墙角数枝梅
A few plum branches by the corner of a wall
凌寒独自开
Bloom alone against the cold.
遥知不是雪
From afar I know they are not snow,
为有暗香来
For a faint fragrance drifts this way.
What the poem means
A few plum branches bloom in the cold by a wall. From a distance, their gentle fragrance tells the poet they are flowers rather than snow. Seeing and smelling work together.
Meet the poet
Wang Anshi was a Song poet and statesman. Here he notices plum blossoms in the cold.
Wang Anshi · More poems →