《迎谷雨》 Arrival of Grain Rain

By Ngm Hui Ting Vivian (U1631103F)

谷雨*将来临，
牡丹花盛开。

茶叶人人讨，
无人不去摘。

今年不像往，
难和家聚彩。

今日饮春茶，
盼夫早归来。

—

English Translation:

Grain Rain* arriving,
peonies blossoming.
Everyone’s asking for tea leaves,
and everyone’s picking them.
This year is unlike the last,
celebrating with the family is hard.
While drinking spring tea,
I await for the return of my husband.

(Written in the Tang Dynasty, by a commoner wife living in Hunan as she await for the return of her husband who has been conscripted as a soldier.)

*Grain Rain, an important period for the growth of grains. There is also a belief in Southern China where people believed that the tea leaves picked on the day of Grain Rain will brighten the eyes and drive away bad luck. Also, tea leaves picked before the Grain Rain is one of the best-quality tea leaves.