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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

清明

Qingming Festival

杜牧

Du Mu

节令Solar term 写景Scenery depiction 羁旅Travel hardship

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。

Upon Qingming Festival, the rain falls ceaselessly;
Travelers on the road feel their souls nearly lost.
I ask where there is a tavern to drown my sorrow;
The shepherd boy points afar to Apricot Flower Village.

Listen

Meaning

It is a day for tomb-sweeping and spring outings, but rain falls continuously, and a solitary traveler feels desolate to the point of being 'heartbroken'. Seeking to drown his sorrow, he asks for a tavern; a shepherd boy points to a distant village hidden in apricot blossoms.

清明时节，细细的雨丝纷纷扬扬洒落不停；路上的行旅之人，落寞得几乎要魂销魄散。上前向人打听何处有酒家可以歇脚浇愁，远远的，一个牧童伸手指向那杏花深处的村庄。

Appreciation

The first two lines use 'rain falls ceaselessly' to depict the drizzly weather and 'souls nearly lost' to express extreme loneliness, blending scene and emotion. The last two lines shift from oppression to hope with a simple question-answer, creating a vivid image and leaving endless aftertaste. The poem captures the common sorrow of travelers in simple language.

【白话串讲】 “清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂”——杜牧把清明节写成了中国人心照不宣的集体情绪。而牧童遥指杏花村，又给这份沉重留了一线温柔。【意象与手法】全诗语近民歌，明白如话而意境浑成。首句「清明时节雨纷纷」以叠词状雨之连绵，既点时令又渲染凄迷氛围；次句「欲断魂」以夸张写尽旅人愁绪；后两句以「借问」与「遥指」构成问答，省去叙述而留白悠远——牧童不言，只一举手、一遥指，画面顿活，「杏花村」三字以绚烂意象收束，由抑到扬，余味不尽。【情感与主旨】此诗具体创作背景已难确考，约作于杜牧晚年漂泊江南、辗转宦游之时。清明为祭扫与踏青之节，旅人客中遇雨，更易触动乡愁与身世之感，寻酒浇愁正是羁旅清愁的普遍写照，未必系于某一确切事件。【名句点睛】常考氛围渲染：「清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂」以细雨写羁旅清愁；「牧童遥指杏花村」多考画面感与留白手法。

Background

The specific background is unclear, likely written during Du Mu's later years drifting in Jiangnan. Qingming was an important festival for tomb-sweeping and outings; encountering rain on a journey easily stirs homesickness. The traveler's sorrow reflects the universal melancholy of ancient officials away from home.

此诗的具体创作背景已难确考，历来多认为约作于杜牧晚年漂泊江南、辗转宦游之时。清明是唐代重要的祭扫与踏青节日，《岁时百问》谓「万物生长此时，皆清洁而明净，故谓之清明」。在这一天，家家户户扫墓祭祖、踏青郊游，而诗人却独自行旅在细雨迷蒙的路上，客中遇雨，更易触动乡愁与身世之感。诗中「行人」的断魂与寻酒，正是古代士人羁旅清愁的普遍写照，未必系于某一确切事件。值得注意的是，此诗虽题作杜牧，其最早见于南宋《千家诗》所辑，是否确为杜牧所作，学界尚有争论；然千百年来它已成为清明时节的文学符号，这一传播事实本身，恰说明诗中所写正是人人共感的节日情绪——既有节令的习俗背景，又有游子天涯的普遍人生体验，故能超越具体的创作机缘而历久弥新，成为岁时诗歌中传诵最广的名篇之一。从接受史看，此诗自南宋入选《千家诗》后流传极广，历元明清而不衰，在杜牧诸作中普及程度首屈一指，堪称岁时诗中与日常生活最为贴近的篇章，节日文化因之而增色。

Art

The poem is plain and natural like folk songs. The reduplicative 'fenfen' in the first line sets a dreary scene; 'yu duan hun' makes the invisible sorrow palpable. The last two lines use a question-answer structure, omitting narration for conciseness, and ending with 'Apricot Flower Village' for an uplifting turn.

