To My Youth – Bilingual Lyrics Korean/English

• By: Bolbbalgan4
• Album: Red Diary Page 1

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw emotions and comforting melodies of Bolbbalgan4's "To My Youth." This poignant song, with its relatable lyrics about overcoming adolescent struggles, offers a beautiful window into Korean emotional expression and language. Exploring its verses can help you grasp nuanced feelings and everyday phrases, making your language learning journey both meaningful and deeply engaging.

[English]

I once wished that I'd disappear from this world

When the whole world felt so dark, and I cried every night

Maybe my heart would feel at peace if I just vanished

The way everyone looked at me was so terrifying

That era that was beautifully beautiful hurt me so much

I hated that couldn't get loved

Mom and dad, they all looked only at me

But my heart isn't like that, it just keeps getting farther away

What am I gonna do?

What am I gonna do?

What am I gonna do?

What am I gonna do?

...

The saying that time is medicine really fit me

Day by day, it got better and better

But sometimes, if I'm too happy, it might hurt again

Someone might take away this happiness I have

That memory that was beautifully beautiful hurts me so much

Even if I hurt as much as it hurts, it doesn't go away

Friends and people, they all look only at me

But I don't look like that, it just keeps getting farther away

Still, maybe I could be a bright light in this world

Maybe even by overcoming all that pain, I could shine briefly

I can't give up, I couldn't sleep soundly even for a day

If I try to stand up like this, maybe I'll find myself

Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah

Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah

Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah

Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah

How much, how much did it hurt?

How much, how much did it hurt?

How much, how much, how much did you wish for?

...

[Korean]

나는 한때 내가 이 세상에 사라지길 바랬어

온 세상이 너무나 캄캄해 매일 밤을 울던 날

차라리 내가 사라지면 마음이 편할까

모두가 날 바라보는 시선이 너무나 두려워

아름답게 아름답던 그 시절을 난 아파서

사랑받을 수 없었던 내가 너무나 싫어서

엄마는 아빠는 다 나만 바라보는데

내 마음은 그런 게 아닌데 자꾸만 멀어만 가

어떡해?

어떡해?

어떡해?

어떡해?

시간이 약이라는 말이 내게 정말 맞더라고

하루가 지나면 지날수록 더 나아지더라고

근데 가끔은 너무 행복하면 또 아파올까 봐

내가 가진 이 행복들을 누군가가 가져갈까 봐

아름다운 아름답던 그 기억이 난 아파서

아픈 만큼 아파해도 사라지지를 않아서

친구들은 사람들은 다 나만 바라보는데

내 모습은 그런 게 아닌데 자꾸만 멀어만 가

그래도 난 어쩌면 내가 이 세상에 밝은 빛이라도 될까 봐

어쩌면 그 모든 아픔을 내딛고서라도 짧게 빛을 내볼까 봐

포기할 수가 없어, 하루도 맘 편히 잠들 수가 없던 내가

이렇게라도 일어서 보려고 하면 내가 날 찾아줄까 봐

아아아아아아아아아

아아아아아아아아아

아아아아아아아아아

아아아아아아아아아

얼마나, 얼마나 아팠을까?

얼마나, 얼마나 아팠을까?

얼마나, 얼마나, 얼마나 바랬을까?

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
사라지다 /saɾadʑi.da/ B2	verb - to disappear, to vanish
바랐다 /baɾa.t͈a/ B1	verb - to wish, to hope for
세상 /se.saŋ/ A2	noun - world, earth, society
캄캄하다 /kʰam.kam.ha.da/ B2	adjective - pitch‑dark, very dark
밤 /pam/ A1	noun - night
울다 /ul.da/ A1	verb - to cry
마음 /ma.ɰm/ A2	noun - heart, mind, feeling
편하다 /pʰjʌn.ha.da/ B1	adjective - to be comfortable, at ease
시선 /ɕi.sʌn/ B2	noun - gaze, line of sight, perspective
두려워하다 /tu.ɾjʌ.ɰo.ha.da/ B2	verb - to be afraid, to fear
아름답다 /a.ɾɯm.dap̚.ta/ B1	adjective - beautiful, lovely
시절 /ɕi.dʑʌl/ B2	noun - period, era, time (in life)
아프다 /a.pʰɯ.da/ A2	verb - to be in pain, to hurt adjective - painful, sick
사랑받다 /sa.ɾaŋ.bat̚.ta/ B2	verb - to be loved, to receive love
엄마 /ʌm.ma/ A1	noun - mother
아빠 /a.p͈a/ A1	noun - father
시간 /ɕi.ɡa.n/ A1	noun - time
행복 /hɛŋ.bok/ B2	noun - happiness, joy
기억 /gi.ʌk/ B2	noun - memory, recollection
빛 /pit͈/ A2	noun - light, illumination

Key Grammar Structures

• 나는 한때 내가 이 세상에 사라지길 바랬어

  ➔ Quotative future hope in past tense

  ➔ The quotative phrase "바랬어" expresses hoped-for action "사라지길" in past tense, showing retrospective narration.

• 차라리 내가 사라지면 마음이 편할까

  ➔ Conditional supposition with skepticism

  ➔ The conditional "(으)면" with "까" indicates skeptical supposition about the outcome "편할까" if the condition "사라지면" occurs.

• 아름답게 아름답던 그 시절을 난 아파서

  ➔ Conjunctive because with past attributive

  ➔ The conjunctive "아파서" explains the reason, with "던" modifying "시절" as a past beautiful time, leading to the action.

• 사랑받을 수 없었던 내가 너무나 싫어서

  ➔ Negative potential passive in past conjunctive

  ➔ The passive potential "받을 수 없었던" means "could not be received" in past, conjunctive "싫어서" links to the result of disliking oneself.

• 엄마는 아빠는 다 나만 바라보는데

  ➔ Contrastive topic with durative aspect

  ➔ The contrastive "은" marks "엄마는 아빠는" as topics, "는데" indicates ongoing action "바라보는데" of parents looking only at me.

• 시간이 약이라는 말이 내게 정말 맞더라고

  ➔ Retrospective realization with quotative

  ➔ The quotative "라는 말이" attributes the saying to time, "더라고" expresses unexpected realization that it "맞더라고" fits the speaker.

• 하루가 지나면 지날수록 더 나아지더라고

  ➔ Gradual change the more... the more

  ➔ The construction "지날수록" with "만큼" (implied) signifies proportional increase, "나아지더라고" realizes improvement "지날수록" as time passes.

• 너무 행복하면 또 아파올까 봐

  ➔ Conditional fear of negative outcome

  ➔ The conditional "면" with "까 봐" expresses fear that if "행복하면" too happy, it might "아파올까 봐" hurt again.

• 포기할 수가 없어

  ➔ Inability with potential and negation

  ➔ The potential "수가" with negation "없어" indicates inability to "포기할"; can't give up, emphasizing strong will.

• 얼마나, 얼마나 아팠을까?

  ➔ Exclamatory degree with supposition

  ➔ "얼마나" emphasizes intensity, with "했을까" supposing how much "아팠을까" pain was felt in the past, expressing wonder.