Commentary on Du Mu’s Poem – Simon Chu

Chun See,

Thank you for putting up that beautiful poem, 清明 (Qing Ming) by renowned Tang Dynasty poet, Du Mu. In response to your questions, here are my comments.

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。

It drizzles endless during the rainy season in spring,
Travelers along the road look gloomy and miserable.
When I ask a shepherd boy where I can find a tavern,
He points at a distant hamlet nestling amidst apricot blossoms.


Du Mu's poem depicts, to a great extent, the sentiment of those people during that era (i.e. Tang dynasty) when Buddhism was widely followed by the Chinese society.

Du Mu was describing the mood of the people who went tomb-sweeping. While on their way to the cemeteries, they reminisced about their deceased loved ones and wished they could repay their (deceased) kindness.

The atmosphere is serene, with light drizzle, and the air is cool (return of spring). The flowers are blooming - mainly the xin hua [杏花 ], a flower which was common in the area south of the Yang Tze River [江南地带 ], known to be land of ‘fish and rice’ [ 鱼米之乡 ]. That is why Du Mu put it in as the last line of his poem. It is a beautiful picture. Must be in the countryside where the graves are found. The air is crisp and cool. The shepherd boy is minding the cows. The tomb-sweepers were on their way to the graves to remember their loved ones...in total sadness...[欲 = thinking of, or looks like ]

Also, the word, ‘travelers’ [行人] does not necessarily mean they are people who go tomb-sweeping. It could also mean those lonely travelers e.g. traders from afar. When they think of their deceased loved ones, they like to buy themselves a few cups of wine to drown their sorrow; what's more, accompanied by the timely atmosphere - crispy air and light drizzle. I am sure you have come across the ancient Chinese brush painting ［山水画］


In case some of your readers prefer a Chinese version of the explanation of the poem, I provide it below:

从诗歌的语境看，为什么到清明行人就要断魂，要去借酒消愁？他可以去回家喝酒，可以欣赏春天的美景嘛。没有必然的道理。

其实古代“行人”有几种意思：
1出行的人；
2出征的人；
3使者的通称。

或者说远行之人，可以是使者，也可以指征人、商人。汉代以后主要指后两者，所谓“若非征戍，必为商旅”。

这样我们就可以理解杜牧的诗意了。清明春意盎然，山花烂漫，本该是家人团聚游春上坟祭祖的日子，而今却孤身赶路，离家万里，更兼春雨纷纷，倍增忧愁乡思。杏花村可能是因为卖酒出名吧。



This leads me to your 2nd question about the Chinese idiom concerning filial piety. It reads:

子欲养而亲不再

This line explains the time when the son (descendant) wants to repay his parents' kindness, but they are already gone!. This is probably taken from Confusius‘ collection:

树欲静而风不止，子欲养而亲不在。
《孔子家语·致思》



Finally, here's my version that sounds rather crude and rude: (hey, I was only a kid!)

My Qing Ming poem has to be taken in the Singapore context though, where the weather is always hot and humid. It goes:

清明时节，路焦焦
路上行人， 想吃蕉
借问何处， 有蕉卖
屎塘里面， 一条条

Come to think of it, my inspiration came from spending nights at your Lorong Kinchir place back in the late 60s/early 70s when the human waste was collected and disposed of at the sewerage centre, so called [ 屎塘 ].

The tracks at Pik San Teng were non-tarmac, and when the weather was dry and humid, one could feel the roasting dust ［路焦焦］. Banana trees ［香牙蕉］were common among the kampong area; but you need to buy – its not free. The reader has to read my version in Cantonese to bring out the ‘aroma’.

(Not sure if it is appropriate to post this naughty poem on your blog – but then you asked for it. Haha)


Posted by Simon Chu, Scotland.