Agust D: So Far Away, a new translation

So I have been a fan of Min Yoongi and his soulful lyrics for a long time now, but I recently came across the English translation of Agust D: So Far Away online. Well, there might be more than one, but there is only one that is so popular I think... I don't know who wrote it, but the translation is a bit... off. Okay, I don't mean to pick at someone's translation skills, but in my opinion it just didn't carry over a lot of the feeling of the Korean. Also, it was missing some words, and only directly translated some stuff which needed some deeper meaning transferred.

I've done work translating Korean to English before as a job (literary translation) so I thought I would write my own translation for fun, because why the hell not. Sorry I am so late to the party lol this is so overdue...

Please remember this: I am NOT writing a direct translation!! A direct translation only could never portray the deeper feelings in the original text. This is poetry, art I dare say. So I am going to take some artistic licence while translating. If you speak Korean and think I was really off with something, I will be happy to discuss it in comments :3

Second note: My translation has come out looking a whole lot different to the other English version. Take from that what you will. You saw this version here first, I have nowhere else to repost it myself lol. <3

I retrieved the original lyrics from here: http://blog.naver.com/mymare/220979907778

 

So Far Away, English Ver.

 

Not a thing I want to do, seriously, the is with that?

Not even a commonplace fancy

I know it's pathetic, I know it all.

"If you just follow what we say and if you go to university, all will be fine"

I believed in those words; I was a fool, huh.

I, unable to die, live.

Just pass me some alcohol or something

Today I want to get drunk, so I'm begging you, don't stop me

Anything's fine- for a bum without a job, to drink alcohol is a luxury, however

They just can't bear not to get wasted.

Everything's rushing past; why is it just me motionless here?

Everything's rushing past; why is it just me motionless here?

Everyone's racing, why am only I here...?

So far away; if there were a dream for me too, a dream that makes my heart soar, if only

Don't far away; if there were a dream for me too, a dream that makes my heart soar, if only

Dream. At thy creation and life's very end, we shall be together.

Dream. Wherever thou might be, I shall welcome thee warmly.

Dream. Finally at hardship's end, thou shalt be in full bloom.

Dream. Even if thy beginnings are meek and frail, at the end thou shalt prosper.

Indeed, one's first step is eternal so I live.

It means I don't have a true purpose.

Whatever it is, it's agonising, it's lonely, everything surrounding me telling me to pull myself together

To vent my anger, I only have myself to deal with, so what use is venting then?

Every single morning, to open my eyes, to breathe, terrifies me.

My friends, even my own family, have drifted away

As time trickles by, the more it trickles the more restless I become

My loneliness, I by myself right now, everything disappear this moment!

Like a mirage, disappear, just disappear, right now damn it

Right down to myself, just disappear!

I've been abandoned like this in the world, in that moment drifting further from the sky

Falling

So far away; if there were a dream for me too, a dream that makes my heart soar, if only

Don't far away; if there were a dream for me too, a dream that makes my heart soar, if only

Dream. At thy creation and life's very end, we shall be together.

Dream. Wherever thou might be, I shall welcome thee warmly.

Dream. Finally at hardship's end, thou shalt be in full bloom.

Dream. Even if thy beginnings are meek and frail, at the end thou shalt prosper.

So far away; if there were a dream for me too, a dream that makes my heart soar, if only

Don't far away; if there were a dream for me too, a dream that makes my heart soar, if only

Dream. At thy creation and life's very end, we shall be together.

Dream. Wherever thou might be, I shall welcome thee warmly.

Dream. Finally at hardship's end, thou shalt be in full bloom.

Dream. Even if thy beginnings are meek and frail, at the end thou shalt prosper.

At thy creation and life's very end, we shall be together. (Don't far away)

Wherever thou might be, I shall welcome thee warmly.

Finally at hardship's end, thou shalt be in full bloom.

Even if thy beginnings are meek and frail, at the end thou shalt prosper.

So far away

So far away

So far away

So far away

So far away; if there were a dream for me too, a dream that makes my heart soar, if only

Don't far away; if there were a dream for me too, a dream that makes my heart soar, if only

So far away

Don't far away

So far away

Don't far away

Dream. At thy creation and life's very end, we shall be together.

Dream. Wherever thou might be, I shall welcome thee warmly.

Dream. Finally at hardship's end, thou shalt be in full bloom.

Dream. Even if thy beginnings are meek and frail, at the end thou shalt prosper.

 

--Fin--

Please let me know what you think :3 and if you like it, it would be really cool if you shared the blog. <3

Comments

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Moonstarrr
#1
I have a question about the "thou shalt"s. In the Korean lyrics, was a more archaic form used as well? Just curious because my Korean knowledge is extremely limited and it seemed an interesting choice. In no way am I criticizing or anything, just curious.
CristineIsVIP
#2
It is so beautiful that it made me cry.