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Qingming Festival

Ho Chi Minh 1890-1968 At Spring Festival rain falls fen-fen, Cooped up convicts          sorrow unending. May I ask...          freedom where are you? Armed guards keep watch         on a distant tower.

Qīngmíng

Hú Zhìmíng 1890-1968 Qīngmíng Shíjíe yǔ fēnfēn, Lónglǐ qiúrényù duànhún. Jiewèn zìyóu héchù yǒu, Wèibīng yáo zhì biàn gōngmén.

Translator:

Dongbo 東波

Notes: This interesting poem borrows heavily from Du Mu's poem by the same name. (See Charles Wu's translation.) In the Du Mu poem, the traveler asks if there is a wine shop nearby so he can quench his thirst. And he finds one under the apricot blossoms. In Ho Chi Min's poem there is no such happy ending, as he and his fellow convicts endure a cold sodden February day in prison. Qingming is the Chinese Spring Festival usually celebrated in early February. In Vietnam it is also called Tet.

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