Qingming Poem by Du Mu with an MP3 Recording

Yesterday, I posted the poem Qingming by the poet Du Mu (803 – 852) that mentions the Qingming Festival (also called Ching Ming). I asked my friend Ray Lee about it. He grew up in Hong Kong and I wanted to hear his impression about the poem and also my translation of it (below). Here’s what Ray wrote:

This is indeed a very well known poem. We were taught this poem when we were in school. I don’t know if they still teach this in school. Even if they don’t, the school kids are bound to hear it from their parents or on TV or read about it somewhere.

The translation you have is pretty good. I am not sure about the second line though. I have always thought it said, “pedestrians on the road are like ghosts,” because of the rain.

Below you can find the Chinese text, the Pinyin and an English translation I had done of the poem Qingming plus an mp3 of Qingming being recited…

Ching Ming

It’s raining hard at the time of the Ching Ming Festival,
The mourner’s heart is overwhelmed on the road upland.
May I ask where there’s a tavern to drown my sorrows?
The shepherd boy points to Xinghua Village in the distance.

清明

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。

qīng míng shí jié yǔ fēn fēn
lù shàng xíng rén yù duàn hún
jiè wèn jiǔ jiā hé chù yǒu
mù tóng yáo zhǐ xìng huā cūn

MP3 of the Qingming Poem

Ray later wrote to me about the second line:

There is another translation on the Internet that is somewhere between my translation and yours. This one says something like travelers all look gloomy and miserable.

Thanks, Ray, for letting us know more about this poem!

The poem was read by Jia Zhou for Librevox.

If anyone would like to comment about the translation, please feel free to let us know what you think in the comments below or to email me at lisa@mamalisa.com .

Below you can read posts about the Chingming Festival…

•Qingming Poem by Du Mu with an MP3 Recording

•Qingming Festival in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan

•Qingming - Festival of Pure Brightness - 清明節

•Hina Matsuri 雛祭り - The Doll Festival in Japan - Has its Roots in an Old Chinese Purification Ceremony

-Mama Lisa

Share on Facebook and other services: