清明 王禹偁

清明       王禹偁 (954-1001)

無花無酒過清明，興味蕭然似野僧。

昨日鄰家乞新火，曉窗分與讀書燈。

Ching Ming Festival        Wang Yucheng (954-1001)

A Ching Ming Festival passed by with flowers and wine I’ve had none,

I feel as unpalatable as a wayfaring monk,
Yesterday I begged a neighbor who has got new cooking fire to share with me some,
So at dawn I can light up my lamp and study under my casement,
The normal daily work of a poor young scholar has thus begun.