In light rain, Heaven Street is moist like butter,
The grass is green from afar, but not nearby.
The spring is best this time every year,
The mist of willow blossom fills the capital.
About poet: Han Yu [768- 824] wrote in the Mid-Tang period, was a founder of Neo-Confucianism as well as a poet, and was exiled for his views. He was a prominent intellectual figure of the time, active in prose writing, literary sponsorship and the promotion of Confucianism as well as himself writing poetry. Many of his poems are innovative in both content and language.
Analysis: This four-line poem, composed of seven characters, praises the beauty of early spring. The first line poetically describes the light showers of early spring as "润如酥,"or, fine and dewy. The second line links closely to the first, in its depiction of the tender grass in the dewy mist after the spring rain. The third and fourth lines continue to praise the beauty of early spring.
This poem celebrates the beauty of the rain in early spring. The evocative images of the rain are only eclipsed by its importance as the bringer of water for the harvest. Thus, the saying "最是一年春好处" developed. The poet perfectly grasps the nature of the early spring rain, while simultaneously celebrating its beauty. The characters are so powerful they practically overflow with joy.