English Rendering
One flake two flakes three, four flakes,
Five six seven eight nine ten flakes, and more still...
Thousands, even millions of snow flakes,
When floating into plum blossoms, are nil...
A Chant to Snow Flakes
Poetry of Zheng Xie
《咏雪》
Original Text (中文原文)
一片两片三四片，五六七八九十片。
千片万片无数片，飞入梅花都不见。
Meaning & Analysis
By Zheng Banqiao
Related Themes
Reader's Companion
The Essence of the Verse
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Reading Between the Lines
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
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- Cold sheet
- Coming Home ( Returning Home )
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