Onara (song)

"Onara" ( _ko. 오나라) is the theme song to the popular Korean television drama series "Dae Jang Geum" (2003). Im Se-hyeon (임세현 / 林世賢) composed the song in archaic Korean, and the lyrics are unintelligible to most Koreans today.

The song is in the pansori style, a particular type of Korean music that emerged during the Joseon Dynasty and was very popular in the 19th century. It utilizes the vocals of one singer, a "sorikkun", and one drummer, a "gosu", to tell a themed story. The refrain ("He-iya di-iya he-iya naranino") is called "chu-imsae" and, in traditional pansori, it is supplied by the drummer to give rhythm to the song in addition to the beat. "Chuimsae" consists of meaningless vowel sounds or short words of encouragement. "Chuimsae" is analogous to scat singing in jazz nonsense syllables such as "La, la, la," or "Shoop, shoop ba doop" in English-language popular songs.

Since the song is in archaic Korean the meaning of the song can be ambiguous. But one explanation is that the song depicts a girl who longs for a man that she cannot be with. So she accepts the way it is and moves on with her life.

Korean version

The end of each episode of "Dae Jang Geum" features "Onara" sung by three Korean children, Gim Ji-hyeon (김지현 / 金智賢), Baek Bo-hyeon (백보현 / 白寶賢), Gim Seul-gi (김슬기 / 金露姬), who were elementary schoolers learning Korean classic music at the time. The "Dae Jang Geum" soundtrack album also features a slower version of the song sung by E Ahn (이안 / 李安) (real name: I Dong-hui [이동희 / 李冬熙] ), a Korean traditional music singer who graduated from the Korean classical music department at Seoul National University.

Foreign versions

"Onara" has several other versions that were used with "Dae Jang Geum"’s release outside of Korea. "Hope" (希望 "Hèimohng") was the version sung by Kelly Chen in Cantonese for the Hong Kong release. "Baby" (娃娃 "Wáwá") was sung by Angela Chang in Mandarin Chinese for the Taiwan release. "Calling" (呼唤 "Hūhuàn") sung by Tang Can and "Hope" (希望 "Xīwàng") sung by five winners of the Super Girl singing contest were among those used for the China release. Faith Cuneta sang an entirely different Tagalog song titled "Pangarap na Bituin" for the Philippines release.

Lyrics

Korean version and translations

*Lyrics in Hangul
#Revised romanization of Korean transliteration
#English language translations
#Modern Korean language translation
#Mandarin Chinese language interpretation used for subtitles in "Dae Jang Geum"
#Direct Mandarin translation
#Thai language translation
#Persian language translation

*오나라 오나라 아주 오나

#Onara onara aju ona
#Come! Come! Come for good (If asked to come, will he really come to stay?)
#오시라고 오시라고 한다고 정말 오시겠는가
#伊人欲來 何時歸來
#來吧 來吧 真正來了嗎
#ถ้าฉันบอกให้เขามา เขาจะมาไหม
#بیا! بیا! براي هميشه بیا (اگر از او خواسته شود که بیاید، آیا واقعاً خواهد آمد كه بماند؟)

*가다라 가다라 아주 가나

#Gadara gadara aju gana
#Leave! Leave! Leave for good (If asked to leave, will he really go away?)
#가시라고 가시라고 한다고 정말 가시겠는가
#伊人欲去 何時離去
#去吧 去吧 真正去了嗎
#ถ้าฉันบอกให้เขาไป (จากที่นี่) เขาจะไปไหม
#برو! برو! براي هميشه برو (اگر از او خواسته شود که برود، آیا واقعاً خواهد رفت؟)

*나나니 다려도 못 노나니

#Nanani daryeodo mot nonani
#Day after day of waiting, cannot be together (Even if I wait forever, we still cannot be together)
#한없이 기다려도 함께 어울리지는 못하니
#我欲乘風飛翔 卻遍尋不著伊人蹤影
#即使飛回通過, 也不能一起遊玩
#ถึงฉันจะรออีกสักกี่วัน เราก็คงไม่มีวันได้อยู่ด้วยกัน
#هر روز در انتظار، نمی‏توان با هم بود (حتی اگر تا ابد صبر کنم، ما همچنان نمی‏توانیم با هم باشیم)

