noun
ephemeral nature of human affairs; leaving no trace
A literary yojijukugo expressing the idea that human deeds and events are fleeting and leave no lasting mark, like footprints in snow that soon disappear. Rare in everyday speech; found in classical or poetic contexts.
人生の栄枯盛衰を雪泥鴻爪にたとえることがある。
The ups and downs of life are sometimes likened to the ephemeral traces of footprints in snow.
Derived from a classical Chinese poem by Su Shi (蘇軾), where life is compared to the marks left by a swan's claws in mud or snow—soon to vanish. The exact historical transmission into Japanese is uncertain, but it is a recognized yojijukugo.