#134. 불티 -- You learn something new every day! (feat. Taeyeon)

I moved away from Korea at a pretty young age, but since I was a bookworm ("책벌레" in Korean!) I almost never feel that I am lacking in vocabulary in Korean unless the conversation topic is politics, law, or something equally technical.

So when I listened to Taeyeon's new release "불티 (Spark)", I was actually quite bemused, because I had never heard of the word "불티" before! Before continuing, her MV first, because the music is very different and really good! I don't think it's typical Taeyeon, but it fits her so well.




From the context (and then looking it up from the dictionary to confirm), it was clear what 불티 was supposed to be: imagine a large campfire made of firewood. Then a large gust of wind blows, and the ashes and ember scatter through the space -- some of it is just dust, but some of it are small sparks of fire that may or may not go out as they drift with the wind. That is 불티!

To me, it is different from a spark (which is usually generated from some external force; like you can hit two stones hard to get a spark of fire, or do something crazy with electricity to get an electrical spark). A 불티 was not created by the wind, and the wind merely carries it. It's also different from ember, because ember is the remainder of a dying fire. 불티 is more alive than that.

But I guess there really isn't a good word in English to describe 불티, and spark is maybe the thing that comes the closest.

You can say things like

"불티가 날린다" (Little sparks of fire are drifting in the wind)

In North Korea, apparently saying things like

"니가 경솔하게 행동하면 다른사람들에게까지 불티가 튀어" (If you act rashly, your actions will spark negative consequences to the others)

is quite common according to Google. South Koreans will instead replace "불티" by "불똥" (literally "fire poop" which I think is quite cute!)

But what I was surprised about the most was not the fact that I had never heard of the word before; it was actually that in fact, I had heard of this word several times in the past, and used it myself as well. There is exactly one common way to use the word "불티" in Korean, and it is used to describe things selling out fast. You can say

"이 치마는 정말 나오기만 하면 불티나게 팔리네" (Every time this skirt is out for sale, it sells out instantly like sparks of fire.)

 and this describes the state of the skirts; the skirts are basically disappearing into thin air (because they're selling so quickly) like the sparks of fire that you see when the wind blows!

In Taeyeon's new song, I had never heard of the word used in a noun form, and so I had not immediately made the connection! And I think this gives a really interesting vibe to her lyrics. The word "불티," being Korean and somewhat obscure, gives a "never-seen-before" kind of feel to her song.

Nowadays, the Koreans are re-discovering old Korean words that our ancestors used and became forgotten, and they see these words now as novel and refreshing. If the words based on Hanja give off the vibe that you're well-read and educated, these pure Korean words from the olden days give off the vibe that you're a bit of a dreamer, pure and innocent. Of course, Taeyeon wasn't going for that particular vibe judging from her MV, yet this disparity is what makes her lyrics so striking to me.

Anyway, I hope that I managed to convey some of my emotions that were evoked from listening to this lyric as a native Korean speaker, and I hope that it helps you appreciate Taeyeon's new song better! I'm ending this post with my own translation of her lyrics, because, let's be honest, most YouTube translations (even the ones from SM) are never satisfactory to me. Not to boast too much, but I'm providing accurate translations (not word-for-word, but based on the meaning) that also try to convey the emotions in the sentences.




불어 후후

Blow in the fire, whoo whoo (ed: "whoo whoo" is the Korean onomatopoeia for blowing air)

빨간 불티야

Red sparks of fire

내 마음도 너 같아

I feel the same way as you

타오를 듯 위험한

The dangerous sparks, ready to burst into flames

살포시 널 눌러

I try to gently stifle you (ed: the spark)

덮으려 해 봐도

I try to cover you up

꺼지지 않는 너를

Yet you do not go out

어떻게 해야 하나

What should I do with you?

여릴 줄만 알았던

I thought that you would be fragile

그 작은 온기 속

But in your little warmth

뭐를 감추고 있었니

what have you been hiding?

내 안에 내가 많아

There are many me's inside myself

온 밤이 소란한데

The night is rowdy

혹시 내 말을 들었니

but did you hear me, by chance?

이제 타이밍이야, 눈 뜰 새벽이야

Now's the time; the dawn where you awaken

불티를 깨워

wake the spark

더 타올라라 후 후후후

Kindle, ignite, and blaze, whoo whoo hoo hoo

꺼지지 않게

Do not flicker and die

붉디붉은 채

Keep your crimson red

더 크게 번져 후 후후

and spread bigger and bigger, who whoo hoo

지금 가장 뜨거운

The hottest thing this moment

내 안의 작고 작은

yet the smallest thing inside me

불티야 불티야 꺼지지 말고 피어나

Spark, spark, do not flicker and die, and blaze

불티야 불티야 새벽을 훨훨 날아가

Spark, spark, fly through the dawn

새 불티야 불티야 춤추듯 온몸을 살라

New spark, spark, burn your entire being as if you're dancing

새 불티야 불티야 꺼지지 말고 피어나

New spark, spark, do not flicker and die, and blaze



이 까만 어둠을

Light up this obsidian darkness

동그라니 밝혀

with your orb of light

내 앞을 비추는 너

You light my way

어디든 갈 수 있어

and I can go anywhere with you

세찬 바람을 타고

floating in this tempestuous wind

떠올라 내려 보면

If you look from above

우린 이 별의 여행자
We're the travelers of this star (ed: yes, I know that earth is not a star!)




어제 길 위의 넌 꿈만 꾸고 있었지

Yesterday, you were on the road, but only dreaming

작은 새처럼 작은 새처럼

Like a baby bird, like a small bird

이제 타이밍이야, 너의 시간이야

Now it's time, it's your time

숨을 불어넣어 불티를 깨워

Blow your breath into it, and wake the spark

타올라라 후 후후후

Kindle, ignite, and blaze, whoo whoo hoo hoo

꺼지지 않게

Do not flicker and die

붉디붉은 채

Keep your crimson red

더 크게 번져 후 후후

and spread bigger and bigger, who whoo hoo

지금 가장 뜨거운

The hottest thing this moment

내 안의 작고 작은

yet the smallest thing inside me

불티야 불티야 꺼지지 말고 피어나

Spark, spark, do not flicker and die, and blaze

불티야 불티야 새벽을 훨훨 날아가

Spark, spark, fly through the dawn

새 불티야 불티야 춤추듯 온몸을 살라

New spark, spark, burn your entire being as if you're dancing

새 불티야 불티야 꺼지지 말고 피어나

New spark, spark, do not flicker and die, and blaze

오랜 기다림, 너의 시간을 믿어

I believe in your time and your chance, after the long anticipation

나를 닮은 너, 불티를 깨워

You are like me, wake the spark

더 타올라라 후 후후후

Kindle, ignite, and blaze, whoo whoo hoo hoo

꺼지지 않게

Do not flicker and die

붉디붉은 채

Keep your crimson red

더 크게 번져 후 후후

and spread bigger and bigger, who whoo hoo

지금 가장 뜨거운

The hottest thing this moment

더 타올라라 후 후후후

Kindle, ignite, and blaze, whoo whoo hoo hoo

꺼지지 않게

Do not flicker and die

붉디붉은 채

Keep your crimson red

더 크게 번져 후 후후

and spread bigger and bigger, who whoo hoo

지금 가장 뜨거운

The hottest thing this moment

내 안의 작고 작은

yet the smallest thing insdie me

불티야 
Spark