Learning Korean through music: 파애 by 자우림

A post from another site of mine that I originally wrote on 2004.01.08. Remember, the translation is done as literally as possible, in order to help the student.



Original post from 2004:

This is a nice song from their first album that is also very easy. When teaching Korean in person this is generally the first song I pick. It has a lot of 해도, which means 'even if'.


Song lyrics


손을 내밀어도 말을 걸어봐도
아무 것도 할 수 없어 아무것도 할 수 없어

조각 조각 부서지는 마음
부서진 내 마음은 레몬과자 맛이 나
왜 나를 사랑하지 않아 왜 나를 사랑하지 않아

곁에 다가가도 미소 지어봐도
나를 바라보지 않아 나를 바라보지 않아

너무 너무 아름다운 너
아름다운 너에게선 체리 샴푸맛이 나
왜 나의 맘을 부숴 왜 나의 맘을 부숴

그녀가 말했어 내가 널 잃어가고 있다고
부서진 마음의 조각에 널 묻어 가고 있다고
왜 나를 사랑 하지 않아 왜 나를 사랑하지 않아

너를 바라봐도 좋은 선물해도
나를 알아 주지 않아 나를 알아 주지 않아

조각 조각 부서지는 마음
부서진 내 마음은 레몬과자 맛이 나
왜 나를 사랑하지 않아 왜 나를 사랑하지 않아
왜 나를 사랑하지 않아

Even if I stretch out my hand, even if I try calling out
I can't do anything, I can't do anything

Fragments, fragments, my broken heart
From my broken heart comes the taste of lemon
Why don't you love me (repeat)

Even if I approach you, even if I smile
You don't look at me, you don't look at me

So, so beautiful you
From beautiful you comes the taste of cherry shampoo
Why do you break my heart, why do you break my heart

She said it, that I was losing you
That I was burying you in the pieces of my broken heart
Why don't you love me (repeat)

Even if I look at you, even if I give you nice gifts
You don't know me, you don't know me

Fragments, fragments, my broken heart
From my broken heart comes the taste of lemon
Why don't you love me (repeat)

손 - hand
말 - word. 말을 걸다 - To call out 말을 걸어 보다 - to try calling out
아무것도 - nothing
조각 - fragment
부수다 - to break something. 부서지다 - to be broken
마믐 - heart
과자 - candy
맛 - taste 맛이 나다 - to taste like something (lit. taste comes out)
왜 - why
사랑 하다 - to love
곁 - side 곁에 - to somebody's side
다가가다 - to go up to
미소 - a smile. 미소를 짓다 - to smile/put on a smile. Usually the verb to smile is 웃다.
바라보다 - to look (for a certain length of time)
너무 - very
아름답다 - beautiful.
맘 - same as 마음.
그 녀 - that girl
잃다 - to lose. 잃어 가다 - to be losing (lit. to lose and go)
묻다 - to bury. 묻어 가다 - to be burying (lit. to bury and go)
좋다 - good
선물 - present. 선물 하다 is to give a present.
알다 - to know. 알아 주다 - to do someone a favour by knowing them, to know something for someone



손 을 내밀어도 - even if I stretch out my hand... conjugating a verb and adding 도 gives the meaning of 'even if'. This is the form used when asking permission. 담배 is a cigarette and 피우다 is to smoke, so 담배를 피워도 돼요? means do you mind if I smoke? (lit, even if I smoke, is it okay?) Okay is 돼, or 돼요. Not okay is 안 돼 or 안 돼요.
In this case however, she's not asking permission, she's showing how sad she is by the fact that she's making all these efforts and the guy isn't giving her the time of day.

부 서진 내 마음은 - My broken heart is... notice the word order here. 'The broken my heart". It's possible to write it as 내 부서진 마음 as well if you wish.

말을 걸어 봐도 - Conjugating a verb and adding the verb 보다, to see, gives the meaning of trying something.
먹어 봐 means "try (eating) it!"
말해 봐 means "say something!"
좀 마셔 봐 means "try drinking a bit (of this)."

사랑하지 않아 - simple negative.
먹지 않아 - not eat
아니, 싫지 않아 - No, I don't hate (it).

내가 널 잃어 가고 있다고 - That I'm losing you. Putting 고 after the 다 at the end of a verb quotes the entire section that comes before the 고.
내가 막주를 마셨다 - I drank beer.
친구는 말했어 - My friend spoke.
친구는 내가 맥주를 마셨다고 말했어 - My friend said that I drank beer.
Sentences can also be ended with this 고.
넌 맥주를 안 마셨다고?! (He said) that you didn't drink beer?!