*아니리 아니리 아니 노네

#Aniri aniri ani none
#No! No! It is not (No, It is not meant to be)
#아니리 아니리 역시 아니로구나
#伊人何在 留我獨自失落
#不 不 不能一起遊玩啊
#ไม่มีทางหรอก
#نه! نه! اینگونه نیست (نه، قرار نيست اینگونه باشد)

*헤이야 디이야 헤이야 나라니노

#Heiya diiya heiya naranino

*오지도 못하나 다려가마

#Ojido mothana daryeogama
#Since cannot come, take me (Since you cannot come here, take me there with you instead)
#(어차피 님은)오지도 못하시니 (차라리)나를 데려가 주십시오
#伊人你若不歸 請帶我一起離去
#即使來了沒給我,我想我也會去
#ถ้าเธออยู่ที่นี่ไม่ได้ ก็พาฉันไปกับเธอแทนเถอะ
#از آنجا که نمی‏توانی بیایی، مرا ببر (چون تو نمی‏توانی به اینجا بیایی، مرا با خود ببر)

*헤이야 디이야 헤이야다라 니노

#Hae-i-a diiya haeiyadara nino

*오지도 못하나 다려가마

#Ojido mothana daryeogama
#Since cannot come, take me (Since you cannot come here, take me there with you instead)
#(어차피 님은)오지도 못하시니 (차라리)나를 데려가 주십시요
#伊人你若不歸 請帶我一起離去
#即使來了沒給我,我想我也會去
#ถ้าเธออยู่ที่นี่ไม่ได้ ก็พาฉันกับไปเธอแทนเถอะ
#از آنجا که نمی‏توانی بیایی، مرا ببر (چون تو نمی‏توانی به اینجا بیایی، مرا با خود ببر)

*아니리 아니리 아니 노네

#Aniri aniri ani none
#No! No! It is not (No, It is not meant to be)
#아니리 아니리 역시 아니로구나
#伊人何在 留我獨自失落
#不 不 不能一起遊玩啊
#ไม่มีทางหรอก
#نه! نه! اینگونه نیست (نه، قرار نيست اینگونه باشد)

Foreign versions

"Baby" (娃娃)

*Lyrics in Mandarin Chinese language
#Pinyin transliteration
#English language translation

*霧來啦 霧來啦 娃娃哭啦

#Wù lái la, wù lái la, wáwá kū la
#Fog, fog, and the weeping sound of a baby

*想爸爸 想媽媽 想要回家

#Xiǎng bàba, xiǎng māma, xiǎngyào huíjiā
#It want to go home to my beloved mom and dad

*霧來啦 霧來啦 天色暗啦

#Wù lái la, wù lái la, tiān sè àn la
#Fog, fog, and the dark sky

*星發光 心發慌 沒有方向

#Xīng fāguāng, xīn fāhuāng, méiyǒu fāngxiàng
#The stars shine but there's no place for my fluttering heart

*嘿呀 嘿呀 誰能給我力量 路漫長 愛漫長 帶我回家

#Hēiyā, hēiyā, shéi néng gěi wǒ lìliàng, lù màncháng, ài màncháng, dài wǒ huíjiā
#Ah, ah, who could bring me home so far, far away

*不要怕 不要怕 我的娃娃

#Búyào pà, búyào pà, wǒde wáwá
#Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, my baby

*一朵花 一粒砂 就是天涯

#Yīduǒ huā, yílì shā, jiù shì tiānyá
#A bunch of flowers, a grain of sand, to the ends of the earth

*不要怕 不要怕 趕快長大

#Búyào pà, búyào pà, gǎnkuài zhǎngdà
#Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, grow up quickly

*等太陽 的光芒 帶來希望

#Děng tàiyáng de guāngmáng dàilái xīwàng
#Wait for the sun to bring hope

*霧散啦 霧散啦 娃娃笑啦

#Wù sàn la, wù sàn la, wáwá xiào la
#When the fog clears, the baby will laugh

*聽爸爸 聽媽媽 唱歌說話

#Tīng bàba, tīng māma, chànggē shuōhuà
#Sing and chat with its mom and dad

*霧散啦 霧散啦 天色亮啦

#Wù sàn la, wù sàn la, tiānsè liàng la
#When the fog clears, the sky will brighten

