[Korean Culture & Language] Fly through the midnight

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Have you ever felt like your love life is like a fairytale? Korea’s famous singer Lee Moon-sae thinks so. Lee Moon-sae is a South Korean ballad singer who was born in 1959 and is regarded as a " Korean pop icon”. 

 

Fly through the midnight is Lee Moon-sae's well-known song and is one of his few fast-paced songs. The song is still sung and remixed by many mainstream artists.

 

Below is the first half of the lyrics:

 

우리들 만나고 헤어지는 모든 일들이 어쩌면 어린애들 놀이 같아
Every hello and good-bye feels like a children’s game

우리들 means We or Everyone

만나고 means to meet

헤어지는means farewell or goodbye

모든 일 means Everything that happens 

어린애들 means children

놀이 means game or play

같아 means like

 

슬픈 동화속에 구름타고 멀리 날으는 작은 요정들의 슬픈 이야기처럼
It’s like sad fairytales where little fairies fly away on a cloud

슬픈 means sad

동화means fairytale

구름 means cloud

멀리 means far

날으는 means flying

작은 요정 means little fairies

이야기 means story

처럼 means  like

 

그러나 우리들 날지도 못하고 울지만
Even though we cry because we can’t fly, 

날다 means fly

못하고 means can’t

울지만 means cry

 

사랑은 아름다운 꿈결처럼
Love is like a beautiful dream

사랑 means love

아름다운 means beautiful

꿈결 means dream

처럼 means like

 

고운 그대 손을 잡고 밤하늘을 날아서 궁전으로 갈수도 있어
I could take your soft hand and fly in the night sky to the palace with you

고운 means soft and pretty

손을 잡고 means take one’s hand

밤하늘 means the night sky

궁전 means palace

 

난 오직 그대 사랑하는 마음에 바보같은 꿈 꾸며
I get foolish dreams from loving you

바보 같은 means foolish

마음 means heart

 

이룰수 없는 저 꿈의 나라로 길을 잃고 헤매고 있어
I’m lost in a dream that will never come true.

이룰 수 없는 means can’t come true

길을 잃고 헤매다 means lost in

 

그러나 우리들 날지도 못하고 울지만
Even though we cry because we can’t fly,

 

사랑은 아름다운 꿈결처럼
love is like a beautiful dream

 

고운 그대 손을 잡고 밤하늘을 날아서 궁전으로 갈수도 있어
I could take your soft hand and fly in the night sky to the palace with you

 

How are hellos and goodbyes feel like to you?

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