ON

(Lyrics in colour are the official lyrics, lyrics in black are translations. Official English lyrics are italicized.)

Jungkook V Jimin j-hope SUGA Jin RM

i can’t understand what people are saying

어느 장단에 맞춰야 될지

or which rhythm i should dance to

한 발자국 떼면 한 발자국 커지는 shadow

this shadow grows footstep by footstep

잠에서 눈을 뜬 여긴 또 어디

i open my eyes, not sure where i am now

어쩜 서울 new york or paris

maybe it’s seoul, new york or paris

얼마나니 휘청이는 몸

that my reeling body is waking up in

look at my feet, look down

날 닮은 그림자

that shadow resembles me

흔들리는 건 이놈인가

is that what’s shaking

아니면 내 작은 발끝인가

or is it the tips of my toes

두렵잖을 리 없잖아

well of course there's no way i’m not scared

다 괜찮을 리 없잖아 

of course there’s no way it’s all fine

그래도 i know

regardless i know

서툴게 i flow

clumsily i flow

저 까만 바람과 함께 날아

flying with that black wind

hey na na na

미치지 않으려면 미쳐야 해

if you want to stay sane then you must go insane

hey na na na

나를 다 던져 이 두 쪽 세상에 

throwing myself all the way into both worlds

hey na na na

can’t hold me down cause you know i’m a fighter

제 발로 들어온 아름다운 가목

walked on my own into this beautiful prison

find me and i’m gonna live with you

(eh-oh)

가져와 bring the pain on yeah

bring it on, bring the pain on yeah

(eh-oh)

올라타봐 bring the pain

all aboard, bring the pain

rain be pourin

sky keep falling

everyday oh na na na

(eh-oh)

가져와 bring the pain on yeah

bring it on, bring the pain on yeah

bring the pain

모두 내 피와 살이 되겠지

it’ll all become my flesh and blood

bring the pain

no fear, 방법을 알겠으니

no fear, since i know the way

작은 것에 breathe

breathe in the small things

그건 어둠 속 내 산소와 빛

they are my light and air in the dark

내가 나이게 하는 것들의 힘

the strengths that make me “me”

넘어져도 다시 일어나 scream

i get up again even if i fall, scream

넘어져도 다시 일어나 scream 

i get up again even if i fall, scream

언제나 우린 그랬으니

this is how we’ve always been

설령 내 무릎이 땅에 닿을지언정

even though my knees will hit the ground

파묻하지 않는 이상

as long as  they don’t get buried

그저 그런 해프닝쯤 될 거란 걸

then it'll just become another happening like the rest

win no matter what 

win no matter what

win no matter what 

네가 뭐라던 누가 뭐라던

no matter what you say, no matter what they say

i don’t give a uhh

i don’t give a uhh

i don’t give a uhh

hey na na na

미치지 않으려면 미쳐야 해

if you want to stay sane then you must go insane

hey na na na

나를 다 던져 이 두 쪽 세상에 

throwing myself all the way into these two worlds

hey na na na

can’t hold me down cause you know i’m a fighter

제 발로 들어온 아름다운 가목

walked on my own into this beautiful prison

find me and i’m gonna live with you

(eh-oh)

가져와 bring the pain on yeah

bring it on, bring the pain on yeah

(eh-oh)

올라타봐 bring the pain

all aboard, bring the pain

rain be pourin

sky keep falling

everyday oh na na na

(eh-oh)

가져와 bring the pain on yeah

bring it on, bring the pain on yeah

나의 고통이 있는 곳에

in the place where my agony lies

내가 숨 쉬게 하소서

let me breathe

my everythin’

my blood and tears

got no fears

i’m singing ohh

oh i’m takin over

you should know yeah

can’t hold me down cause you know i’m a fighter

깜깜한 심연 속 기꺼이 잠겨

into the dark abyss i will gladly descend

find me and i’m gonna bleed with you 

가져와 bring the pain on yeah

bring it on, bring the pain on yeah

(eh-oh)

올라타봐 bring the pain

all aboard, bring the pain

rain be pourin

sky keep falling

everyday oh na na na

(eh-oh)

find me and i’m gonna bleed with you

가져와 bring the pain on yeah

bring it on, bring the pain on yeah

(eh-oh)

올라타봐 bring the pain

all aboard, bring the pain

all that i know is just going on and on and on and on

(eh-oh)

가져와 bring the pain on yeah

bring it on, bring the pain on yeah

Translation Notes:

 Taehyung's first verse contains no finished sentences- I took some creative liberties there. To translate it literally would be "as for here that i opened my eyes from sleep, where again, maybe Seoul, New York or Paris, because i wake up, my body that is staggering/reeling". If it sounds confusing, well, yes haha it is. The Korean lyrics make sense, there's a lot that can be interpreted there, but that English translation just sounds messy.

The word in the chorus, 올라타봐, (ol-la-ta-bwa) comes from the verb "올라타다". (ol-la-ta-da.) It means, "to climb on, to board, to get on and take". (I could get really into compound verbs here for a minute but I'll refrain.) Added to it here is a grammar structure that invites someone to try something. Now we have a word that means "try getting on". The official music videos both have this word translated as "come on up" and I think that's good, especially since it has the word "on" in it, but the English phrase "all aboard" sounds so phonetically similar that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to throw that in there.