*看陽光 的方向 就有希望

#kàn yángguāng de fāngxiàng jiù yǒu xīwàng
#Look to the sunshine and have hope

*嘿呀 嘿呀 誰能給我力量 路漫長 愛漫長 帶我回家

#Hēiyā, hēiyā, shéi néng gěi wǒ lìliàng, lù màncháng, ài màncháng, dài wǒ huíjiā
#Ah, ah, who could bring me home so far, far away

*嘿呀 嘿呀 誰能給我力量 路漫長 愛漫長 帶我回家

#Hēiyā, hēiyā, shéi néng gěi wǒ lìliàng, lù màncháng, ài màncháng, dài wǒ huíjiā
#Ah, ah, who could bring me home so far, far away

"Hope" (希望)

Lyrics in Cantonese language:

*看風箏飛多遠 未斷線
*看一生萬里路 路遙漫漫
*看犧牲的腳步 盡化溫暖
*暖的心愛追憶 你的微笑
*滔滔風雨浪 心聲相踫撞 信將愛能力創
*心中的冀望 終于都靠岸 未曾絕望
*看風箏飛高了 未斷線
*看天空霧散迚 是誰定下
*看艱辛不卻步 步向溫暖
*暖的心愛珍惜 我的微笑
*滔滔風雨浪 心聲相踫撞 信將愛能力創
*心中的冀望 終于都靠岸 未曾絕望
*看風箏飛高了 未斷線
*看天空霧散迚 是誰定下
*看艱辛不卻步 步向溫暖
*暖的心愛珍惜 我的微笑
*滔滔風雨浪 心聲相踫撞 信將愛能力創
*心中的冀望 終于都靠岸 未曾絕望
*分開的眼淚 傷心相挂累 盼將重逢遇上
*心中只有夢 一天終冿迚 未來在望

Lyrics in Mandarin Chinese language:

*看天空飘的云 还有梦
*看生命回家路 路程漫漫　
*看明天的岁月 越走越远
*远方的回忆的 你的微笑
*天黑路茫茫 心中的彷徨 没有云的方向
*心中的翅膀 一天中展开 飞向天上
*看天空飞的鸟 还有梦
*看清风向白露 吹散大雾
*看冬天悲的雪 越来越远
*昨天的曾经的 我的微笑
*天黑路茫茫 心中的彷徨 没有云的方向
*心中的翅膀 一天中展开 飞向天上
*看天空飞的鸟 还有梦
*看清风向白露 吹散大雾
*看冬天悲的雪 越来越远
*昨天的曾经的 我的微笑
*天黑路茫茫 心中的彷徨 没有云的方向
*希望的翅膀 一天中展开 飞向天上
*天黑的感伤 想归的盼望 有天到处想象
*心中一个梦 像雨后彩虹 挂在天空

"Calling" (呼唤)

Lyrics in Mandarin Chinese language:

*天多高 路多长 心有多大
*千江水 千江月 何处是家
*朝为露 暮为雨 若即若离
*冷的风 暖的风 付之潮汐
*伊人不相见 明月空流连 长相守 长相思
*伊人不在时 春光为谁痴 姗姗来迟
*天多高 路多长 心有多大
*千江水 千江月 何处是家
*朝为露 暮为雨 若即若离
*冷的风 暖的风 付之潮汐
*伊人不相见 明月空流连 长相守 长相思
*伊人不在时 春光为谁痴 姗姗来迟
*天多高 路多长 心就多大
*天之涯 海之角 处处是家
*朝为丝 暮为雪 聚散依依
*喜的泪 悲的泪 呼唤晨曦
*伊人不相见 明月空流连 长相守 长相思
*伊人不在时 春光为谁痴 姗姗来迟
*伊人不相见 明月空流连 长相守 长相思
*伊人不在时 春光为谁痴 姗姗来迟