A sudden reversal — truly, last night's west wind withered the green trees.
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history
From Yan Shu's (晏殊) Song ci 《蝶恋花》: 槛菊愁烟兰泣露，罗幕轻寒，燕子双飞去。明月不谙离恨苦，斜光到晓穿朱户。昨夜西风凋碧树，独上高楼，望尽天涯路。 — Wang Guowei in 《人间词话》 later picked the three-line climax 昨夜西风凋碧树，独上高楼，望尽天涯路 as the FIRST of his famous 'three stages of great endeavor' — the moment of lonely vista before any achievement.
usage
Often quoted as part of Wang Guowei's three-stage formulation of scholarly / life ambition. 凋 = wither; 碧 = emerald-green. Used in literary essays about loss, or at the start of long journeys.
