Original poem is as follows:
"Qingming"
The rain falls one after another during the Qingming Festival, and people walking on the road want to break their souls.
When I ask where the tavern is, the shepherd boy points to the village of apricot blossoms.
Translation of the poem:
There was a flurry of rain on the day of the Qingming Festival, and the people traveling on the road seemed as confused and miserable as if they had broken their souls. When I asked someone where there was a wine shop, the shepherd boy pointed to the village of apricot blossoms from afar.
Three key phrases:
The poet used the words "one after another" to describe the "flaming rain" on that day, which is really good. The first is that it is not a good idea to use the words "one after another" to describe the day of the fire. "If it was snowing, it would have been a heavy snowfall, so to speak, and it would have been a heavy snowfall. But when it comes to rain, the situation is just the opposite. The kind of rain that makes people feel "one after another" is by no means heavy rain, but fine rain. This fine rain, that is, the characteristics of spring rain. Fine rain, is the kind of "rain on the streets of the sky moist as crispy" kind of rain, it is different from the summer such as pouring like pouring rainstorms, and the kind of pattering autumn rain is never a flavor. This "rain", is to capture the Qingming "splash fire rain" spirit, conveying the kind of "do cold bully flowers, will be trapped in the smoke willow" of the dismal and beautiful realm.
This "one after another" here naturally and undoubtedly describes the mood of the spring rain; but it is more than that, it also has a special role, that is, it actually also describes the mood of the rain walker.
Let's look at the following sentence: "The pedestrians on the road want to break their souls". "Pedestrian" is a traveler who goes out, and "pedestrian" is not the same as "traveler", not those who travel in the spring and stroll around the scenery. Then what is "broken soul"? Is "soul" the soul of "three souls and seven spirits"? No, it is not. In poetry, "soul" refers mostly to mental and emotional matters. The term "broken soul" is used to describe a very strong but hidden emotion that is not clearly expressed on the outside, such as love and longing for each other, despondency and disappointment, dark sorrow and deep hatred. When the poet has this kind of emotion, he often loves to use the word "broken soul" to express his state of mind.
The festival of Ching Ming was felt by the ancients, and our conception of it today is not exactly the same. At that time, the Qingming Festival was a colorful and moody festival, it should be a family reunion, or play and watch, or visit the grave, is the main rituals and customs. In addition to those who are greedy for flowers and wine, such as princes and grandchildren, some of the brains, especially the emotional poets, their feelings are quite complex. If caught up with the lonely traveling, touching the scene sadness, it will be more likely to stir up his heart. In the meantime, the rain is falling and the spring clothes are all wet, which adds another layer of sadness to the pedestrians. This way to experience, to understand why the poet in this moment to write "broken soul" two words.