Light Rain
- Poetry of Yang Wanli
The rain falls sparse and fine—neither much nor gone,
Refusing to cease though its force is withdrawn.
As if begrudging poets the mountain view,
It hangs a bead-curtain to hide peaks from you.
Composed during the Qiandao era of Emperor Xiaozong of Southern Song. Yang Wanli encountered light rain during a journey and composed this piece. It was early summer, and as he traveled through the mountains, fine drizzle fell continuously, inspiring the poet. Throughout his life, Yang traveled extensively and particularly loved depicting rain scenes, often transforming ordinary sights into vivid and delightful imagery. Though brief, this poem "Light Rain" embodies the essence of his Chengzhai style: natural simplicity infused with wit and charm.
雨来细细复疏疏，纵不能多不肯无。
似妒诗人山入眼，千峰故隔一帘珠。
- Why Chinese poems is so special?
- The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.
- How to read a Chinese poem?
- Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.
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