— Du Mu
A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Qingming Festival;
The wayfarers’ hearts are going to break on their way.
Where can a wine shop be found to drown his sad hours?
A cowherd points to a cot amid apricot flowers.
Note
Du Mu (803–852 CE) was a leading poet of the late Tang Dynasty, admired for his refined style, emotional depth, and masterful blend of vivid imagery with historical or philosophical undertones. Born into an elite scholarly family, he served as an official but is best remembered for his poetry – graceful, evocative, and often tinged with quiet melancholy.
One of his most iconic and widely recited poems is “Qingming” (The Qingming Festival or Pure Brightness), named after the traditional Chinese festival in early April when families honor their ancestors. The poem opens with drizzling rain on this solemn day, as travellers on the road feel sorrowful and lost. A lone wanderer, overwhelmed by grief and fatigue, asks a cowherd boy for directions to a nearby tavern. The boy simply points toward Apricot Blossom Village in the distance—a place that promises warmth, rest, and perhaps momentary solace.
Though deceptively simple, “Qingming” captures universal themes: mourning, displacement, the search for comfort, and the quiet beauty of rural China. Its concise language and poignant mood have made it a cultural touchstone across East Asia for over a thousand years.
清明
— 杜牧
清明时节雨纷纷，
路上行人欲断魂。
借问酒家何处有，
牧童遥指杏花村。
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