📖 Meaning
Literally 'a swan's claw prints on snow and mud.' It is a metaphor for the fleeting traces left behind by past events. The image evokes the transience of life and the faint marks that memories leave before vanishing.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from a poem by the Song dynasty poet Su Shi (苏轼), titled 'He Zi You Mianchi Huaichiu' (《和子由渑池怀旧》). Su Shi reflects on life's impermanence, comparing it to a wild swan that alights on snow-covered ground, leaving only a passing claw print before flying away. The print is soon covered or melted, just as the events of life leave only temporary traces. Over time, the phrase '鸿爪雪泥' became a classical expression for the remnants of past memories.
💡 Example Usage
旧日同窗如今各奔东西，回首往事不过鸿爪雪泥，徒留感慨。
Old classmates have all gone their separate ways; looking back, those past memories are but fleeting traces on snow, leaving only a sigh.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 鸿爪雪泥
- Pinyin: hóng zhǎo xuě ní
- Literal Translation: swan, claw, snow, mud
- Category: Philosophy
- Characters: 4