Blood Sweat & Tears Lyrics in English by BTS
성배 (seong-bae) literally means "Holy Grail" or "chalice". This is a highly unusual and poetic word to find in a pop song, making it very memorable.
In "Blood Sweat & Tears", BTS sings "알면서도 삼켜버린 독이 든 성배" (a poisoned chalice that I drank knowingly). This powerful metaphor represents a love that is as irresistible and sacred as the Holy Grail, but also knowingly destructive and toxic. It's a perfect example of the deep, literary lyrics that make this song a classic.
This song is all about giving yourself over completely to a powerful, dangerous temptation. BTS offers up everything they have: their "내 피 땀 눈물" (my blood, sweat, and tears) and even their "마지막 춤을" (my last dance). They know this path is destructive, calling it a "독이 든 성배" (poisoned holy grail) that they drink willingly. The temptation is described with super sweet imagery like "Peaches and cream" and "Chocolate cheeks," but there's a dark side. The speaker admits, "너의 날개는 악마의 것" (your wings are the devil's).
Instead of running away, the song dives headfirst into the danger. The speaker begs to be controlled, asking the tempter to "날 묶어줘 / 내가 도망칠 수 없게" (tie me up / so I can't run away). It's a song about the intense struggle of being drawn to something you know is bad for you, but it's so sweet and intoxicating that you can't resist. It's about choosing to fall into a beautiful trap, addicted to what they call "너란 감옥" (the prison that is you).