全诗语近民歌，明白如话而意境浑成，是杜牧七绝中自然天成一格的代表。首句「清明时节雨纷纷」以叠词「纷纷」状雨之绵密，既点时令，又渲染出凄迷的氛围，为全诗定下基调；次句「路上行人欲断魂」以「断魂」二字把无形的愁绪写得可感可触——「行人」未必特指某一类人，凡旅途在外、佳节思亲者皆是，遂使愁绪具有普遍性。后两句笔法尤妙：「借问酒家何处有」是设问，却不写酒家如何、饮酒如何，只以「牧童遥指杏花村」作答；牧童不言，只一举手、一遥指，画面顿然明朗，「遥」字写距离之远与指向之朦胧，「杏花村」三字以绚烂的意象收束，由抑到扬，把哀愁引向一丝温暖的慰藉。全诗二十八字，问而不答、答而不尽，留白悠远，语言朴素而余味不尽，正合前人所谓「宛然入画」之评，其章法之妙，恰在能以最少的字句容纳最丰富的画面与情思。尤可注意的是，全诗不事雕琢，以口语入诗而音节天成，二十八字一气流转，读之如闻其声、如见其人，正是大巧若拙的化境，非深于诗道者不能至此。

Allusions

No obscure allusions. 'Apricot Flower Village' may refer to a real village or a tavern with apricot trees; it later became a symbol of fine wine and poetic dwelling, influencing later literature and New Year paintings.

全篇以白描写清明景象，并无生僻典故，然「杏花村」三字却成为一个影响深远的经典意象。一说「杏花村」是实有村名（如山西汾阳、安徽池州等地皆有杏花村），但更多学者认为它泛指杏花深处的村庄——因杏花常植于村头酒家，遂成美酒与诗意栖居的代称。这一意象经此诗而定型，后世「杏花村」多被附会为酒家之名，至今仍常见于酒业品牌与地名，是古典诗歌「即景成典」的佳例。此外，「清明时节雨纷纷」以雨起兴，暗合清明时节细雨纷飞的物候特征，与《岁时百问》「清明」得名之说互为印证；「断魂」一词本指魂魄离散，此处以夸张写愁情之极，承《楚辞》「魂兮归来」的哀感而来，而转为口语化的日常表达。全诗以白描、叠词、问答、留白诸法熔于一炉，不假典故而自有深味，正是清水出芙蓉式的天然之美，也是杜牧七绝中「以俗为雅」的典范。至于「酒家」意象，则承唐人借酒浇愁的普遍经验而来，与李白「呼儿将出换美酒，与尔同销万古愁」一脉相通，而更见日常烟火气，愁中有慰，正是清明诗独有的温度。

Commentary

Ming critic Xie Zhen said it is 'painterly but not lofty in spirit', yet its popularity endures because it is simple, natural, and vivid, recited by all for centuries.

此诗历来评价甚高而争议亦多。明代谢榛《四溟诗话》称其「此作宛然入画，但气格不高」，虽议其浅，却也承认其「入画」；清人吴乔《围炉诗话》则谓此诗「情真景真，随手写出，自是天成」。正因其通俗自然、童孺能诵，不假雕饰而情景如绘，《清明》才成为杜牧最脍炙人口的小诗之一，千百年来每逢清明，几乎无人不吟。从接受史看，此诗由《千家诗》而广传民间，与春节、中秋等节日诗并列为岁时文学的代表作；「路上行人欲断魂」「牧童遥指杏花村」等句更成为后世小说、戏曲、绘画反复取用的母题。诗之价值不在高深，而在以最朴素的文字道出人类共通的节日乡愁，浅而不薄、淡而有味，这种大巧若拙的境界，恰是诗歌深入人心的最高形式，也是杜牧七绝雅俗共赏之才的具体证明。此诗与《山行》并称杜牧七绝双璧，一写清愁一写秋兴，皆以短章传神，可见其「短章」一体的造诣；后世将其编入蒙学读物，童蒙即诵，更见其生命力之强。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain (level-tone opening with first-line rhyme)七言绝句（平起首句入韵）

