As my very first music appreciation article, I want to introduce a song that feels like winter sunlight—warm and comforting. It offers solace to countless people going through difficulties and pain. This song has been loved not only in Korea but also by listeners all around the world on YouTube. The song I’m talking about is Wild Flower (야생화), released by Korea’s top singer-songwriter Park Hyo Shin on March 28, 2014.
Artist: Park Hyo Shin (박효신)
Song: Wild Flower (야생화)
Album: Wild Flower (야생화)
Release Date: March 28, 2014
Composer: Park Hyo Shin, Jung Jae Il
Lyricist: Park Hyo Shin, Kim Ji Hyang
Arrangement: Jung Jae Il
Official Audio: Wild Flower (야생화) / Official MV: 박효신(Park Hyo Shin) – 야생화(Wild Flower) Special Video
“Wild Flower” was co-composed by Park Hyo Shin and the renowned Korean composer, singer, and music director Jung Jae Il (who served as the music director for Squid Game Seasons 1–3, Parasite, and Mickey 17), with lyrics co-written by Kim Ji Hyang. Park Hyo Shin has shared that this self-composed piece reflects his reflections on his past life. At the time of its creation, he was struggling with contractual disputes and debt issues with his former agency, which left his personal life and career deeply affected. During one of his concerts, he recalled that the song was written while he was serving in the military:
“‘Wild Flower’ is like me—it looks lonely. That’s why I wanted to write lyrics that could comfort people. At first, I hoped to write them in a better place, but after several days I couldn’t come up with even a single line. In the end, I completed the first verse in the bathroom. I cried when I was writing the lyrics there.” Through this song, he expressed his will to overcome hardship.
Every time I listen to Wild Flower, it deeply moves me. Park Hyo Shin’s powerful and emotive voice, combined with the beautiful melody and poetic lyrics, draws me in completely. It is my favorite Korean song and also the first Korean song whose lyrics I memorized while learning the language.
Park Hyo Shin and Jung Jae Il performed “Wild Flower” together in 2019 on the JTBC television program Your Song in South Korea.
Jung Jae Il, often referred to as a “musical genius,” appeared on tvN’s variety program You Quiz on the Block in 2023, where he was interviewed by the renowned Korean MC Yoo Jae Suk.
I referred to the English translation by Korean TV Channel JTBC on YouTube, as well as the translation by May Lee from the Website MoinNet, and then analyzed the lyrics, studied the grammar, and created my own English translation based on my self-taught Korean skills and personal understanding. Corrections or suggestions are welcome!
Lyrics Translation
박효신(Park Hyo Shin) – 야생화(Wild Flower)
하얗게 피어난 얼음꽃 하나가
An ice flower that bloomed in white
달가운 바람에 얼굴을 내밀어
Reaches its face out to the welcoming wind
아무 말 못했던 이름도 몰랐던
The times that I had to stay wordless, the times that I didn’t even know the name of
지나간 날들에 눈물이 흘러
For those days that have passed, my tears are running down
차가운 바람에 숨어 있다
Hiding inside the cold wind
한줄기 햇살에 몸 녹이다
And melting under a ray of sunlight
그렇게 너는 또 한번 내게 온다
Just like that, you come to me once again
좋았던 기억만 그리운 마음만
Only the good memories, only the longing heart
니가 떠나간 그 길 위에
Are stranded
이렇게 남아 서 있다
On the road you walked away from
잊혀질 만큼만 괜찮을 만큼만
Only until it will be forgotten, only until it will be fine
눈물 머금고 기다린 떨림 끝에
After holding back my tears and shivering with cold during the wait
다시 나를 피우리라
Only by then, I will bloom myself again
사랑은 피고 또 지는 타버리는 불꽃
Love is a flame that blooms and withers, and to be burnt up
빗물에 젖을까 두 눈을 감는다
Getting wet by the raindrops, I close my eyes
어리고 작았던 나의 맘에
To the pure and fragile heart that I had
눈부시게 빛나던 추억 속에
Inside the dazzling memories
그렇게 너를 또 한번 불러본다
Just like that, I call your name once again
좋았던 기억만 그리운 마음만
Only the good memories, only the longing heart
니가 떠나간 그 길 위에
Are stranded
이렇게 남아 서 있다
On the road you walked away from
잊혀질 만큼만 괜찮을 만큼만
Only until it will be forgotten, only until it will be fine
눈물 머금고 기다린 떨림
After holding back tears and shivering with cold during the wait
끝에 다시 나는
Only by then, once again, I will…
메말라가는 땅 위에 온몸이 타 들어가고
My whole body is burning down on a droughted ground
내 손끝에 남은 너의 향기 흩어져 날아가
Every scent of you is scattering away from my fingertips
멀어져 가는 너의 손을 붙잡지 못해 아프다
It hurts as I can’t hold your hand that’s leaving me
살아갈 만큼만 미워했던 만큼만
Just as much effort it takes to live on, just as much as I hated you
먼 훗날 너를 데려다 줄 그 봄이 오면 그날에
One day, when spring comes and brings you back to me
나 피우리라
On that day, I will bloom once again
Translation Note 1: Personification in the Lyrics
In the line “Only the good memories, only the longing heart are stranded on the road where you walked away from”, the original Korean personifies “good memories” and “longing heart”, depicting them as “standing” on that road. I tried to preserve this personification while keeping the sentence smooth, so I translated it as “stranded.” I believe this personification highlights the loneliness of “memories” and “longing” in this part of the song.
