Sunday, August 18, 2019

Rain after a drought

April First Happy Rain by Yuan dynasty poet Zhang Yanghao (1269-1329)

Ten-thousand things nearly burned and withered,
Rain comes to dampen and soak.
Heaven and earth returns to life and growth,
Wind and clouds make great plans.
Field workers,
Dancing rend their green straw clothing,
And me,
Joyful without adequate expression.

He was a good governor who loved the people. There is a famous poem about de yi, everything going their way, that he details the first kind. He took on another name Xi Mong, wishing he was Mongzi.

Four kinds of happy people:
Those suffering drought who finally get rain,
Sojourners in a far away place who meet old friends,
The night of your marriage, light the candle of the honeymoon suite,
Exam results show your name having passed.