Translation Practice: Akdong Musician- 작은 별 (Little Star)

Here’s another one of my favorites off of AKMU’s new album. I like how they are promoting their predebut songs as well as some new songs. It show’s their growth as well as their authenticity about their music. I’m sure a lot a people were worried that YG was going to warp them into god know’s what.

밤 중 어딘가 소녀의 기도 소리가 들려오면
If you hear the sound of a girl praying at night
그건 작은 별의 잠꼬대일 거야
that will be a little star sleep talking
밤 중 어딘가 소년의 고백소리가 들려오면
If you hear the sound of a boy confessing
그건 작은 별의 뒤척임일 거야
That will be a little star tossing and turning

가끔 밤하늘을 보면
Sometimes when you look at the night sky
평소에는 보이지 않던 같은 모양의 빛깔이 떠다니지
Colors with the same shape you don’t usually see drift by

저게 인공위성일까 별이었으면 좋겠다
Is that a satellite? I wish it were a star.
눈에 안 보일 뿐이지 별은 사라지지 않아
You just can’t see it with your eyes. The stars don’t disappear.
나이를 먹은 하늘 눈이 침침할 뿐이야
It’s just that sky is old so it’s eyes are blurry
여전히 별은 빛난대
The stars shine like they have always done.
 
반짝반짝 작은 별님 날 조금만 비춰주세요
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, please shine on me.
이제 어때 좀 봐줄 만은 한가요
How about now? Do I look okay?
동쪽 하늘 서쪽 하늘 둘러보면 모든 하늘은 그렇게
Eastern sky western sky if you look around
날 향해 있다죠
the sky everywhere is facing me.

Please let my star rise on your night
Please let my star rise on your night
Please let my star rise on your night
Please let my star rise on your night
 
별님 아름다운 별님 나도 어쩌면 별님처럼 빛이 될 수 있나요
Star, Beautiful Star, can I become a star like you somehow?
나도 누군가의 별이 될 수 있을까
Could I become someone’s star?
별님 아름다운 별님 될 수만 있다면 나도 빛을 내어
Star, Beautiful star if it’s possible I want to shine
누군가를 바라보는 작은 별이 되고 싶네요
 and become a little star that somebody will look at too.

 
반짝반짝 작은 별님 날 조금만 비춰주세요
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, please shine on me.
이제 어때 좀 봐줄 만은 한가요
How about now? Do I look okay?
동쪽 하늘 서쪽 하늘 둘러보면 모든 하늘은 그렇게
Eastern sky, western sky if you look around
날 향해 있다죠
the sky everywhere is facing me.

Akdong Muscian 얼음들 (Melted) Translation Practice

Akdong Musician’s first album Play was digitally released the other day. I didn’t watch Kpop Star Season 2 as avidly as I’m watching season 3 so I only a couple performances of them here and there but I saw their performance on the semi finals yesterday and I was blown away by 얼음들. The song is so haunting and beautiful. It’s one of those songs you just love at first listen. You turn it on and you’re like this is good and then it keeps getting better and better. I think they’re going to have four title songs 200%, 얼음들 and the other two are going to chosen by fans?? Member Lee Chan Hyuk participated in writing all of the songs on the album. It says that he helped in the arrangement of 얼음들 as well so I’m really impressed. 

 

Translation note: The English title that was chosen was “Melted” but 얼음들 means “ice” (plural). Another thing to note is that in Korean 얼음들 sounds like 어른들 (adults). I was listening to the song on youtube and reading the Korean comments and I was like “oh yeah it does”. So the lyrics have a dual meaning which adds to the lyrical genius of Lee Chan Hyuk. I think this song is about how the world seems to get colder as one gets older and sadly you actually begin get colder as well. 

 

 

붉은 해가 세수하던 파란 바다 검게 물들고.  

The blue sea the crimson sun used cleanse with is turning black 
구름 비바람 오가던 하얀 하늘 회색 빛들고

and the clear sky where the storm of clouds used to pass over shines gray  

맘속에 찾아온 어둠을 그대로 두고**

leaving the darkness in that crept into your heart as is

밤을 덮은 차가운 그림자마냥 굳어간다
and freezing like the cold shadows that cover the night.

얼음들이 녹아지면
If the ice gets melted,
조금 더 따뜻한 노래가 나올텐데
a song that was a little more warmer would be able to come out. 
얼음들은 왜 그렇게 차가울까
Why is the ice so cold? 
차가울까요**
Why are you so cold? 

Why are they so cold
Why are they so cold
Why are they so cold
Why are they so cold

붉은 해가 세수하던 파란 바다
Inside blue sea that the crimson sun used to cleanse with
그 깊이 묻힌 옛 온기를 바라본다
I’m looking at the warmth from long ago buried deep inside.
too late get it out
too late get it out
어른들 세상 추위도 풀렸으면 해
I wish that the coldness inside the adult world would melt away too.
얼었던 사랑이 이젠 주위로 흘렀으면 해
I wish that the love that was frozen would flow around us now.

맘속에 찾아온 어둠을 그대로 두고
Leaving the darkness that crept into your alone
밤을 덮은 차가운 그림자마냥 굳어간다
and freezing like the cold shadows that cover the night.

얼음들이 녹아지면
If the gets melted
조금 더 따뜻한 노래가 나올텐데
a song that was a little more warmer would be able to come out.
얼음들은 왜 그렇게 차가울까
Why is the ice so cold?
차가울까요
Why are you so cold?

얼음들이 녹아지면
If the ice gets melted 
조금 더 따뜻한 노래가 나올텐데
a song that was a little warmer would be able to come out 
얼음들은 왜 그렇게 차가울까
Why is the ice so cold?
차가울까요
Why are you so cold?

Why are they so cold
Why are they so cold
Why are they so cold
Why are they so cold

**

1. I’m not sure what the subject of this sentence is. The main idea is the darkness is forming in one’s heart but no one is doing anything about it. So the subject could be “I” which would mean “I notice the darkness creeping in my heart and I let it be and I freeze/harden/stiffen..” or it could be “They/ice/adults”. Ice freezes and seems to be the metaphor for “adults” in this song so that could be a possibility. 

You could translate it as “Why are they so cold” but when you are asking yourself a question you don’t use formal speech and the whole song is in banmal up until they say “차울까요?” so it seems like they are asking someone else a question that someone being the ice or “the adults” if that’s their intended meaning with 얼음.