Blue-and-white Porcelain 青花瓷 ~ [Chinese Songs]

Overview

Chinese Name: 青花瓷

English Name: Dedication of Love, Ai De Feng Xian

Composer: Jay Chou 周杰伦 / 钟兴民

Lyricist: Vincent Fang 方文山

Singer: Jay Chou 周杰伦

“Blue and White Porcelain” (Chinese: 青花瓷; pinyin: Qīng huā cí) is a song recorded by Taiwanese singer-songwriter Jay Chou. It was released on 2 November 2007, as part of the singer’s eighth studio album, On the Run! (2007). “Blue and White Porcelain” was written by Vincent Fang, arranged by Baby Chung, and composed by Chou himself.

Fang and Chou drew inspiration for “Blue and White Porcelain” from friends who appreciated traditional Chinese art, motivating both songwriters to use porcelain—a national treasure in China—as the theme of the piece. The song’s production contains elements of traditional Chinese opera and utilizes the main melody of the Chinese pentatonic scale “Palace mode” (宮調式). At the 19th Golden Melody Awards in Taipei, the song won three accolades including Song of the Year.

Chinese and Pinyin comparison table

Title: 青花瓷 Artist:  周杰伦 Lyrics : 方文山 Arranged By : 钟兴民	Title:  Blue & White Porcelain Artist:  Jay Chou Lyrics : Fang Wen Shan Arranged By : Zhong Xi Ming
Stanza 1 素胚勾勒出青花 笔锋浓转淡 瓶身描绘的牡丹 一如妳初妆冉冉檀香透过窗 心事我了然 宣纸上走笔至此 搁一半	Stanza 1 sù pēi​ gōu ​lè​ chū​ qīng ​huā​ bǐ ​fēng​ nóng​ zhuǎn​ dàn​ píng​ shēn​ miáo ​huì​ de​ mǔ ​dan yī ​rú​ nǐ​ chū​ zhuāng​rǎn​ rǎn​  tán​ xiāng​ tòu ​guò​ chuāng​ xīn ​shì​ wǒ​ liǎo ​rán​ xuān ​zhǐ​ shàng​ zǒu​ bǐ​ zhì ​cǐ​ gé​ yī bàn​
釉色渲染仕女图 韵味被私藏 而妳嫣然的一笑 如含苞待放妳的美一缕飘散 去到我去不了 的地方	yòu​ sè xuàn ​rǎn​ shì ​nǚ​ tú​ yùn ​wèi​ bèi​ sī ​cáng​ ér nǐ​ yān ​rán​ dì​ yī​ xiào​ rú​ hán ​bāo​ dài ​fàng​nǐ​ de měi​ yī​ lǚ​ piāo ​sàn qù​ dào​ wǒ ​qù bù​ liǎo de dì​ fāng​
Chorus 天青色等烟雨 而我在等妳炊烟袅袅升起 隔江千万里在瓶底书汉隶仿 前朝的飘逸就当我为遇见 妳伏笔	Chorus tiān​ qīng ​sè​ děng​ yān ​yǔ​ ér​ wǒ​ zài děng​ nǐ​chuī ​yān​ niǎo ​niǎo​ shēng ​qǐ gé jiāng​ qiān​ Wàn ​lǐ​zài​ píng dǐ​ shū​ hàn​ lì​ fǎng​ qián ​cháo​ de​ piāo ​yì​jiù​  dāng wǒ wèi​ yù​ jiàn nǐ fú ​bǐ​
天青色等烟雨 而我在等妳月色被打捞起 晕开了结局如传世的青花瓷 自顾自美丽 妳眼带笑意	tiān​ qīng ​sè​ děng​ yān ​yǔ​ ér​ wǒ​ zài děng​ nǐ​yuè ​sè​ bèi​ dǎ ​lāo​ qǐ​ yùn​ kāi​ liǎo jié ​jú​  rú​ chuán ​shì​ de qīng ​huā ​cí​ zì ​gù ​zì​ měi ​lì​ nǐ yǎn​ dài​ xiào ​yì​
Stanza 2色白花青的锦鲤 跃然于碗底临摹宋体落款时 却惦记着妳妳隐藏在窑烧里 千年的秘密极细腻犹如 绣花针落地	Stanza 2sè bái​ huā​ qīng​ de jǐn ​lǐ yuè ​rán​ yú​ wǎn​ dǐ​lín ​mó​ sòng ​tǐ​ luò ​kuǎn​ shí què​ diàn ​jì​ zhe nǐ​nǐ​ yǐn ​cáng​ zài yáo shāo​ lǐ qiān​ nián​ de​ mì ​mì​jí​ xì ​nì​ yóu ​rú​ xiù huā​ zhēn​ luò ​dì​
帘外芭蕉惹骤雨 门环惹铜绿而我路过那江南 小镇惹了妳在泼墨山水画里 妳从墨色深处被隐去	lián​ wài​ bā ​jiāo​ rě​ zhòu ​yǔ​ mén ​huán​ rě​ tóng​ lǜ​ér​ wǒ​ lù ​guò​ nà​ Jiāng ​nán xiǎo​ zhèn​ rě​ le nǐ​zài​ pō​ mò​ shān ​shuǐ ​huà​ lǐ nǐ​ cóng mò​ sè shēn ​chù​ bèi​ yǐn qù​
Repeat Chorus Twice	Repeat Chorus Twice

