雪泥鸿爪 xuě ní hóng zhǎo

DEFINITIONS

  1. a goose's footprint in the snow
  2. vestiges of the past (idiom)
  3. the fleeting nature of human life (idiom)

CHARACTERS

雪 xuě snow; wipe away shame, avenge
泥 ní mud, mire; earth, clay; plaster
鸿 hóng species of wild swan; vast
爪 zhǎo claw, nail, talon; animal feet