BTS

Epilogue : Young Forever — BTS: meaning, key lines and pronunciation

First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync채 가시지 않은 여운들을 품에 안고chae ga·si·ji a·neun yeo·un·deu·reul pu·me an·kkoHolding close the afterglow that hasn't faded.Listen to this line with the translationNo sign-up

What the song is about

“Epilogue : Young Forever” by BTS is about the hollow feeling that follows a show, and the wish to stay young while chasing a dream. After the show, they feel proud of making people scream, yet the quiet scares them and they hide it. They tell themselves no world is perfect and cheering fades, so they keep singing, wishing to stay as they are today while running toward a dream through a maze of falling petals.

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Key lines

4 lines from the song in Korean, with how they sound and what they mean. The full line-by-line breakdown lives in the app.

채 가시지 않은 여운들을 품에 안고
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Romanization (as sung): chae ga·si·ji a·neun yeo·un·deu·reul pu·me an·kko

Meaning: Holding close the afterglow that hasn't faded.

Words in this line
  • 채chaenot yet
  • 가시지ga·si·jito fade
  • 않은a·neunnot
  • 여운들을yeo·un·deu·reullingering echoes
  • 품에pu·mein the arms
  • 안고an·kkoholding

Word for word: Not-yet not-fading echoes in bosom holding.

Why it doesn't translate word for word: 여운 means lingering echo or afterglow, 가시다 means to fade away, and 채 ~않은 means 'not yet fully'. 품에 안다 literally means to hold in one's bosom, i.e. to cherish. Together they paint someone carrying the warm feeling of the show away with them.

복잡한 감정 속에서, 삶의 사선 위에서
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Romanization (as sung): bok·jja·pan gam·jeong so·ge·seo, sal·mui sa·seon wi·e·seo

Meaning: In tangled emotions, on the edge of life

Words in this line
  • 복잡한bok·jja·pancomplicated
  • 감정gam·jeongemotions
  • 속에서,so·ge·seo,inside
  • 삶의sal·muiof life
  • 사선sa·seondiagonal line
  • 위에서wi·e·seoon top of

Word for word: Inside complicated emotions, on top of life's diagonal line

Why it doesn't translate word for word: 사선 alone means a diagonal line and 삶 means life, but its sound echoes 死線 (line of death), so together they evoke living on the brink. 위에서 literally means 'on top of', yet here it means being in a precarious position. The literal version sounds like geometry, while the real meaning is emotional.

괜시리 난 더 무딘 척을 해 (척을 해)
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Romanization (as sung): gwaen·si·ri nan deo mu·din cheo·geul hae (cheo·geul hae)

Meaning: For no reason I act like I've grown numb

Words in this line
  • 괜시리gwaen·si·rifor no reason
  • 난nanI
  • 더deomore
  • 무딘mu·dinnumb
  • 척을cheo·geulpretense
  • 해haedo
  • (척을(cheo·geulpretense
  • 해)hae)do

Word for word: Needlessly I more dull pretense do (pretense do)

Why it doesn't translate word for word: 무딘 means dull or blunt, 척 means a pretense, and 해 means do. Together 무딘 척을 해 means 'I act like nothing affects me'. 괜시리 adds a sense of 'for no real reason'. The bracketed repeat is a backing-vocal echo.

나리는 꽃잎 비 사이로
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Romanization (as sung): na·ri·neun kkon·nip bi sa·i·ro

Meaning: Through the rain of falling petals

Words in this line
  • 나리는na·ri·neunfalling
  • 꽃잎kkon·nippetals
  • 비birain
  • 사이로sa·i·rothrough

Word for word: Falling petal rain between.

Why it doesn't translate word for word: 꽃잎 means 'petal' and 비 means 'rain', but together they are not real rain, just petals falling like rain. 사이로 literally means 'in the gap', yet here it means 'through'. The result is a poetic picture of youth among falling blossoms.

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Lyrics © their rights holders. “Epilogue : Young Forever” — BTS. Quoted for commentary and learning.

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Song vocabulary

Words from the song in Korean alphabetical order, with pronunciation and meaning.

WordSounds likeMeaning
객석을gaek·sseo·geulaudience seats
거야geo·yawill
꿈을kku·meuldream
끝없이kkeu·deop·ssiendlessly
넘어져neo·meo·jyeofalling down
다치고da·chi·gogetting hurt
달리네dal·li·neI run
더운deo·unhot
무대에mu·dae·eon the stage
미로mi·romaze
법한데beo·pan·deshould by now
섰을seo·sseulstood
아파도a·pa·doeven if it hurts
이런i·reonthis kind of
전진jeon·jinadvance
향해hyang·haetoward
헤매어he·mae·eowandering
희망hui·manghope

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Questions about “Epilogue : Young Forever”

What is “Epilogue : Young Forever” by BTS about?

“Epilogue : Young Forever” by BTS is about the hollow feeling that follows a show, and the wish to stay young while chasing a dream.

What does “채 가시지 않은 여운들을 품에 안고” mean in “Epilogue : Young Forever”?

Holding close the afterglow that hasn't faded. 여운 means lingering echo or afterglow, 가시다 means to fade away, and 채 ~않은 means 'not yet fully'.

What does “복잡한 감정 속에서, 삶의 사선 위에서” mean in “Epilogue : Young Forever”?

In tangled emotions, on the edge of life. 사선 alone means a diagonal line and 삶 means life, but its sound echoes 死線 (line of death), so together they evoke living on the brink.

How do you pronounce “괜시리 난 더 무딘 척을 해 (척을 해)”?

In the song it sounds roughly like “gwaen·si·ri nan deo mu·din cheo·geul hae (cheo·geul hae)”: that's how it's actually sung by BTS, not the textbook romanization.

Where can I see every line of “Epilogue : Young Forever” explained?

This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Youngjae goes through all 51 lines word by word, in sync with the song; the first verse is free and needs no sign-up.

Official music video

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Credits and sources

Artist
BTS
Official video
HYBE LABELS · YouTube

Lyrics and music belong to their rights holders. This page quotes no more than four lines for commentary; the translations, pronunciation and explanations are written by theIDOL.

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