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杜牧
七言绝句
Character Explanations
Click on a character in the poem to display its explanation here.
清
“clear, pure.” 清明 “Qingming,” the Tomb-Sweeping Festival (April).
明
“bright, luminous.” 清明 refers to both the festival and the time of year.
时
“time, season.” 时节 “the season, the period.”
节
“festival, period.” 时节 “the time of the festival.”
雨
“rain.” 雨纷纷 “the rain falls in sheets.”
纷
“disorderly, abundant.” 纷纷 (repeated) “endlessly.”
纷
“abundant.” 纷纷 emphasizes: “the rain never stops falling.”
路
“road, path.” 路上 “on the road.”
上
“on.” 路上 “on the way.”
行
“to walk, to go.” 行人 “the passerby.”
人
“man, person.” 行人 “the traveler on the road.”
欲
“to be about to, near to.” 欲断魂 “as if one’s soul is about to break.”
断
“to break, to snap.” 断魂 “a broken soul.”
魂
“soul.” 断魂 “overwhelmed with grief.”
借
“to borrow; (借问) to dare to ask.” 借问 “may I ask.”
问
“to ask, to inquire.” 借问 “he asks.”
酒
“alcohol, wine.” 酒家 “the tavern.”
家
“house; establishment.” 酒家 “the inn where one drinks.”
何
“what, where.” 何处 “in what place.”
处
“place, location.” 何处有 “where can one find it?”
有
“to have, there is.” 何处有 “where can one find it?”
牧
“to herd (livestock); shepherd.” 牧童 “the young shepherd.”
童
“child.” 牧童 “the child herding buffalo.”
遥
“far, in the distance.” 遥指 “points in the distance.”
指
“to point.” 遥指 “he points in the distance.”
杏
“apricot tree.” 杏花 “apricot blossoms.”
花
“flower.” 杏花 “apricot blossoms.”
村
“village.” 杏花村 “Apricot Blossom Village.”
Literal Translation
During Qingming season, the rain falls endlessly;
On the road, the traveler’s soul is near to breaking.
“Where can I find a tavern?” he asks;
The shepherd boy points in the distance to Apricot Blossom Village.
Historical and Biographical Context
This poem, 清明 (), is set during the Qingming Festival, a day when the dead are honored; in the rain, a melancholic traveler seeks a little comfort.
Literary Analysis
Structure and Form
A seven-character quatrain, structured like a small staged dialogue: the rainy setting, the sad traveler, his question, and the silent response of the child.
Imagery and Symbolism
The fine Qingming rain bathes the entire poem in a gentle melancholy; the “Apricot Blossom Village” appears as a bright promise of comfort.
Movement and Gesture
The child’s gesture of “pointing in the distance” closes the poem with an open image, full of freshness and hope.
Language and Tone
Clear, almost conversational language; the tone shifts from sadness to a soothed and lively note with the shepherd’s appearance.
Main Themes
Mourning and Remembrance
The Qingming Festival, dedicated to the dead, tinges the poem with a melancholy appropriate to the occasion.
Comfort and Hope
The tavern and the flower-filled village offer, at the end of the path, possible consolation.
Genre Scene
In four lines, Du Mu paints a vivid picture of everyday life during the spring rain.
