Cold Food Festival Message to My Brothers in the Capital - Wei Yingwu
/寒食寄京师诸弟 - 韦应物/
Yearning for Family Amid Spring’s Quiet Festival
寒食寄京师诸弟
Cold Food Festival Message to My Brothers in the Capital
雨中禁火空斋冷
In the rain, no fires are lit, the chamber is cold and still
江上流莺独坐听
By the river, I sit alone listening to orioles on the wing
把酒看花想诸弟
Raising my cup amid blooming flowers, I think of my brothers afar
杜陵寒食草青青
In Duling at Cold Food time, the grass grows ever green
In this poem, Wei Yingwu evokes the quiet poignancy of the Cold Food Festival—an important day in ancient China when the lighting of fires was prohibited. As rain falls, the unheated chamber feels emptier and more austere. Perched near the river, the poet takes in the sound of orioles, a gentle yet solitary moment that accentuates his sense of distance from loved ones.
The imagery of raising a cup and gazing at newly blossomed flowers underscores both the arrival of spring and the poet’s longing for his brothers, who remain in the capital. The Cold Food Festival is a reminder of the ties that bind family together, even as physical separation weighs on the poet’s heart. Finally, he envisions Duling—where the grass has grown fresh and green. This snapshot of renewal simultaneously amplifies his yearning to reconnect with those dear to him.
The poem speaks to the universal experience of missing family during special occasions. It reminds us how deeply festivals are linked to home, companionship, and tradition. Yet it also celebrates the understated beauty of solitary reflection: in the hush of a drizzly day and the gentle presence of nature, the poet finds a moment of mindful stillness. Through simple yet resonant imagery, Wei Yingwu captures the bittersweet interplay between longing and hope—tying the cyclical renewal of spring to the enduring bonds of kinship.
Key points
This poem highlights the comforting power of remembering loved ones during traditional festivals, even when distance or circumstance keeps families apart.