Grain Rain

There is neither wind nor rain; the weather is clear and mild. Green bamboo stands tall and graceful, its joints and branches upright. What I love most is when, in the cool of evening, a good friend comes to visit, and I brew a pot of newly picked Songluo tea. A few fresh bamboo leaves rustle softly, while a few light brushstrokes sketch the distant mountains. Qingming has just passed and Grain Rain follows close behind; I sit among the bamboo, savoring a cup of fragrant tea.

Tea runs through the entire poem as its central thread. The opening “不风不雨正晴和” describes the mild weather typical of Grain Rain, precisely the best season for harvesting and processing spring tea. “翠竹亭亭” and “新叶萧萧” form stillness and movement within the same space, while “横皴淡淡山” gives the distant landscape the quality of an ink painting. Together they create a secluded and tranquil setting. In “一壶新茗泡松萝”, “松萝” refers to a famous tea, while “一杯香茗坐其间” directly states the theme of drinking tea at Grain Rain. Expressions such as “好节柯”, “淡淡山”, and “坐其间”, together with the poem’s unhurried phrasing, create a slow and relaxed rhythm. Reading it, one seems almost to taste the tea and feel the breeze beside oneself, fully expressing the calm state of mind of a refined scholar during Grain Rain.