All night the north wind blew fiercely;
Opening the door—snow still drifts.
Sinking into mud, one pities its whiteness;
Covering the ground, one treasures its jade glow.
Intentionally it graces withered grass;
Unintentionally it adorns the faded reed.
Prices rise—the village brew is ready;
A good year—the granary's grain is plentiful.
English titles, text, and notes are AI-assisted for reading only; for scholarship cite the Chinese and authoritative editions.
Annotation
The opening section of the linked-verse poem at Reed Snow Cottage in Chapter 50. 'All night the north wind blew fiercely' was the opening line by Wang Xifeng (who, not being a poet, could only provide the first line). The others then took turns continuing. This was one of the liveliest poetry gatherings in the Grand View Garden's winter scenes.
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