Learning Korean through music: 안녕 미미 by 자우림

A post from another site of mine that I originally wrote on 2005.02.19. No YouTube video seems to be available for this (although the Japanese version is here if you're interested; the meaning of the lyrics is also the same). Remember, the translation is done as literally as possible, in order to help the student.

Original post from 2005:

Wow...it's been over a year since I last put up a song here. I lost my first 자우림 album and I decided to listen to it on Bugs' Music (note from 2009: that's a site that used to be good for listening to music for free, but no longer) whereupon I remembered that I never did 안녕 미미...it's a good song and it was also redone on their 2.5 album.
Here's how to hear it:





안녕 미미 너는 오늘도 행복했는지
안녕 미미 나는 오늘도 행복했는지

물가에 젖은 저녁의 바람과
강가에 앉은 사람의 휘파람

안녕 미미 너는 오늘도 아름다웠겠지
안녕 미미 나는 오늘도 종일 꿈꿨어

안녕 미미 부탁이 있어 항복한 네가 나를 구해줘
안녕 미미 부탁이 있어 행복한 네가

안녕 미미 너는 오늘도 아름다웠겠지
안녕 미미 나는 오늘도 종일 꿈꿨어

너 - you
오늘도 - today as well
행복하다 - happy. 행복했다 - was happy. 행복했는지 - whether / if (you) were happy. This 지 is used to bring the word before it into the foreground, and we have to qualify it. 행복했는지 모르겠다 - I don't know if he'she was happy. 행복했는지 불행했는지 - Whether he/she was happy or unhappy... this 지 can be one of the most difficult parts of Korean, though it is the same as the Japanese 'ka' (if that helps). 누군지 알아요? - Do you know who it is?
너는 오늘도 행복했는지 - whether you were happy today (or not)

물가 - edge of the water
젖다 - to be wet. 젖은 - wet
저녁 - evening
바람 - wind. 저녁의 바람 - evening's wind
과 - and. If there is a consonant before it, it becomes 과, if not it becomes a 와. Examples: 나와 / 학교와 / 사람과 / 친구와 / 사랑과 / 믿음과 / 눈물과 / 핸드폰과 / 노래와.
물가에 젖은 저녁의 바람과 - The wet/humid night wind of the shore, and

강가 - riverside
앉다 - to sit. 앉은 - sitting
사람 - person
휘파람 - whistle. 사람의 휘파람 - a person's whistle.
강가에 앉은 사람의 휘파람 - the whistle of the person sitting by the shore.

아름답다 - beautiful. 아름다웠다 - was beautiful. 아듬다웠겠다 - likely was beautiful. 아름다웠겠지 - likely was beautiful, right?
너는 오늘도 아름다웠겠지 - You were probably beautiful today too, hmm? That hmm? at the end makes it look awkward so I would leave it out were I to translate it.

종일 - all day. Short form of 하루종일.
꿈 - dream
꿈을 꾸다 - to dream. Literally, to dream a dream.
나는 오늘도 종일 꿈(을) 꿨어 - I dreamed all day today too.

부탁 - request
있다 - there is, I have
부탁이 있어 - I have a favour (to ask you)

행복한 너 - (the) happy you. When you put a 가 on the end 너 becomes 네 just like how 나 becomes 내. 행복한 네가 - you, who is happy...
구하다 - to save. 구해! - save! (order) 구해 줘 - save me. The 줘 makes the request more earnest, and less of an order. From 주다, to give.
행복한 네가 나를 구해 줘 - You, who are happy, save me please.