The Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day (清明節, 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 (許淵沖, xǔ yuān chōng).

Song of Green Door – Spring Grief

Light cold is lingering;

Wind and rain abate in the evening.

The Mountain Day draws near,

In my lonely bower

I'm drunk before the faded flowers

Just as last year.

- An excerpt of poem Song of Green Door – Spring Grief by Song Dynasty poet Zhang Xian (990-1078).

qīng mén yǐn · chūn sī
青門引·春思

sòng · zhāng xiān
宋·張先

zhà nuǎn hái qīng lěng,
乍暖還輕冷，
fēng yǔ wǎn lái fāng dìng。
風雨晚來方定。
tíng xuān jì mò jìn qīng míng,
庭軒寂寞近清明，
cán huā zhōng jiǔ,
殘花中酒，
yòu shì qù nián bìng。
又是去年病。

來源：chinadaily.com.cn
編輯：萬月英