I have a confession to make. Ever since I bought Jay Chou's latest album and heard the last song, Ju Hua Tai, I've been fantasising about going back in time and being a "wu xia jun zi"!
First a note on Jay Chou, the guy is nothing short of a genius. The way he mixes traditional influences of the Gu Zhen with the modern elements is nothing short of revolutionary. And then there are the lyrics, which flow like a tang poem, but still do not lose their contemporary relevancy.
Seriously, everytime I listen to this song, I imagine myself transported back in time, in a pavillion overlooking a lake with the reflection of a full moon glimmering off the surface. Hahahaha, just like in the chinese movies. Maybe it's a romanticized image, but a time where honour, courage and gallantry meant something ... ... ahhh ... what a fairytale.
In any case, my first ever video on this blog will be the MTV for Ju Hua Tai, which a friend, evelyn pointed out to me was wonderful (Thank you, thank you, it is).
Yes, one day I will have a palace filled with chrysanthenum flowers. Just for the hell of it. The biggest banquet on earth.
曲:周杰倫 Qu : Zhou Jie Lun Music: Jay Chou
詞:方文山 Ci: Fang Wen Shan Lyrics: Vincent Fang
Translation: Ling - www.jay-chou.net
妳 的淚光 柔弱中帶傷 ni de lei guang rou ruan zhong dai shang Your tears glistens with weakness admist the pain
慘白的月彎彎 勾住過往 can bai de yue wan wan gou zhu guo wang The ghostly white curved moon hooks onto the past
夜 太漫長 凝結成了霜 ye tai man chang ning jie cheng le shuang The night is too long and has crystallised into frost
是誰在閣樓上 冰冷的絕望 shi shui zai ge lou shang bing leng de jue wang Who is in the attic [filled with] cold hopelessness
雨 輕輕彈 朱紅色的窗 yu qing qing tan zhu hong se de chuang Rain gently bounces off vermillon window
我一生在紙上 被風吹亂 wo yi sheng zai zhi shang bei feng chui luan I have (written) my life story on paper (only to be) blown into a mess by the winds
夢 在遠方 化成一縷香 meng zai yuan fang hua cheng yi lv* xiang The faraway dream has become really faint
隨風飄散 妳的模樣 sui feng piao shan ni de mo yang The wind has dispersed the image of you
*this is romanized as lv, but pronounced as lu
*菊花殘 滿地傷 妳的笑容已泛黃 ju hua chan man di shang ni de xiao rong yi fan huang Chrysanthemum destroyed A whole floor of pain your smile has become faintly yellow
花落人斷腸 我心事靜靜躺 hua luo ren duan chang wo xin shi jin jin tang People are heartbroken when the flower falls My thoughts lay quietly (aside)
北風亂 夜未央 妳的影子剪不斷 bei feng luan ye wei yang ni de ying zi jian bu duan The north wind is chaotic the night is still young your shadows can't be cut
徒留我孤單 在湖面 成雙* tu liu wo gu dan zai hu mian cheng shuang Just leaving me lonely doubled (when I stand) by the lake
花 已向晚 飄落了燦爛 hua yi xiang wan piao luo le can lan The flower has already come late, drifting down brillantly
凋謝的世道上 命運不堪 diao xie de shi dao shang ming yun bu kan the wilted morals an unbearable fate
愁 莫渡江 秋心拆兩半 chou muo du jiang qiu xin chai liang ban (If you are) sad don't cross the river worries* broken into two
怕妳上不了岸 一輩子搖晃 pa ni shang bu liao an yi bei zi yao huang In fear that you can't get back on shore and will sway for a lifetime
*this literally means splitting the top and bottom of the word "chou" apart into two words "qiu" and "xin"
誰 的江山 馬蹄聲狂亂 shui de jiang shan ma ti sheng guang luan Chaotic sounds of horse hoofs (in) whose territory?
我一身的戎裝 呼嘯滄桑 wo yi shen de wu zhuang hu xiao cang sang My armory shouts out the wear of time
天 微微亮 妳輕聲的嘆 tian wei wei liang ni qing sheng de tan The sky is starting to light up your voice is sighing
一夜惆悵 如此委婉 yi ye chou chang ru ci wei wan A night of disappointment is (said) in such a roundabout way