Tang Dynasty
雪晴晚望
倚杖望晴雪，
溪云几万重。
樵人归白屋，
寒日下危峰。
野火烧冈草，
断烟生石松。
却回山寺路，
闻打暮天钟。
Translation
Leaning on my staff, I gaze out after the snow has cleared; above the valley stream, clouds pile in countless layers. A woodcutter returns to his white cottage, while the cold sun sinks behind steep peaks. Wild fire burns the grass along the ridge; broken smoke rises by pines among the rocks. Turning back along the path to the mountain temple, I hear the evening bell sound through the dusk sky.
Analysis
“Evening View after Snow Has Cleared” is a finely structured mountain poem. The poet begins in stillness, leaning on a staff and gazing across a clarified snowy landscape. The valley clouds open the space vertically and horizontally. Human presence then enters quietly: a woodcutter returns home as the cold sun descends behind dangerous peaks. The third couplet is especially vivid: wild fire burns grass on the ridge, and broken smoke rises by stone pines. Fire and snow, warmth and cold, motion and stillness are held in balance. The final bell from the mountain temple gathers the landscape into a mood of solitude and spiritual distance. Jia Dao’s careful craft is evident in the poem’s austere but layered imagery.
About the Author
Jia Dao was a Tang dynasty poet whose courtesy name was Langxian. He was once a Buddhist monk before returning to secular life and pursuing an official career. Known for painstaking poetic craft, he became famous for the idea of “bitter chanting,” polishing words and lines with extreme care. His poetry often explores solitude, temples, mountains, and cold landscapes. Together with Meng Jiao, he is associated with a lean, austere style in Tang poetry.