Here is the English translation

Stanza 1
The plain outlines from the porcelain,  with its strong and weak strokes combined
The peony painted on it is as beautiful as you
The whiff of incense through the window carries worries which i understood
I paused the brush strokes which kept us apart.

The glazing on your portrait hides your beautiful charm. 
But your sweet smile bloom from within like a flower
Your beauty dissipates like smoke 
it entered a place which I cannot follow

Chorus
Within its blue misty drizzle I am waiting for you
Through its spiral smoke & rivers, we are a thousand miles apart
That little stroke at the bottom of that vase
Is a foreshadow of our meeting that is to come

Within its blue misty drizzle I am still waiting for you
As the moon light washes ashore the remnant of our meeting
As our precious porcelain retains her beauty
Your eyes carries your smiles

Stanza 2
A painted white koi came alive at the bottom of the dish
But its ancient inscription were longing for you.
The eons of secrets hidden within the kiln
Remain as silent as a embroidery pin falling

The palm leaves by the curtain stirs up showers, attracting rust on the door knockers
As I pass that little town in Jiang Nan, I  attracted you  
Within the coarse ink of that beautiful landscape painting
You are hidden within the depths of its brushstrokes

Other translations

On the unglazed porcelain,
indigo shading into green.
A peony newly portrayed,
as you’re in fresh makeup.
Slow-rising incense floats the screen through,
taking along my thoughts afar to you.
The roaming brush leans on my thinking,
leaving behind a half-done painting.
In the enameled painting of maid figures,
feminity is hidden to the purpose.
Your smile, fleeting but sweet,
is a bud, bursting yet contained.
Your charm wafts away,
hard to forget.
Could I trace it back?
No trace left.
White-bellied, blue-scaled carps
are to leap out of the bowl bottoms.
Copying the Song typeface,
I inscribe my name but thinking about yours.
Your secret deep inside the kiln,
veiled for centuries, still unknown,
It’s like a needle so delicate,
dropping on the ground through quietude.
The outdoor plantain trees allured a sudden rain;
The copper knocker invited some greenish stain;
Never thought I’d brush past you in such a pretty scene.
Amid splash-ink paintings of Jiangnan hills and water,
your receding figure blended well into the picture
The clearing-up grayish blue is waiting for the rain.
Another chance meeting with you, I’m expecting in vain.
I cup in hand the moonlight, white and bright.
A ripple mirrors your face, the face in my heart!
Like the time-honored porcelain standing lofty,
you’re combing your beauty.
With a tinge of smile in your eyes,
you look so dainty!

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MV