江雪 · River Snow — 柳宗元 (Tang Dynasty)
千山鸟飞绝
qiān shān niǎo fēi jué
万径人踪灭
wàn jìng rén zōng miè
孤舟蓑笠翁
gū zhōu suō lì wēng
独钓寒江雪
dú diào hán jiāng xuě
English translation
A thousand mountains — no bird in flight, / ten thousand paths — no footprint. / One old man in straw cape on a lone boat, / fishing alone in the cold river snow.
About this poem
The loneliest poem in Chinese — an old man fishing alone in a world of snow. Painterly minimalism in 20 characters.
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