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Zhōng Nán Wàng Yú XuěSnow Remaining on Zhongnan 终南望余雪

Zu Yong (祖咏, also known as Tsu Yung)｜High Tang｜five-character quatrain

Zu Yong on lingering snow on the Zhongnan mountains; the city grows colder after.

Original Chinese text with pinyin

终南阴岭秀
zhōng nán yīn lǐng xiù

积雪浮云端
jī xuě fú yún duān

林表明霁色
lín biǎo míng jì sè

城中增暮寒
chéng zhōng zēng mù hán

Simplified characters; traditional title: 終南望餘雪.

Zhongnan's shaded ridges are lovely;

the piled snow floats on the clouds.

At the forest's edge the sky clears bright;

in the city the evening cold grows.

Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.

终南阴岭秀 · zhōng nán yīn lǐng xiù — Zhongnan's shaded ridges are lovely;

积雪浮云端 · jī xuě fú yún duān — the piled snow floats on the clouds.

林表明霁色 · lín biǎo míng jì sè — At the forest's edge the sky clears bright;

城中增暮寒 · chéng zhōng zēng mù hán — in the city the evening cold grows.

Zu Yong on lingering snow on the Zhongnan mountains; the city grows colder after. The scene stays with you.

Zu Yong on lingering snow on the Zhongnan mountains; the city grows colder after.

Zu Yong's Remaining Snow on Zhongnan stops at the perfect visual moment.

Lifetime: c. 699–c. 746. Other famous works: Snow Remaining on Zhongnan (终南望余雪).