Happy Rain on a Spring Night Good rain knows its time right; It will fall when comes spring. With wind it steals in night; Mute, it moistens each thing. O’er wild lanes dark cloud spreads; In boat a latern looms. Dawn sees saturated reds; The town’s heavy with blooms. ——Translated by Xu Yuanchong
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The 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 are the poem uses personification, as rain was smart enough to come in time for the farmer’s busy season.
In the second couplet, 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 clothes look dark and heavy. It’s a sign that there will be enough rain during the night.
Lastly, the poet starts to imagine. Tomorrow morning, he thinks, the city of Chengdu will become beautiful when all of the flowers bloom(盛开)after the rain.
1. What’s the Chinese title of the poem Happy Rain on a Spring Night?| A．春望 | B．春晓 | C．春夜喜雨 | D．夜雨寄北 |
| A．2 | B．4 | C．6 | D．8 |
| A．Busy. | B．Strong. | C．Dark. | D．Quiet. |
| A．拟人 | B．比喻 | C．排比 | D．对比 |
| A．He is thankful to nature. | B．He loves farming. |
| C．He doesn’t enjoy spring. | D．He expects the flowers to bloom. |
