Qingming was frequently mentioned in Chinese literature. Among these, the most famous one is probably Du Mu's poem (simply titled "Qingming"): Traditional Chinese / Simplified Chinese / pinyin 清明時節雨紛紛 / 清明时节雨纷纷 / qīng míng shí jié yǔ fēn fēn 路上行人欲斷魂 / 路上行人欲断魂 / lù shàng xíng rén yù duàn hún 借問酒家何處有 / 借问酒家何处有 / jiè wèn jiǔ jiā hé chù yǒu 牧童遙指杏花村 / 牧童遥指杏花村 / mù tóng yáo zhǐ xìng huā cūn English translation A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day; The mourner's heart is going to break on his way. Where can a wineshop be found to drown his sad hours? A cowherd points to a cot 'mid apricot flowers. In the Vietnamese epic poem The Tale of Kieu, Qingming is also mentioned as the occasion where the protagonist Kieu meets a ghost. The lines describing the sceneries during this festival remain some of the most well-known lines in Vietnamese literature: Ngày xuân con én đưa thoi Thiều quang chín chục đã ngoài sáu mươi Cỏ non xanh tận chân trời Cành lê trắng điểm một vài bông hoa Thanh Minh trong tiết tháng ba Lễ là Tảo mộ, hội là Đạp thanh Gần xa nô nức yến oanh Chị em sắm sửa bộ hành chơi xuân English translation Swift swallows and spring days were shuttling by of ninety radiant ones three score had fled. Young grass spread all its green to heaven's rim; some blossoms marked pear branches with white dots. Now came the Feast of Light in the third month with graveyard rites and junkets on the green. As merry pilgrims flocked from near and far, the sisters and their brother went for a stroll.
