationship
마침표 = a period (.)
찍다 = to put, to stamp, to dip; basically any action that involved touching one thing against another for a moment
-지만 = “X but”, “although X” (찍지만)
절대 내게 미안해 하지마
don’t ever say sorry to me.
절대 = never
-에게 = to (내게 = to me)
미안하다 = to be sorry
어떤 형태로든 날 다시 만나게 될 거야
You’ll meet me again in some form or other.
어떤 = some, one
형태 = form, shape
다시 = again
그때 반갑게 다시 맞아줘”
When that happens, greet me happily again.”
반갑다 = to be glad to meet someone
맞다 = to greet, welcome
-아주다 or -어주다 = adds a nuance of “please” or “as a favour to me” (맞아줘)
그때 기억해
I remember that time.
까맣게 잊고 있었던 널 다시 마주했던 때 14살 무렵
The time that I faced you, who’d I’d completely forgotten, again. I was about 14.
까맣다 = pitch-black
잊다 = to forget
마주하다 = to face
살 = years old
어색도 잠시 다시 널 어루만졌지
Though it was awkward for a moment, I stroked you once again.
어색 = awkwardness
잠시 = for a moment
긴 시간 떠나있어도 절대 거부감 없이 날 받아줬던 너
You, who took me back with no resistance at all, even though it had been a long time since I left.
길다 = to be long
시간 = time
거부감 = resistance, repulsion
없이 = without
받다 = to receive
Without you I’m nothing
새벽을 지나서 둘이서 함께 맞는 아침
As dawn passes, the two of us welcome the morning together.
새벽 = dawn, daybreak
지나다 = to pass by
둘이서 = just the two of us/them/whoever
함께 = together
아침 = morning
영원히 너는 나의 손을 놓지마
Don’t ever let go of my hand,
영원히 = forever
놓다 = to let go of something
나도 다시 널 놓지 않을 테니까
because I won’t let go of you again.
-지 않다 = to not do X (놓지 않을)
그때 기억해
I remember that time.
나의 십대의 마지막을 함께 불태웠던 너
You burned up the last of my teen years with me.
십대 = teenage years
불태우다 = to burn something
그래 한 치 앞도 뵈지 않던 그때
Yeah, the time when I didn’t even look an inch in front me.
그래 = okay, yeah, sure
치 = an inch
앞 = the front of something
뵈다 = to see, to look
울고 웃고 너와 함께여서
Crying, laughing. Because I was together with you
울다 = to cry
-고 = X and (울고)
웃다 = to laugh, to smile
그 순간조차 이제는 추억으로.
even those moments have now passed into fond memory.
순간 = a moment
조차 = even (as in, “even those moments”)
이제 = now
추억 = memory (has more emotional meaning than 기억. You’d use 기억 to say you remembered to pick up the dry-cleaning. You’d use 추억 to say you remember you first love.)
박살난 어깰 부여잡고 말했지
Clutching my shattered shoulder, I said
박살나다 = to be crushed, shattered
어깨 = a shoulder
부여잡다 = to clutch
말하다 = to speak, to say
나 더 이상은 진짜 못하겠다고
“I really can’t do this anymore.”
더 이상 = anymore
진짜 = really, real
못하다 = to not be able to do something
포기하고 싶던 그때마다
Every time I wanted to give up
포기하다 = to give up
-고 싶다 = to want to do X (포기하고 싶던)
-마다 = every time X happens (그때마다)
곁에서 넌 말했지
you were by my side, and you said to me.
곁 = one’s side (not as in the side of my body, but as in the spot right beside me)
-에서 = at, in, on X (곁에서)
새꺄 너는 진짜 할 수 있다고
“You really can do it, kid.”
새끼 = depending on inflection, can mean “kid” in an affectionate sort of way, or “bastard” in a decidedly not affectionate sort of way
-ㄹ 수 있다 / -을 수 있다 = to be able to do X (할 수 있다고)
그래 그래 그때 기억해
Yeah yeah, I remember that time.
지치고 방황했었던 절망의 깊은 수렁에 빠졌던 그때
That time that I’d fallen into a deep pit of exhaustion and hopeless wandering.
지치다 = to be exhausted
방황하다 = to be wandering (in the sense that you’ve lost your way)
절망 = hopelessness, despair
깊다 = to be deep
수렁 = a pit, a bog
빠지다 = to fall into
내가 널 밀어내고 널 만난 걸 원망해도
Even though I pushed you away and resented that I’d met you,
밀어내다 = to push something away
원망하다 = to feel resentment towards, to bear a grudge against
넌 꿋꿋이 내 곁을 지켰지 말 안 해도
you stood firmly at my side. Without even saying a word.
꿋꿋이 = firmly, strongly
말 = words, speech
그러니 절대 너는 내 손을 놓지마
So never let go of my hand,
두 번 다시 내가 널 놓지 않을 테니까
because I won’t let go of you again a second time.
두 번 = second, second time
나의 탄생 그리고 내 삶의 끝
Because from my birth to the end of my life,
탄생 = a birth
그리고 = and
삶 = life
끝 = the end of something
그 모든 걸 지켜볼 너일 테니까
you’re the one who will be there for all of it.
모든 = all, every
내 기억의 구석 한 켠에 자리잡은 갈색 piano
In the corner of my memory, a brown piano taking up space on one side.
어릴 적 집 안의 구석 한 켠에 자리잡은 갈색 piano
In the corner of my childhood home, a brown piano taking up space on one side.
