Snowy Fishing Pavilion
- Poetry of Jiang Kui

《钓雪亭》

English Rendering

The icy wind sweeps the railings, snow falls without end;

Melancholy—no one holds the fishing rod.

Now and then an official boat passes the bridge—

White gulls take flight, alighting on the sandbank ahead.

Original Text (中文原文)

阑干风冷雪漫漫，惆怅无人把钓竿。

时有官船桥畔过，白鸥飞去落前滩。

Analysis & Context

Composed during the Southern Song Dynasty while Jiang Kui was traveling in Hefei—a place entwined not only with his wanderings but also with a profound romantic past. Here, the poet shared a deep bond with a courtesan, their time together becoming an indelible dream that lingered throughout his life. Beauty faded, love remained unfulfilled, and after their parting, no word came again. Only the remnants of snow at the river pavilion and the distant silhouettes of gulls stirred the sorrow buried in his heart. This poem is an elegy for those bygone days, a vessel for his tender yet desolate emotions.

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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