Beautiful Lyrics series: Kim Yoon Ah’s “Spring Days Pass By”

To celebrate the first day of April (Happy April Fools!), the “Beautiful Lyrics series” makes a comeback with a song the most appropriate for this season. I present to you… Kim Yoon Ah’s “Spring Days Pass By” (“봄날은 간다”).

“Spring Days Pass By”
Singer: Kim Yoon Ah
Lyrics by Kim Yoon Ah
Music composed by Matsutoya Yumi
Lyrics translated by Blue1004

 

눈을 감으면 문득 그리운 날의 기억
When I close my eyes, suddenly the memories of the bygone days
아직까지도 마음이 저려 오는 건
Make my heart ache even now

 

그건 아마 사람도 피고 지는 꽃처럼
That’s perhaps because people, like the flowers that bloom and wither,
아름다워서 슬프기 때문일 거야 아마도
Are beautiful, it’s sad… Perhaps…

 

봄날은 가네 무심히도 꽃잎은 지네 바람에
Spring days pass by, nonchalantly; the petals fall, blown by the wind
머물 수 없던 아름다운 사람들
The beautiful people who could not stay

 

가만히 눈감으면 잡힐 것 같은
When I quietly close my eyes, I think I can touch them
아련히 마음 아픈 추억 같은 것들
Like the memories that ache softly

 

봄은 또 오고 꽃은 피고 또 지고 피고
Spring comes again, and flowers bloom, wither, and bloom once again
아름다워서 너무나 슬픈 이야기
The story that is so sorrowful for its beauty

 

봄날은 가네 무심히도 꽃잎은 지네 바람에
Spring days pass by, nonchalantly; the petals fall, blown by the wind
머물 수 없던 아름다운 사람들
The beautiful people who could not stay

 

가만히 눈감으면 잡힐 것 같은
When I quietly close my eyes, I think I can touch them
아련히 마음 아픈 추억 같은 것들
Like the memories that ache softly

 

눈을 감으면 문득 그리운 날의 기억
When I close my eyes, suddenly the memories of the bygone days
아직까지도 마음이 저려 오는 건
Make my heart ache even now

 

그건 아마 사람도 피고 지는 꽃처럼
That’s perhaps because people, like the flowers that bloom and wither,
아름다워서 슬프기 때문일 거야 아마도
Are beautiful, it’s sad… Perhaps…

Kim Yoon Ah, the lead singer of the band Jaurim, made a solo contribution to the 2001 film One Fine Spring Day, starring Yoo Ji Tae and Lee Young Ae, with a movie theme song by the same name. Although the official English title of the film and the song is “One Fine Spring Day,” the original Korean title (“봄날은 간다”) actually translates to “Spring Days Pass By.” As a language purist (and because it just better fits the lyrics), this is how I chose to translate the song title here.