Since it's Christmas and most of us are stuck inside thanks to COVID-19 regulations, today let's take a look at a popular version of the children's classic Christmas song, "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer."
Although most Korean children will not know this song's lyrics in English, start humming the melody and they'll know the Korean version. In fact the Korean version of the song is a direct translation of the English lyrics.
But while over at a coworker's house this week, I discovered that his kid was adding some extra syllables that are not in the official song. It turns out that Korean kids have modified this song very similarly to how we did as kids. Remember when we added stupid endings to the lines like this?
... and if you ever saw it, you would even say it glowed (LIKE A LIGHT BULB!)
Korean kids apparently do basically the same in Korean. Sometimes they add a new word to the end of the line, sometimes they add a few syllables to mesh with the last word of the line to make a different word. Because it's a kids song, there is basically zero meaning to the "new" words. It's just nonsense that sounds funny when sung. So don't shoot the messenger here.
Korean children's version of the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer song
Here I'm going to write the original lyrics with the modified parts in parenthesis.
Underneath I'll put the real (original) English meaning and then what it sort of becomes with the modified parts. Again, it's nonsense, so just enjoy it.
루돌프 사슴코는 (개코)
Rudolph the deer's nose
Rudolph the deer's DOG-nose
[Koreans add "dog" to literally anything to degrade it]매우 반짝이는 코 (딱지)
A very shiny nose
A very shiny BOOGER만일 네가 봤다면 (변태)
If you ever saw it
If you ever saw it... PERVERT!불 붙는다 했겠지 (렁이)
You would say it caught fire
You would WORM say it caught fire
[I have no clue how to translate this. It's just kids stuff. They just added 2 syllables to the word "would say" to turn the last half into the Korean for "earthworm" because... why not?]다른 모든 사슴들
All of the other deer놀려대며 웃었네 (네치킨)
Teased and laughed
Teased and laughedNE NE CHICKEN!
[Again, just adding random crap that seems to fit. Ne Ne Chicken is a friend chicken chain. Korea's most popular entertainer and host Yoo Jae-suk, who likely all Korean children will know, is their spokesman. ]
가엾은 저 루돌프
Poor Rudolph외톨이가 되었네(네치킨)
Became an outcast
Became an outcastNE NE CHICKEN안개낀 성탄절날 산타 말하길
Then one foggy Christmas, Santa said루돌프 코가
Rudolph, your nose밝으니 썰매를 끌어주렴
Since it's so bright, pull my sled그 후론 사슴들이
Then all the deer그를 매우 사랑했네(네치킨)
Really loved him
Really loved himNE NE CHICKEN루돌프 사슴코는 길이길이 기억되리(모컨)
Rudolph the deer's nose will be long remembered!
Rudolph the deer's nose will be long re-MOTE CONTROL-membered
OK, so it's not going to win any Melon awards or a Grammy. But kids like this stuff.
You can watch some kids sing this modified version here, seemingly apparently at their mother's insistence:
And meanwhile the real actual version of the Rudolph song is of course available everywhere for children. This is what the real song sounds like in Korean if you're curious:
So there you go. Have fun with that one.
HT to 웃긴 캐롤 : 초딩노래 '루돌프 사슴코는' : 네이버 블로그
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