The story behind Doraji Taryeong
Doraji (도라지) is the root of the balloon flower. It grows wild in Korean mountains and is still eaten today, pickled, in salads or in bibimbap. In the past, young women went into the hills in spring to dig for it, and this song was sung on the way.
A 타령 (taryeong) is a kind of folk song with a steady, swinging beat. The refrain is full of happy shouts: 에헤요 (ehe-yo), 어여라 난다 (eoyeora nanda) and 지화자 좋다 (jihwaja jota), which mean something like "hooray, how wonderful".
The last line of the refrain is a joke. The singer tells the doraji, "you melt my heart". The word used is 간장 (ganjang). It does not mean soy sauce here; it is an old word for your insides, your heart and liver, where Koreans traditionally felt emotions.
Words to learn from the song
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 도라지 | doraji | bellflower root |
| 산 | san | mountain |
| 뿌리 | ppuri | root |
| 캐다 | kaeda | to dig up |
| 바구니 | baguni | basket |
| 녹이다 | nogida | to melt (something) |
Singing tip
백도라지 is sung baek-do-ra-ji, but 심심산천에 runs together as sim-sim-san-cheo-ne: the ㄴ at the end of 천 joins the 에 that follows.
The romanization follows the official Revised Romanization, which shows sound changes inside a word but not between words, so the tip above matters when you sing. Paste any line into the romanizer to see which sound rule is at work, or learn the letters themselves with the Hangul chart.
Questions
What does Doraji Taryeong mean?
Doraji Taryeong is a happy song about digging up doraji, bellflower root, in the mountains. Korean children learn it at school, and it is one of the songs most often played abroad as a sound of Korea.
How do you sing the first line of Doraji Taryeong?
The first line is 도라지 도라지 백도라지, sung "doraji doraji baekdoraji". It means "Doraji, doraji, white doraji".
Is Doraji Taryeong copyrighted?
No. Doraji Taryeong is a traditional folk song with no known author, so its words are in the public domain. Modern recordings and arrangements can still be copyrighted.
More Korean folk songs
- Arirang (아리랑): slow and longing, from All of Korea (the standard Seoul version)
- Jindo Arirang (진도아리랑): lively and playful, from Jindo Island
- Miryang Arirang (밀양아리랑): bright and bold, from Miryang
- Jeongseon Arirang (정선아리랑): slow and sorrowful, from Jeongseon
- Saeya Saeya Parangsaeya (새야 새야 파랑새야): quiet and mournful, from Jeolla Province
Want to sing a K-pop song instead? Paste its Korean lyrics into the lyrics romanizer and print your own sing-along sheet.