나는 반딧불 – Bilingual Lyrics Korean/English

• By: 황가람

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the touching message of "나는 반딧불 (I am a Firefly)", a song that offers a warm hug through its melody and lyrics. Learning this song in Korean can be a unique journey into the language of emotion and empathy. You'll encounter poetic expressions of humility and hope, like the contrast between '별' (star) and '반딧불' (firefly). The song's gentle pace and clear vocals make it a great choice for language learners to practice pronunciation and connect with the profound sense of comfort that has touched the hearts of so many listeners.

[English]

I thought I was a shining star

Never once did I doubt it

I didn’t know I was just a bug

But it’s okay, I’m still dazzling

I thought I was a fallen star from the sky

A little star that grants wishes

I didn’t know I was just a firefly

But it’s okay, I’ll keep shining

I thought I was a shining star

Never once did I doubt it

I didn’t know I was just a bug

But it’s okay, I’m still dazzling

The fingernail I searched for so long

Rose to the sky and became a crescent moon

It’s gone too far to ever retrieve

Who hung it up there? Who hung it up there?

From the universe to the countryside, it flew

The stars in the night sky turned into fireflies

Just like I met you, as if it were promised

I was reborn, I was reborn

I thought I was a shining star

Never once did I doubt it

I didn’t know I was just a bug

But it’s okay, I’m still dazzling

I thought I was a fallen star from the sky

A little star that grants wishes

I didn’t know I was just a firefly

But it’s okay, I’ll keep shining

[Korean]

나는 내가 빛나는 별인 줄 알았어요

한 번도 의심한 적 없었죠

몰랐어요 난 내가 벌레라는 것을

그래도 괜찮아 난 눈부시니까

하늘에서 떨어진 별인 줄 알았어요

소원을 들어주는 작은 별

몰랐어요 난 내가 개똥벌레라는 것을

그래도 괜찮아 나는 빛날 테니까

나는 내가 빛나는 별인 줄 알았어요

한 번도 의심한 적 없었죠

몰랐어요 난 내가 벌레라는 것을

그래도 괜찮아 난 눈부시니까

한참 동안 찾았던 내 손톱

하늘로 올라가 초승달 돼 버렸지

주워 담을 수도 없게 너무 멀리 갔죠

누가 저기 걸어놨어 누가 저기 걸어놨어

우주에서 무주로 날아온

밤하늘의 별들이 반딧불이 돼 버렸지

내가 널 만난 것처럼 마치 약속한 것처럼

나는 다시 태어났지 나는 다시 태어났지

나는 내가 빛나는 별인 줄 알았어요

한 번도 의심한 적 없었죠

몰랐어요 난 내가 벌레라는 것을

그래도 괜찮아 난 눈부시니까

하늘에서 떨어진 별인 줄 알았어요

소원을 들어주는 작은 별

몰랐어요 난 내가 개똥벌레란 것을

그래도 괜찮아 나는 빛날 테니까

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
빛나다 /pitna-da/ B1	verb - to shine, to sparkle
별 /byeol/ A2	noun - star
알다 /al-da/ A2	verb - to know
의심하다 /ui-sim-ha-da/ B1	verb - to doubt, to suspect
벌레 /beol-le/ A2	noun - insect, bug
눈부시다 /nun-bu-si-da/ B2	adjective - dazzling, brilliant
떨어지다 /tteo-reo-ji-da/ B1	verb - to fall, to drop
소원 /so-won/ B1	noun - wish
작다 /jak-da/ A2	adjective - small
개똥벌레 /gae-ttong-beol-le/ B2	noun - firefly
찾다 /chat-da/ A2	verb - to find, to search
손톱 /son-ttop/ A2	noun - fingernail
올라가다 /ol-la-ga-da/ B1	verb - to go up, to climb
멀다 /meol-da/ A2	adjective - far
날다 /nal-da/ A2	verb - to fly
태어나다 /tae-eo-na-da/ B1	verb - to be born

Key Grammar Structures

• 나는 내가 빛나는 별인 줄 알았어요

  ➔ Past tense with '줄 알았어요'

  ➔ The phrase '줄 알았어요' is used to express a past misunderstanding or incorrect belief. Here, it highlights the speaker's past belief that they were a shining star.

• 한 번도 의심한 적 없었죠

  ➔ Negative past tense with '적 없었죠'

  ➔ The phrase '적 없었죠' is used to negate past experiences. Here, it emphasizes that the speaker never doubted their belief.

• 몰랐어요 난 내가 벌레라는 것을

  ➔ Past tense with '몰랐어요'

  ➔ The verb '몰랐어요' is the past tense of '모르다', meaning 'did not know'. It expresses the speaker's past ignorance of their true nature.

• 그래도 괜찮아 난 눈부시니까

  ➔ Present tense with '니까'

  ➔ The ending '니까' is used to provide a reason or explanation. Here, it explains why it is okay despite the realization.

• 하늘로 올라가 초승달 돼 버렸지

  ➔ Past tense with '돼 버렸지'

  ➔ The phrase '돼 버렸지' is used to express an unexpected or unintended change in the past. Here, it describes how something unexpectedly turned into a crescent moon.