The spring wind drives the flying snow,
It swirls and dances high and low.
Where it resembles blossoms fair,
There lies the east of Luoyang there.
Original Poem
「春雪」
刘方平
飞雪带春风，徘徊乱绕空。
君看似花处，偏在洛阳东。
Interpretation
This poem was written during the Dali era (766–779 AD) of Emperor Daizong of the Tang Dynasty. Liu Fangping, a mid-Tang poet who achieved little success in his official career, often dwelled in the Chang’an area. His poetry frequently drew from nature and common people’s lives, capturing larger meanings within small scenes to reflect social realities. During the mid-Tang, political instability, heavy taxes, and vast wealth disparities left many in hardship. Against this backdrop, the poem uses the scene of spring snow to contrast the vastly different experiences of the wealthy and the poor, conveying the poet’s deep compassion for the people and his sharp social critique.
First Couplet: "飞雪带春风，徘徊乱绕空。"
Fēi xuě dài chūnfēng, páihuái luàn rào kōng.
The swirling snow rides the spring wind,
Drifting and whirling aimlessly across the sky.
The opening lines purely depict the scenery, sketching the striking image of an unexpected spring snow. Snowflakes dancing in the spring wind create a scene that is both fresh and contradictory—hinting at spring’s arrival yet bringing wintry harshness.
Second Couplet: "君看似花处，偏在洛阳东。"
Jūn kàn sì huā chù, piān zài Luòyáng dōng.
Where you see a place lovely as flowers,
Lies precisely east of Luoyang, where the wealthy dwell.
Here the poet shifts from scene to emotion. The falling snow appears like blossoms, full of beauty, but the word "偏偏" (piān—only, just) underscores that this beauty is chiefly enjoyed by the rich in the city’s east. For the poor outside the city, the snow means greater hardship. The snow’s landing spot mirrors social division.
Holistic Appreciation
On the surface, this work describes the striking beauty of spring snow, but through subtle details, it critiques social reality. The first two lines focus on the scenery—snow dancing in the wind, radiating natural beauty. The latter lines, via the imagery of “flower-like beauty” located “east Luoyang,” reveal the snow’s vastly different impact: the wealthy admire it like blossoms, enjoying it with wine, while the poor suffer further cold and hunger.
In just twenty characters, the poem uses the word "偏偏" to construct a sharp social contrast, satirizing the luxury and indifference of the powerful and expressing the poet’s sympathy and indignation toward the suffering masses. This reflects the tradition among some mid-Tang poets of facing reality and highlighting people’s hardships.
Artistic Merits
- Scene as emotional vehicle, critique within beauty: The first part depicts the snow’s beauty; the second turns toward social satire, making nature a medium for criticism.
- Vivid contrast, profound meaning: The rich enjoy the snow as flowers; the poor endure it as disaster—one snowfall reflects human indifference and inequality.
- Concise language, subtle and lasting: A mere twenty words carry rich meaning with great suggestiveness.
- Precise wording, expressive and pointed: The word "偏偏" conveys social injustice, crystallizing the poem’s satirical power.
- Social concern, far-reaching insight: Using natural scenery to reflect social contradictions demonstrates the poet’s深沉 and incisive critical vision.
Insights
The same natural scene is experienced differently by people in different circumstances: for the wealthy, snow brings leisure and beauty; for the poor, it adds to their misery. Through concise verse, the poet reminds us to pay attention to social inequality and the hardships of the disadvantaged. This not only reflects issues in Tang society but also inspires us today to maintain empathy, understand and care for vulnerable groups, and never forget human suffering amid prosperity.
About the Poet
Liu Fangping (刘方平 c. 742 – c. 785), a native of Luoyang in Henan. A recluse-poet and painter spanning the High to Mid-Tang period, he distinguished himself with a delicate and subtle poetic style skilled in depicting boudoir lament and moonlit nights. Though only 26 of his poems survive in the Complete Tang Poems, works like Moonlit Night and Spring Lament secured his place in the canonical hall of Tang poetry. Hailed as "the pure voice of the High Tang and the herald of the Mid-Tang," his poetry fused the lucidity of the Qi-Liang style with Zen serenity, profoundly influencing the later ci lyric tradition and Heian-era Japanese women's literature.
