The story behind Miryang Arirang
Miryang is a city in the south-east, in Gyeongsang Province, where the local dialect sounds blunt and strong. You can hear it in the song: 보소 (boso, "look") is a dialect form of 보세요.
The first verse asks to be looked at the way you would look at a flower in the coldest months, 동지섣달, the eleventh and twelfth months of the lunar calendar, when flowers are almost impossible to find. In other words: look at me as if I were something rare and precious.
The second verse is about a shy young woman. Her sweetheart is coming, but she is too embarrassed to greet him, so she bites the corner of her apron and just smiles.
Words to learn from the song
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 좀 | jom | a little, please (softens a request) |
| 꽃 | kkot | flower |
| 정들다 | jeongdeulda | to grow fond of, to become attached |
| 인사 | insa | greeting, saying hello |
| 치마 | chima | skirt |
| 방긋 | banggeut | with a bright little smile |
Singing tip
꽃 본 듯이 is sung kkot bon deu-si. 듯이 sounds like deu-si because the ㅅ sound moves into the next syllable.
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 Miryang Arirang mean?
Miryang Arirang opens with a shout of "nal jom boso", "look at me!" It is the boldest of the Arirang songs, and its strong beat makes it a favourite for dancing and for cheering at sports events.
How do you sing the first line of Miryang Arirang?
The first line is 날 좀 보소 날 좀 보소 날 좀 보소, sung "nal jom boso nal jom boso nal jom boso". It means "Look at me, look at me, look at me".
Is Miryang Arirang copyrighted?
No. Miryang Arirang 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
- Jeongseon Arirang (정선아리랑): slow and sorrowful, from Jeongseon
- Doraji Taryeong (도라지 타령): light and cheerful, from Gyeonggi Province
- 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.