Translation Note 2: Omitted Subjects in the Lyrics
Throughout the song, most instances of omitted subjects clearly imply who or what the subject is. In such cases, I add the subject for clarity (for example, “I close my eyes”, since the whole song centers around the perspective of “I/the ice flower”). However, in the lines “Getting wet by the raindrops” and “Hiding inside the cold wind and melting under a ray of sunlight”, I noticed that different translators online have filled in different subjects. In my translation, I chose to keep the omission, preserving the open space and poetic feel of the lyrics.
For “Getting wet by the raindrops”, the subject could be “I/the ice flower” or “love/the flame” mentioned earlier. In my opinion, both interpretations make sense: the former could express how one must endure unavoidable hardship (as the ice flower does in the rain), while the latter could convey the helplessness of watching “the flame of love” burns out.
In “Hiding inside the cold wind and melting under a ray of sunlight”, some interpret the subject as “I/the ice flower,” while others think it refers to “you” mentioned later. Personally, I find the former more convincing, as it seems to describe “my” transformation before and after “you” came to “me”—changing from “hiding inside the cold wind” to “melting under a ray of sunlight.” This also leads into my personal analysis of the metaphors in the song.
Metaphors in the Lyrics
Here is my personal interpretation of the metaphors in the lyrics:
Pronoun | Tenor (the actual subject) | Vehicle (the metaphor) | Characteristics / Qualities |
I | The singer himself (Park Hyo Shin) | Ice Flower | 1. Tenor: Having experienced
the ups and downs of life, overcoming adversity through music. 2. Vehicle: Blooming again after enduring the cold, dark days of winter. |
You | A loved one (e.g., family, lover, friend) / The moments of happiness | The Sun | 1. Tenor & Vehicle: Brings warmth to
people 2. Tenor: Comes and goes 3. Vehicle: Has both sunny and cloudy days |
Life Values in the Lyrics
I believe this song contains Park Hyo Shin’s important life values — just as we cannot stop the weather from changing from sunny to cloudy, or the seasons from moving from spring to winter, we also cannot control when love, our loved ones, or the moments of happiness arrive or disappear. Even so, life, the seasons, and the joys and sorrows, highs and lows of life all have their cycles. Although there will be times of sadness, tears, and heartache while longing for the past, as long as we hold on to hope and persevere to the end, happiness will eventually return. This song reflects Park Hyo Shin’s resilience and determination to live on when facing adversity.
My Favorite Part: Sensory Imagery in the Lyrics — A Multi-Sensory Experience for the Listener
This song contains many lyrics with multi-sensory imagery, including:
“(The ice flower) Reaches its face out to the
welcoming wind” | - Visual imagery (seeing the face) - Tactile imagery (feeling the wind) |
“(The ice flower is) melting under a ray of
sunlight” | - Visual imagery (sunlight, melting) - Temperature sensation (warmth of the sunlight) |
“My whole body is burning down on a droughted
ground” | - Visual
imagery (droughted land, burning) - Tactile imagery (heat of the fire) - Dynamic imagery (burning, vanishing) |
“Every scent of you is scattering away from my
fingertips” | - Olfactory
imagery (scent) - Tactile imagery (touch of the fingertips) |
“It hurts as I can’t hold your hand that’s
leaving me” | - Visual
imagery (seeing the hand leaves) - Tactile imagery (grasping motion) - Internal sensation (heartache) |
When I hear these lyrics, vivid scenes naturally play out in my mind, as if an MV is unfolding in my head. These imaginative lyrics, combined with Park Hyo Shin’s emotionally stirring voice, give his songs a strong emotional impact.
Extension: The MV’s Production Background and Filming Technique
According to the Korean “Wikipedia-like” site Namu Wiki (야생화(노래) – 나무위키), initially, the production team did not plan to make a music video for this song. However, as the song became extremely popular, the agency decided to create one. The MV was filmed in Buan, North Jeolla Province, using a “one-take” and “live performance” approach. Unlike the original version, the MV features only piano accompaniment.
The visuals are dominated by black and gray tones, showing Park Hyo Shin singing and a pianist performing in a desolate wilderness, bringing out the barren and lonely atmosphere of the lyrics. With only piano accompaniment and Park Hyo Shin’s powerful vocals, the MV highlights the strong will to face adversity conveyed in the song.