Beginning of Summer

The weather of the four seasons turns in succession, urging time onward; in a single night, the warm southern breeze brings the first heat. The days lengthen over the fields, where green wheat seems to rise in the warmth; in the gardens, yellow plums ripen after the rain. Orioles cry as though burdened with endless sorrow at spring’s departure, while butterflies linger around fading flowers as though grieving its return no more. Waking from an afternoon nap beside the south window, my thoughts feel languid; I idly watch the deep shade of scholar trees spread across the terraces and pavilions.

This regulated verse gives a full and delicate account of both the seasonal signs and the emotional atmosphere of Beginning of Summer. The opening “四时天气促相催” conveys the urgency of time as the seasons press one another onward, while “一夜薰风带暑来” captures the swiftness of seasonal change—as though spring wind became summer wind overnight. The second couplet, “陇亩日长蒸翠麦，园林雨过熟黄梅”, turns to field and garden. The character “蒸” gives dynamic force to the green wheat growing vigorously beneath the sun, while “熟” describes the yellow plums becoming full and ripe after rain. The third couplet uses “莺啼” and “蝶恋” to express sorrow at spring’s departure, giving human feeling to birds and butterflies. The final couplet, “睡起南窗情思倦，闲看槐荫满亭台”, brings the poet himself into the scene. After Beginning of Summer, the days grow longer and the mind too becomes languid; the character “闲” conveys a peaceful state of mind that follows the season and quietly accepts early summer.