‘Red Dust Inn (红尘客栈, Hóngchén kèzhàn) is included in the Taiwanese Mandopop artist Zhou Jielun (周杰伦, Zhōu jiélún) aka Jay Chou‘s latest album Opus 12 (十二新作, Shí'èr xīnzuò), which was released on December 28th, 2012. This ”Chinese-style (中国风, Zhōngguó fēng)” song is about a swordsman who pursued a reclusive lifestyle with his love but was eventually killed by the enemy.

Music Video:

Composer: Zhou Jielun/Jay Chou
Lyrics: Fang Wenshan/Vincent Fang
Singer: Zhou Jielun/Jay Chou

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

VERSE #1:

天涯 的尽头是风沙 (Tiānyá de jìntóu shì fēngshā)
The other end of the world is windy and dusty

红尘 的故事叫牵挂 (Hóngchén de gùshì jiào qiānguā)
The story of red dust1 is called having someone in your heart

封刀隐没在寻常人家 东篱下 (Fēngdào yǐnmò zài xúncháng rénjià dōnglí xià)
Hung up my sword and hid myself in the home of an ordinary person, under the eastern fence2

闲云 野鹤 古剎 (Xiányún yěhè gǔchà)
Floating clouds, wild cranes, old temples3

VERSE #2:

快马 在江湖里厮杀 (Kuàimǎ zài jiānghú lǐ sīshā)
The swift horse, fighting in the chaotic world4

无非 是名跟利放不下 (Wúfēi shì mínggēnlì fàngbúxià)
only because I was unable to let go of fame and fortune

心中有江山的人岂能快意潇洒 (Xīnzhōng yǒu jiāngshān de rén qǐnéng kuàiyìxiāosǎ)
With the country in his heart, how can a man be truly carefree

我只求与你共华发 (Wǒ zhǐqiú yǔnǐ gònghuāfà)
I only wish for our hair to turn gray together

CHORUS:

剑出鞘 恩怨了 谁笑 (Jiànchūqiào ēnyuànliǎo shuíxiào)
The sword unsheathed, feeling resentment, who is laughing?5

我只求今朝 拥你入 怀抱 (Wǒ zhǐqiú jīnzhāo yōngnǐ rù huáibào)
I only wish to have you in my arms today

红尘客栈 风似刀 骤雨落 宿命敲 (Hóngchén kèzhān fēngsìdāo zhòuyǔluò sùmìngqiāo)
Red Dust Inn, the wind cutting like knives, the rain falling, fate knocking

任武林谁领风骚我却 只为你 折腰 (Rèn wǔlín shuí lǐngfēngsāo wǒ què zhǐwèinǐ zhéyāo)
I don’t care who takes the lead in the world of martial arts, I only bend my back for you6

过荒村野桥 寻世外 古道 (Guò huāngcūn yěqiáo xún shìwài gǔdào)
(We) would pass by the deserted villages and untrodden bridges, (we would) look for the roads not taken

远离人间尘嚣 柳絮飘执子之手逍遥 (Yuǎnlí rénjiān chénxiāo liǔxùpiāo zhízǐzhīshǒu xiāoyáo)
Far away from the bustling mortal world, catkins floating in the air, hand in hand, free and unfettered

VERSE #3:

檐下 窗棂斜映枝桠 (Yánxià chuānglíng xiéyìng zhīyá)
Under the eaves, the twigs slant across the lattice window

与你 席地对座饮茶 (yǔnǐ xídì duìzuò yǐnchá)
We sit on the ground sipping tea

我以工笔画将你牢牢 的记下 (Wǒ yǐ gōngbǐhuà jiāngnǐ láoláo de jìxià)
I use Gongbi painting to etch you in my heart7

提笔 不为风雅 (Tíbǐ búwèi fēngyǎ)
I put pen to paper, but not for literary pursuits

VERSE #4:

灯下 叹红颜近晚霞 (Dēngxià tàn hóngyán jìn wǎnxiá)
Under the light, your blushing face is like the sunset’s glow

我说缘份 一如参禅不说话 (Wǒshuō yuánfèn yìrú cānchán bùshuōhuà)
I remark that chance (comes) is like practicing Zen meditation, without saying a word8

你泪如梨花洒满了纸上的天下 (Nǐ lèirúlíhuā sǎmǎn le zhǐshàng de tiānxià)
Your tears like pear blossoms sprinkled across the world on the paper [meaning painting and writing]

爱恨如写意 山水画 (àihèn rú xiěyì shānshuǐhuà)
Love and hate are like the Xieyi landscape painting9

CHORUS

任武林谁领风骚我却 只为你 折腰 (Rèn wǔlín shuílǐngfēngsāo wǒ què zhǐwèinǐ zhéyāo)
I don’t care who takes the lead in the world of martial arts, I only bend my back for you

你回眸多娇 我泪中 带笑 (Nǐ huímóuduōjiāo wǒ lèizhōngdàixiào)
How beautiful you were glancing back, I smiled through tears

酒招旗风中萧萧 剑出鞘 恩怨了 (Jiǔzhāoqí fēngzhōng xiāoxiāo jiànchūqiào ēnyuànliǎo)
The wine inn’s flag fluttered in the wind, the sword unsheathed, feeling resentment