春雨 (Chūnyǔ)

「春眠不觉晓，处处闻啼鸟」

In spring slumber I never notice the dawn; everywhere I hear birds singing

— Meng Haoran, 'Spring Dawn'

Sleeping soundly through the spring night, unaware that dawn has broken, hearing birdsong everywhere — the most lighthearted poem of spring.

「好雨知时节，当春乃发生」

The good rain knows its season; when spring arrives, it brings life

— Du Fu, 'Joyful Rain on a Spring Night'

The good rain seems to know the right season, arriving with spring — nourishing all things silently.

「等闲识得东风面，万紫千红总是春」

Easy it is to recognize the face of the east wind; all the purple and crimson blooming is spring

— Zhu Xi, 'Spring Day'

One can easily recognize the east wind's arrival — a myriad of blossoms in purple and crimson, and that is spring.

「好雨知时节，当春乃发生。随风潜入夜，润物细无声」

The good rain knows its season; when spring arrives, it brings life. It steals into the night with the wind, nourishing all things silently and gently

— Du Fu, 'Joyful Rain on a Spring Night'

The good rain knows when to fall, arriving with spring. It slips into the night on a gentle breeze, nourishing all things without a sound — silent, selfless giving.

「清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂」

During Qingming Festival, the rain falls in drizzling threads; pedestrians on the road look utterly forlorn

— Du Mu, 'Qingming'

A misty rain falls thickly on Qingming Day; travelers on the road are lost in mournful thought — the melancholy of spring rain.