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Happy Rain on a Spring Night Good rain knows its time right; O'er wild lanes dark cloud spreads; It will fall when comes spring. In boat a lantern looms. With wind it steals in night; Dawn sees saturated reds; Mute, it moistens each thing. The town's heavy with blooms. ——Translated by Xu Yuanchong |
This famous poem, with four couplets, was written by Du Fu (712-770, Tang Dynasty) when he was living and farming in Chengdu. His farming experience taught him to be thankful to nature.
The very first word, "good", shows the poet's joy and love for the spring rain. The rain is good because it "knows" the proper time to come. Here the poet uses personification, as if the rain were smart enough to come in time for the farmer's busy season.
When the rain comes, it appears during the night without making any noise. Unlike the summer storms, the spring rain finishes its task without being known.
In the third couplet, the poet describes a peaceful scene to us. In the night sky, the clouds look dark and heavy. It's a sign that there will be enough rain during the night. The light from the riverboat makes the dark scene a bit livelier.
Lastly, the poet starts to imagine. Tomorrow morning, he thinks, the city of Chengdu will be-come beautiful when all of the flowers bloom (盛开) after the rain.
