“Serendipity,” along with The Truth Untold and Butterfly, is my favorite ballad in the BTS discography. More than the song itself, its MV is endlessly captivating, perhaps their finest after Blood Sweat and Tears. But what I especially cherish are the lyrics. The lovely lines, written by RM with assistance from Bang PD, reveal that RM’s writing talent extends well beyond his philosophical reflections on life.

Much like his composition in Euphoria, he can craft romantic verses that even the Brontë sisters would have admired. Though I am growing older and running out of time, if I were ever to meet the woman of my dreams, this is the kind of song I would want to share with her.

Two words from this song remain especially dear to me: 그냥 (geu-nyang) and 삼색 고양이 (sahm-saek goh-yahng-yi). The repetition 그냥, 그냥 (geu-nyang, geu-nyang)—literally “simply, simply”—is uttered here to mean, “I don’t know what to say or how to say it.” Koreans often use 그냥 (geu-nyang) when they do not know what to say or prefer not to go into details, much like how Americans casually say, “you know.”

삼색 고양이 (sahm-saek goh-yahng-yi) translates to “Calico cat” (삼색 means “three colors” and 고양이 means “cat”) in English. In Japanese folklore, sailors often traveled with a calico cat as a symbol of good luck, believed to ensure a safe voyage. In this song, Jimin sings of being such a good luck charm for his partner, or for ARMY.

I especially love how RM playfully links 그냥 (geu-nyang) with 고양이 (goh-yahng-yi), since Koreans also affectionately call cats 냥냥이 (nyang-nyang-yi). In that light, Jimin’s “그냥, 그냥” almost sounds like “meow, meow,” adding a tender and whimsical nuance.

There are, however, errors in the subtitles of the official YouTube MV, the most conspicuous being the line read as “We bloom until we ache.” This translation does not fit the context of the verse, for Serendipity is a love song filled with joy, not parting sorrow. I remember that many I-ARMYs were curious about that line when the MV first came out. The original Korean line is 우린 시리도록 피어 (woo-lihn sih-lih-doh-lohk pea-uh)—woo-lihn means “we,” pea-uh means “bloom.” The middle word, sih-lih-doh-lohk, derives from the adjective 시리다 (sih-lih-dah), which usually means “aching due to cold” (as in temperature or weather). But the word also carries another meaning: “dazzling to the eyes.” RM employs this second definition of the word to metaphorically say, “We’ll bloom resplendently together.”

Finally, yes the lyrics are beautiful, but it is Jimin’s distinctive, soulful, and warm voice that lifts the song’s spirit and makes it soar.

Verse 1:

The things happening 

Around me are not random

Geu-nyang, geu-nyang

It’s just my intuition

Everything feels different today

Geu-nyang, geu-nyang

I’m happy because of you

Like the flower that waited

For you to utter my name,

I’ll now bloom resplendently with you

It seems the universe has aligned for us

Maybe this was always meant to be

You know, I know

We’re now woven together as one entity

Verse 2:

I’m both thrilled and apprehensive that

The ever-fickle fate may envy our happiness

I get butterflies in my stomach just like you

When you see me

When you touch me

The whole universe moved in perfect unison

For the purpose of our union

This happiness of ours was always meant to be

Cuz you love me

And I love you

Pre-chorus:

You’re a panacea for all my ills,

Who came to save me,

An angel,

My whole world

I’m a Calico cat 

Who have been roaming to find you

Love me now

Touch me now

Chorus:

Just let me love you

Just let me love you

From the first moments of the universe,

All were formulated to bring us together

Just let me love you

Pre-chorus:

You’re a panacea for all my ills,

Who came to save me,

An angel,

My whole world

I’m a Calico cat 

Who have been roaming to find you***

Love me now

Touch me now

Chorus:

Just let me love you

Just let me love you

From the first moments of the universe,

All were formulated to bring us together

Just let me love you

Bridge:

Come and stay at my side:

Let’s fulfill our destiny to become one

I don’t want to let go

No, let the universe take us

We don’t need to say a word

We’re flying through 

The sky full of stars

We’re not dreaming at all

Don’t be afraid and take my hand

We’re now fulfilling our destiny to become one

Let me love you

Chorus:

Just let me love you

Just let me love you

From the first moments of the universe,

All were formulated to bring us together

Just let me love you

Outro:

Let me love

Let me love you