Rhyme Rhyme in Upper Level Thirteen Yuan group: 纷, 魂, 村押上平十三元韵：纷、魂、村（纷、魂、村同属平水韵上平十三元）

Tone pattern First line: level-level-level-deflected-deflected-level-level (平平平仄仄平平), level-tone opening with rhyme. Last two lines form a question-answer with natural syntax.首句「清明时节雨纷纷」为平平平仄仄平平，平起入韵；二句「路上行人欲断魂」仄仄平平仄仄平，与首句相对；三句「借问酒家何处有」仄仄仄平平仄仄，四句「牧童遥指杏花村」仄平平仄仄平平，粘对大体合律。

Reading note Twenty-eight words capture scene and emotion, ending with a question-answer, simple and blended, representing Du Mu's mastery of the short quatrain.此诗为七言绝句，二十八字，平起首句入韵，首句「纷」字起韵，二句「魂」、四句「村」相押，一韵到底，读来流畅圆转。全诗四句按起承转合安排：首句起兴写景，次句承写行人，三句转出「借问」，四句合于「遥指」，章法严整而语言朴素，不见雕琢痕迹。第三句「借问酒家何处有」以设问顿挫，第四句「牧童遥指杏花村」以动作作结，问答之间形成节奏上的停顿与回旋；「纷纷」为叠字，「遥指」为动作，双声叠韵与口语化的音节相配合，声情与辞情相称。这种以口语入诗、以问答收束的写法，是杜牧绝句「工于唱叹」的特色，也是此诗千载传诵、童孺能诵的声律基础。

Line by line

清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂。

During Qingming Festival, rain falls continuously; travelers on the road are nearly heartbroken. The reduplicative 'fenfen' describes the dense rain, and 'yu duan hun' expresses extreme loneliness, establishing a melancholic tone.

清明时节细雨纷纷洒落不停，路上的行旅之人落寞得几乎魂销魄散。

On the Qingming day, the rain drifts and drifts; the traveler on the road is nearly broken-hearted.

首联为全诗定调，写景与写人并起。「纷纷」叠字写雨丝绵密不断，既是清明时节真实的物候，又暗喻愁绪纷纭纠结、难以排遣；「断魂」以魂魄离散的夸张极写旅人孤愁，把无形的情绪化为可感的创痛，「欲」字更写将断未断、勉强支撑之态，分寸恰到好处。两句一写景一写人，景中含情，情因景生：「时节」点出特定的时间背景，「路上」点出空间的漂泊感，时间与空间的交叠，把佳节与客途的对照写得尤为深挚，起手即定下凄迷的基调，为后文「借问酒家」的寻求慰藉作了自然铺垫。

The opening couplet tunes the poem, scene and person together. The doubled 'drifts' writes the fine, endless rain, at once the true season of Qingming and the metaphor of the tangled, inescapable grief; 'broken-hearted' the exaggeration of the traveler's lonely grief, turning the formless mood into a perceptible wound, the word 'nearly' the exact touch of the half-broken, barely-held state. One line the scene, one the person, feeling within the scene, the scene born of feeling: 'day' the fixed time, 'road' the wandering space, the overlap of time and space writing the contrast of the festival and the journey, the desolate keynote set from the first, the natural groundwork for the later asking for the wineshop's comfort.

借问酒家何处有，牧童遥指杏花村。

I ask where there is a tavern; the shepherd boy points afar to Apricot Flower Village. The poem ends with a question and answer; the scene brightens with the gesture; without describing drinking, it leaves a lingering aftertaste, simple and vivid.