The official Map of the Soul lyrics book states that the lyrics in the chorus are "가져와 bring the pain oh yeah". Literally if that is an 오 sound as in "oh" and not an 어 sound as in "on" i must re-question everything about this song. The song is called ON! Why would it be "bring the pain oh"? I recognize that the official lyrics book has made a decision but given that it's a stupid decision, I've elected to ignore it.

I don't think the translation "in the place where my agony lies, let me breathe" does this line justice. It's not possible to explain in the lyrics, but this line is spoken in a level of Korean reserved for royalty/deities called 하소서체 (ha-soe-seo-chay). As I've never read the Bible in Korean and I don't watch historical dramas, this was the first time I'd come across the most formal of the seven speech levels! Here's a different translation: "I ask of you, might I breathe in this place where exists my agony?" Or, for the common folk: "let me exist in the same place as my pain".

Outro: Ego

 (Lyrics in colour are the official lyrics, lyrics in black are translations. Official English lyrics are italicized.)

매일 돌아가 본다고

every day i’m goin back to

그때의 나로

who i was back then

포기를 선택한 삶으로 

placing myself into

날 놓아본다고

a life where i chose to give up

but 세상에는 있지 

but in this world there exist some

변하지 않는 몇 진실

truths that cannot be undone

시간은 앞으로 흐른다는 것

that time keeps flowing forward

만약은 없단 것 (것, 것 것)

that there are no ifs (ifs, ifs, ifs)

까마득 잊을 만하면 생각나 그 시절

(distantly!) those memories worth forgetting resurface

악마의 손길과 운명의 recall

touch of the devil and destiny’s recall

궁금해 아직도 왜 다시 불렀는지도

i wonder still why it even called for me

매일 ask me, guess it, 채찍, repeat, oh

everyday ask me, ask me, guess it, whip it, repeat, oh

변할 건 없다며 결국 또

at the fact nothing will change i eventually, again

걱정을 억지로 잠궈, close

forcefully lock up my worries, close

how much love? how much joy?

위안을 주며 stay calm, alone

comfort myself and stay calm, alone

그래 I don't care, 전부 내

yeah I don’t care, everything’s

운명의 선택, so we're here

my destiny’s choice, so we’re here

내 앞을 봐, the way is shinin'

looking ahead, the way is shinin,

keep goin' now

(ready, set, and begin)

그 길로, 길로, 길로

the way, the way, the way,

wherever my way

오직 ego, ego, ego

only ego, ego, ego

just trust myself

문득 스쳐가는 j-hope이 아닌 정호석의 삶,

the life of jung hoseok who wasn’t j-hope flashes by

희망이란 없고 후회만 가득했겠지 till I die

it must have been so hopeless and full of regret until i die

춤은 뜬 구름을 잡을 뿐 

with my dance just catching clouds,

나의 꿈을 탓할 뿐

me just blaming my dream,

살아 숨쉬는 거에 의문을

doubting why i live and breathe-

oh my god! (god! god! god!)

uh, time goes by

7년의 걱정이 드디어 입 밖으로

finally talking about seven years of worries

모두 해소되는 핍박

been relieved of all oppressions 

가장 믿던 그들의 답은 내 심장으로

in my heart are answers from those I most trusted:

하나뿐인 hope, 하나뿐인 soul

“there’s only one hope, only one soul,

하나뿐인 smile, 하나뿐인 너

“one one smile and only one you”

세상 그 진실에 확실해진 답

the answer that became clear to the truth, to the world,

변하지 않는 그 어떤 나, right

this version of me, unchanging, right

믿는 대로 가는 대로 (그 길로, 길로, 길로)

the way i trusted, the way i traveled (the way the way the way)

운명이 됐고 중심이 됐어 (wherever my way)

became my fate and, became my core (wherever my way)

힘든 대로 또 슬픈 대로 (오직 ego, ego, ego)

as hard as they were, and as sad as i was, (only ego ego ego)

위로가 됐고 날 알게 됐어 (just trust myself)

they became my comfort and allowed me to know myself

map of the soul, map of the all (map of the soul)

that's my ego, that's my ego

map of the soul, map of the all

that's my ego, that's my ego (map of the soul)

Translation Notes: 

The first verse of this song is done in reported speech, which I was quite confused by at first! What this adds is a feeling of Hoseok kind of telling a story. Like, "(let me tell you that) every day I go back to who I was back then, (that) I place myself into a life where I chose to give up." 

The music video translates the metaphor "catching clouds" as "chasing ghosts", just so you know. Basically- JungHoseok-who-was-not-j-hope's dance was going after wisps that cannot be touched.

 "Finally talking about seven years of worries" is literally "seven years of worries (are) finally out of (my) mouth". 

I had some trouble with 는 대로 in the last chorus. Basically, what he's saying is his process/way of believing and walking his path became his destiny and core self. It was hard getting here, and it was sorrowful too, but his ways became a comfort to him and allowed him to understand himself.