사람 (People)

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

Yeah yeah, 산들 바람

Yeah yeah, a gentle breeze

스치가는 사람

A fleeting kind of person 

스면드는 사람

A familiar kind of person

나는 어떤 사람

What kind of person might I be

나는 좋은 사람?

Am I a good person?

아님 나쁜 사람?

Or am I a bad person?

평가는 가지각색

There’s been a diverse array of appraisals

그냥 나도 사람

but I, too, am just a person

다른 살아가겠지 yeah

Everyone will live yeah,

다른 사랑하겠지

everyone will love,

다른 바래가겠지

everyone will leave,

yeah yeah 잊혀기겠지

yeah yeah, and be forgotten

사람들은 변하지

People change indeed

나도 변하지

Also changing is me

세상살이 영원한 건 없어

This life is not a forever thing

다 지나가는 해프닝

It’s all just another happening

Hmm…. why so serious? (Why so serious?)

Why so serious (why so serious) why so serious (why so?)

Hmm…. I’m so serious (I’m so serious)

I’m so serious (I’m so serious)

I’m so…

뭐 어때?

What of it?

스쳐 지나가면 뭐 어때?

If it passes fleetingly what of it?

뭐 어때?

What of it?

상처받으면 뭐 어때?

Even if it hurts, what of it?

뭐 때론 또 아플지도

Well it might, on occasion, be painful 

가끔은 속상해 눈물 흘릴지도

Sometimes distress might make the tears flow

뭐 어때?

What of it?

그렇게 살면 뭐 어때?

Living in that way, what of it?

물이 흘러가는 대로 

The way the water flows,

흘러가 저기 끝은 뭐가 있을지도

flow as well, there might be something at the end

특별한 삶 평범한 삶 그 나름대로

Extraordinary and ordinary lives, in their own way

좋은 게 좋은 거지 뭐

are all good

좋은 게 좋은 거지 

It’s all good

뜻대로만 되지 않지

It doesn’t always turn out as expected

불편은 다른 감수하지

Everyone suffers through the inconvenient

극적인 상황들의 반복은 삶을 지치게도 해

Repetition of extreme experiences can wear life out

사람들이 그런거지

People are like that

없으면 있고 싶기도 있으면 없고 싶기도

If it’s not had, it’s wanted, if it’s had, it’s unwanted

누가 사람이 지혜의 동물이라 했나

Who said that people are an animal of wisdom?

내가 보기에는 후회의 동물이 분명한데

As I see it, it’s clear we’re animals of regret

사람들은 변하지 나도 변했듯이

As I have changed, people change too

세상살이 영원한 건 없어

This life is not a forever thing

다 지나가는 해프닝

It’s all just another happening

너의 평범함은 되려 나의 특별함

Your ordinary is my extraordinary

너의 특별함은 되려 나의 평범함

Your extraordinary is my ordinary

나의 평범함은 되려 너의 특별함

My ordinary is your extraordinary

나의 특별함은 되려 너의 평범함

My extraordinary is your ordinary

뭐 어때?

What of it?

스쳐 지나가면 뭐 어때?

If it passes fleetingly what of it?

뭐 어때?

What of it?

상처받으면 뭐 어때?

Even if it hurts, what of it?

뭐 때론 또 아플지도

Well it might, on occasion, be painful 

가끔은 속상해 눈물 흘릴지도

Sometimes distress might make the tears flow

뭐 어때?

What of it?

그렇게 살면 뭐 어때?

Living in that way, what of it?

 

Translator notes:

 

So, fun fact, the subject of this song is rarely specified. For example, in a line like "Even if it hurts," there's no subject. Literally it says "If [blank] receives pain" So, this could be translated as "Even if you get hurt/Even if I get hurt/Even if it hurts". This happens a lot in the song, so I've tried to keep the English translation vague to reflect this.