Gazing at Zhongnan’s Snow

Zu Yong (699-746?)
 
 
As snow on Zhongnan Mountain floats in blooms
To form beyond the peak in cloudy nets
The forest clears in brightly colored hues—
But in the town, the cold and darkness sets.
 
 
Chinese
 
終南望餘雪
祖詠
 
終南陰嶺秀
積雪浮雲端
林表明霽色
城中增暮寒
Pronunciation
 
Zhōng Nán Wàng Yú Xuě
Zǔ Yǒng
 
Zhōng nán yīn lǐng xiù
Jī xuě fú yún duān
Lín biǎo míng jì sè
Chéng zhōng zēng mù hán
 
 
Transliteration and Notes
 
End South Gaze Remainder Snow
 
End South cloudy mountain-ridge blooms
Accumulated snow floats clouds peak
Forest shows bright clear hue
Town midst adds evening cold
 
     “End South” is the Zhongnan Mountain, one of China’s most famous mountains, located in Shaanxi Province, south of Xian. It’s very frequently the subject of Chinese poetry. “Evening” could also be sunset.
     Zu Yong was a nature poet of the Tang Dynasty and friends with Wang Wei, Wang Han, Qiu Wei, and other poets of the era. He passed the highest level of the imperial examination but failed as a government official.

Year: 
2019
Author of original: 
Zu Yong
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