The Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day (清明节, qīng míng jié), is an important festival in China when people offer sacrifices to their ancestors (祭祖, jì zǔ). It falls on April 4 this year.
In ancient times, the festival prompted poets to compose about their grief regarding the lingering cold in spring and emotional moments while mourning the deceased (哀悼逝者, āi dào shì zhě).
Here are some famous lines from poems in the Tang and Song Dynasties (618-1279) remembering the day. The English translations used in this article are from noted Chinese translator Xu Yuanchong (许渊冲, xǔ yuān chōng).
Silk - Washing Stream
Spring sheds a mild and wild light on Cold Food Day;
Jade burner spreads the dying incense like a spray.
Walking, I find my hairpin under pillow stray.
The swallows not yet come, a game of grass we play;
Willow down wafts while mume blossoms fade away.
In drizzling rain at dusk the garden swing won't sway.
huàn xī shā · dàn dàng chūn guāng hán shí tiān
浣溪沙·淡荡春光寒食天
sòng · lǐ qīng zhào
宋·李清照
dàn dàng chūn guāng hán shí tiān。
淡荡春光寒食天。
yù lú chén shuǐ niǎo cán yān。
玉炉沉水袅残烟。
mèng huí shān zhěn yǐn huā diàn。
梦回山枕隐花钿。
hǎi yàn wèi lái rén dǒu cǎo,
海燕未来人斗草，
jiāng méi yǐ guò liǔ shēng mián。
江梅已过柳生绵。
huáng hūn shū yǔ shī qiū qiān。
黄昏疏雨湿秋千。
Silk—Washing Stream is a poem by Song Dynasty poet Li Qingzhao (1084-1155), one of the leading female poets of the time.
The Cold Food Festival or Hanshi Festival (寒食节, hán shí jié), as mentioned in the poem, is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated one day before the Qingming Festival. On that day, people only eat cold food. It was not until the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) that the practice of Hanshi was replaced by Qingming.
来源：chinadaily.com.cn
