梅雪爭春未肯降
Ume blossoms fight snow while delaying falling to wait for spring.
騷人擱筆費評章
To judge which side wins, the poet takes a break from writing.
梅須遜雪三分白
Ume blossoms are 30 percent less white than snow
雪卻輸梅一段香
But snow loses for lacking the fragrance ume blossoms are emitting.
My own rendition:
Ume blossoms on snow covered branches
yearn to be favored by the coming and going season
Idling poets put away their pens
meditating on the life and death of winter blossoms
Ume ought not to subject itself to harsh winter snow
Yet snow is totally crushed by Ume's fleeting scent.