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.
The ups and downs of life are sometimes likened to the ephemeral traces of footprints in snow.
無常 is a common Buddhist term for impermanence, while 雪泥鴻爪 is a rare literary phrase specifically evoking the image of vanishing footprints.
泡沫 means 'bubble' or 'foam' and is used metaphorically for transience, but 雪泥鴻爪 emphasizes the absence of a trace rather than fragility.
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.