Book of Songs
郑风·风雨
佚名
风雨凄凄，鸡鸣喈喈。
既见君子，云胡不夷？
风雨潇潇，鸡鸣胶胶。
既见君子，云胡不瘳？
风雨如晦，鸡鸣不已。
既见君子，云胡不喜？
Translation
The wind and rain are cold and bleak; the roosters call again and again. Now that I have seen you, how could my heart not be at peace? The wind and rain fall in gusts; the roosters call insistently. Now that I have seen you, how could my sorrow not be healed? The wind and rain darken the world as if it were night; still the roosters keep calling. Now that I have seen you, how could I not be glad?
Analysis
“Wind and Rain” is a poem of joy set against darkness. Each stanza begins with storm, cold, and the repeated crowing of roosters, then turns suddenly to the sight of the beloved or noble person. The harsher the outer world becomes, the brighter the inner relief appears. The progression of the weather is important. “Cold and bleak,” “rushing and gusting,” and finally “dark as night” create an intensifying atmosphere. The roosters suggest morning, yet the storm makes the world remain dim. Against this gloom, “now that I have seen you” becomes a moment of emotional illumination. The closing questions move from peace, to healing, to joy. The poem does not merely say that meeting brings happiness; it shows how presence can calm fear, cure sorrow, and transform the mood of an entire world. The poem can be read as a love song, but also as a poem about meeting a worthy person or trusted companion in troubled times. Its power lies in the contrast between an unchanged storm outside and a changed heart within.
About the Author
The regional songs in the Book of Songs are mostly anonymous. They often use natural images—wind, rain, birds, plants, roads, rivers—to evoke human feeling. The “Airs of Zheng” are known for vivid emotional expression, especially in poems of love, longing, encounter, and relief.