As a first project, I wanted to translate and analyze the latest album that BTS dropped just a month ago🥹
I'll take all the korean sentences and try to translate each word/verb and give a quick analysis!
The first one is Body to Body, a song that spreads the message of how important is the closeness among people, a message that gets intensified once you hear the traditional korean song 'Arirang' at the end of the song. (It alwyas gives me goosebumps!!)
The first korean sentences are in Suga's verse:
총 칼 키보드 다 좀 치워
총=guns
칼=knives
(In both there's no need to specify the plural form, which is usually expressed with the suffix -들)
키보드= literally 'keyboard' (it's a borrowed word from English)
다 = all
좀 = abbreviation of 조금 which means "a little"
치워 = informal version of the verb 치우다 which means "erase, put something away, clean something up". It's conjugated in a way that sounds like an order.
The full sentence is:
Guns, knives, keyboards put them all away.
Then we have the second sentence!
인생은 짧아 증오는 비워
(Similar structure as the previous one, but here we have two small sentences)
인생= life + there's the topic marker 은, which suggests us that this one is the theme of the sentence. (It can also be the subject)
짧아 = informal version of the descriptive verb 짧다 which means "to be short".
증오= hate + again the topic marker 는
비워= informal version of the verb 비우다 which means "to vacate" in this case linked to 증오 is like "clear your mind from hate"
So the whole sentence literally could be:
Life is short, clear your mind from hate
Third sentence!
뭘 체면 따져 내려놔, 야 인마
뭘= its an abbreviation for 무엇을 which means 'what' + the object particle 을
체면= it means 'face' but in a more "social" way.
따져 = From 따지다, meaning to weigh, consider, worry, nitpick, or fuss over.
내려놔 = From 내려놓다, meaning to put down, let go, or drop.
야 인마= 야 mean "hey" while 인마 means "dude, jerk, pal"
So the sentence can be:
What makes you worry over a saving face, just drop it, hey dude
Next!!
좀 더 가까이 와 skin to skin
좀= abbreviation of 조금 which means "a little"
더 = more
가까이 와= informal version of the verb 가까이 오다 which means "to move closer"
Come a little more closer, skin to skin
Then we enter in the pre-chorus:
저기 저 달에 닿게 손에 손
저기= there
저= that
달에= moon + location particle ㅔ
닿게= verb 닿다 which means "to touch, to reach for, to come in contact with"
손에= hand + location particle ㅔ
손= hand (again~)
Hand to hand, reaching for that moon over there
Next!
너와 나 we on and on
너= you
와= ~and/with (it's the particle that express company)
나= me
You and me, we on and on
Then we have Hobi's verse!
I mean, 너와의 사이
너 = you
와 = (again) ~with
의 = it's the particle that express possession, it's like "'s"
사이 =between
I mean, between you and me. ("Me" it's implied)
Next!
I mean, 우리만의 그 style
우리만의=우리 means "us/ours" + 만 it's a particle that means "only ~" and 의 it's the possessive marker we mentioned before.
그= that
I mean, that style that's only ours. (Meaning that their style it's different)
Next!
두 눈을 감지 않을 이 밤
두= two (pure Korean number)
눈을 = eyes + object marker
감지 않을 = verb 감다 "to close" + negative 지 않다 together mean "not closing" + 을 in this case doesn't stand for an object marker, it's what we call "relative form" and in this case it's on the future tense so "~that will~"
이밤 = 이 means "this" while 밤 (as Kookie's doggy) means "night"
So:
This night in which we won't close our eyes.
Next!
솟구치는 겨레의 마음
솟구치는= from the verb 솟구치다 that means "to surge, to rise" the 는 is another case of relative form but in this case in the present tense version.
겨레의= nation, people
마음= heart, soul, spirit
The spirit of a rising nation
Then we have pre-chorus and chorus we already analyzed and then there's the Arirang part:
아리랑, 아리랑, 아라리요
That's literally translated as you read it mostly because there is no translation for these words. Arirang can mean tons of things for what we all know.
Arirang, arirang, arariyo
Next~
아리랑 고개로 넘어간다
아리랑 고개로 = Arirang + 고개 means "mountain, hill" then we have the direction marker 로
넘어간다 = verb 넘어가다 which means "to cross over" + the -ㄴ다 ending is what we call the "narrative ending" so its usually used to tell a story.
Crossing over the hill of Arirang
Next!
나를 버리고 가시는 님은
Here we have two sentences and a relative!
나를= me + object marker
버리고= verb 버리다 which means "to leave behind" + suffix 고 which connects two sentences/verbs.
가시는= onorific version of the verb 가다 which means "to go" (for the onorific just add the -시 particle) + present tense relative
님은= 님 is a more affectionate way to call someone. You can translate it as "loved one", "beloved one". + topic marker
So:
My beloved, one who is leaving me behind and goes away.
Last one!!
십 리도 못 가서 발병 난다
십= ten (sino-korean number)
리도= 리 it's a measure of distance. 1 li/ri it's about 400 metres. + 도 which means "also, too"
못 가서= 못 it's another way to turn a verb in it's negative form, with the sole difference that if you use this particle it will implied that you couldn't do that action. + we have again the 가다 "to go" verb and the -서 suffix that implies that after that action there's a consequence so it can be translated as "then, because etc."
발병= feet pain (literally 발 means foot while 병 means illness, another bts song is called like that which is "disease")
난다= verb 나다 "to occur" + narrative ending.
So:
You will get your feet sore even if you can't cross 10 li
And that's it!!! This was the first translation I made🥹 I tried to be as literal as possible to make you understand each grammar point! I hope you will find this helpful!!
See you next time!!!💜