“The good rain knows its season.”

—  Du Fu

The quote "The good rain knows its season." is famous quote by Du Fu (712–770), Chinese poet of the Tang Dynasty.

Source: Kim Cheng Boey, Between Stations: Essays (2009), p. 102
Context: Spring Night, Delighting in Rain (A translation by Burton Watson)

The good rain knows when to fall,
stirring new growth the moment spring arrives.

Wind-borne, it steals softly into the night,
nourishing, enriching, delicate, and soundless.

Country paths black as the clouds above them;
on a river boat a lone torch flares.

Come dawn we'll see a landscape moist and pink,
blossoms heavy over the City of Brocade.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update April 18, 2023. History

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Du Fu photo
Du Fu13
Chinese poet of the Tang Dynasty 712–770

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