菊花台 (Chrysanthemum Flower Bed)

Got to know this song - 菊花台 (Chrysanthemum Flower Bed) by Jay Chou from the movie - 满城尽帶黃金甲 (Curse of the Golden Flower) directed by Zhang Yimou which released in December 2006.

This fictional story is set in the imperial court of the Later Shu (后蜀), which was during the turbulent of Five Dynaties and Ten Kingdoms (五代十国) period . The plot adapted from a play - Thunderstorm (雷雨) by Cao Yu (曹禺) during 1934. Is about the volatile balance of power between the King and the Queen and his three sons, which entails betrayal, deceit, infidelity and conspiracy where the King against the Queen and father against sons (not a martial arts film if you're expecting it to be but a classic epic tragedy tale where power and authority conquer everything).

The title of the movie is taken from the last line of a Tang dynasty poem:

不第後賦菊 - 黃巢
待到秋來九月八，我花開後百花殺。
When autumn comes on double ninth festival, my flower [the chrysanthemum] will bloom and all others perish.
衝天香陣透長安，滿城盡帶黃金甲。
When the sky-reaching fragrance [of the chrysanthemum] permeates Chang'an, the whole city will be clothed in golden armour.

It was well reflected in the film with yellow chrysanthemum as the theme and found this song beautiful sadly written.

菊花台 CHRYSANTHEMUM FLOWER BED - 周杰倫 Jay Chou

妳　的淚光　柔弱中帶傷
Your tears reflect pain in its tenderness
慘白的月彎彎　勾住過往
The pale white crescent moon hooks onto the past
夜　太漫長　凝結成了霜
The endless night freezing into frost
是誰在閣樓上　冰冷的絕望
Who is in the loft, in icy cold despair

雨　輕輕彈　朱紅色的窗
Rain gently bouncing off the vermillon window
我一生在紙上　被風吹亂
My entire life on paper, messed up by the wind
夢　在遠方　化成一縷香
Dreams become faint in a faraway place
隨風飄散　妳的模樣
The image of you, drifting in the wind

菊花殘　滿地傷　妳的笑容已泛黃
Crushed chrysanthemums reflect our pain. Your smile has faded
花落人斷腸　我心事靜靜躺
Hearts broken into million pieces like petals falling, I lay my troubles aside
北風亂　夜未央　妳的影子剪不斷
Northern winds gush and the night is still young. Unable to shake off your shadow
徒留我孤單　在湖面　成雙
Leaving me alone with my reflection in the water

花　已向晚　飄落了燦爛
Flowers at dusk, fallen splendor
凋謝的世道上　命運不堪
Withering social values, unthinkable fate
愁　莫渡江　秋心拆兩半
Don’t cross the river. Worries tearing my heart into half
怕妳上不了岸　一輩子搖晃
Afraid that you will be unable to get back ashore, floating for the rest of your life

誰　的江山　馬蹄聲狂亂
Whose territory is this? Hysterical galloping of horses
我一身的戎裝　呼嘯滄桑
Fully armoured, My life whizzed me by
天　微微亮　妳輕聲的嘆
Coming dawn, you sigh softly
一夜惆悵　如此委婉
A melancholy night such tactful indirectness

Here's the links:

Movie Trailer