Title: River Snow
▪ 江雪
Author: Liu ZongYuan ▪ 柳宗元
Poetic Form: júejù ▪ 绝句1. (
千 +
山) + (
鸟 + (
飞 +
绝))
(1000 + mountain) + (birds + (fly + vanish))
gloss: Birds fly away from a thousand mountains
2. (
万 +
径) + ((
人 +
踪) +
灭)
(10,000 + trails) + ((people + footprint) + go out)
gloss: Footprints fade on ten thousand trails
3. (
孤 +
舟) + (
蓑 +
笠 +
翁)
(alone + boat) + (raincoat + hat + old man)
gloss: A lone boat with an old man in a
raincoat and hat
4. (
独 +
钓) + (
寒 +
江 +
雪)
(alone + fish) + (winter + river + snow)
gloss: Fishes alone winter river snow
River Snow
translation by Jessica Alexander ©One thousand mountains: birds flit away;
Ten thousand pathways: footsteps fade.
One boat - solitary - its raincoated fisherman
Fishes alone winter river snow.