上前向人打听何处有酒家可以歇脚浇愁，远远地一个牧童伸手指向那杏花深处的村庄。

I ask where there is a wineshop; the cowherd, far off, points to the Apricot Blossom Village.

后两句以问答收束，由「借问」到「遥指」，画面陡然明朗，是全诗最见章法之处。诗人不写酒家之乐、不写痛饮之态，只写牧童一举手之遥指，便留出无尽想象：「杏花村」的绚烂与首句的凄雨形成冷暖对照，愁绪在此得到温柔的化解；「遥」字写距离之远与画面之朦胧，「指」字以动作代叙述，不写言语、不写应答，只一举手间方向已明，把读者视线引向杏花深处，由近及远、由实入虚。全诗二十八字，问答之间形成节奏的顿挫，白描如话而余味悠然，正是唐人绝句以少总多、含不尽之意于言外的章法之妙。

The last two lines close in question and answer, from 'I ask' to 'he points', the picture suddenly bright, the poem's most skillful craft. The poet writes not the wineshop's joy, not the state of deep drinking, only the cowherd's one raised hand pointing from afar, leaving endless imagination: the splendor of 'Apricot Blossom Village' forms a warm-cold contrast with the desolate rain of the opening, the grief here softened; 'far off' the distance and the picture's haze, 'points' the gesture for the narrative, no words, no reply, only one raised hand and the direction is clear, leading the reader's gaze deep among the apricot blossoms, from near to far, from the real to the imagined. Twenty-eight words, the question and answer forming the rhythm's turns, plain as talk, the aftertaste at leisure, the craft of the Tang quatrain's 'much through little', holding the endless beyond the words.

Study

Word focus

纷纷 Reduplicative describing rain falling continuously and densely, also hinting at tangled sorrows, blending sight and sound. 「纷纷」叠字，写清明细雨之绵密不绝。「纷纷」本形容众多杂乱，此处状雨丝之密、之细、之连绵，既是实景，又暗喻愁绪纷纭纠结、难以排遣——雨丝纷纷，恰如心事纷纷；叠字的使用还造成音节上的重复回环，仿佛雨声淅沥、声声入耳，视听相通。一字而情景俱足，既点时令又渲染氛围，为全诗定下凄迷的基调，是起句炼字的典范，也是「清明时节雨纷纷」一句千古传诵的声情基础。

断魂 Hyperbole meaning soul about to break, extreme grief; vividly portrays the traveler's homesickness and melancholy. 「欲断魂」写旅人愁绪之极。「断魂」本指魂魄离散，此处以夸张写哀伤之深，仿佛魂魄都要愁断；「欲」字写将断未断、勉强支撑之态，比直说「断」更见分寸与张力，把逢节思乡的悲怆写得惊心动魄而不流于浮泛。以有形写无形，是古典诗歌写愁的惯技，而「断魂」二字尤见力度——它不是淡淡的惆怅，而是刻骨的哀伤，正与清明时节的祭扫氛围相合，也与后文「遥指杏花村」的转暖形成情绪的对照，一沉一扬，全诗的波澜由此而生。

遥指 The word 'far' creates distance and haze; 'points' uses action instead of narration, leaving abundant imagination without describing the tavern or village. 「遥」字写出距离之远与画面之朦胧，牧童与酒家之间隔着一带烟村、一片烟雨；「指」字以动作代叙述，不写言语、不写酒家如何，只一举手间，方向已明。这个动作把读者视线引向杏花深处，画面由近及远、由实入虚，留下无尽想象空间——牧童所指之处，酒旗、村落、杏花隐约可见，而诗人与读者都未亲至，正合「含不尽之意于言外」的留白笔法。一字一动作，把问答式的叙述化为流动的画面，是全诗由哀转暖的关键，也是「牧童遥指杏花村」成为千古名句的妙处所在。

清明