The Mountain Village After the Rain

Wang JianJinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJun 2024

4.6

Word count: 2.6K words
Chapters: 48

Summary

Rain Over a Mountain Village is a seven-character quatrain by the Tang poet Wang Jian. The first two lines describe the scenery to convey the stillness of the mountain village. The third line tells of women washing silkworm eggs in the rain, showing the busyness of farm life. The fourth line uses the "idleness" of flowers as a contrast to the locals' busyness. The whole poem paints a fresh and lovely picture of a busy farming season in a mountain village.

Editor's review

Wang Jian's Rain Over a Mountain Village has only four lines yet is clearly structured: the first two lines use the rainy mountain scenery to convey stillness, the third line suddenly turns to women washing silkworm eggs in the rain, and the last line uses the "idleness" of flowers to set off the busyness of farm work. The poem never uses the word "busy," yet through the contrast of movement and stillness and the touch of human activity, it renders the busy farming season in a mountain village fresh and vivid. This edition was printed by Shanghai Jinzhang Book Company. Its brevity makes it suitable as a close-reading sample of a Tang quatrain. Readers may note the turn from scenery to human affairs, and how the word "idle" serves as contrast, appreciating how a quatrain achieves a shift of image and mood within a minimal length. Suitable for repeated recitation in fragmented time such as commuting or between classes, and also as material for introductory classical poetry appreciation or calligraphy copying.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Beginners who want close reading of short pieces and to build methods for appreciating Tang quatrains
Primary and secondary school Chinese teachers who need to explain scene description and contrast in class
Calligraphy enthusiasts looking for short, easy-to-copy and recite material
General readers who like pastoral themes and want to experience the pleasure of movement-and-stillness contrast in classical poetry

Not a good fit for

Researchers needing systematic poetic annotations and detailed textual research on the background of composition
Readers expecting long narrative or complex plot reading experiences
Exam-prep students hoping for line-by-line modern Chinese translation and exercise training

Reading tips

First read through once to grasp the picture, then mark line by line where scene description and human description fall
Circle the word "idle" and think about what it contrasts with, writing down your understanding in one sentence
May be read alongside other Tang pastoral quatrains to appreciate common techniques for closing a short poem

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
【长门烛】王建
【过绮岫宫（东都永宁县西五里）】王建
【朝天词十首寄上魏博田侍中】王建
【霓裳词十首】王建
【宫前早春（一作华清宫）】王建
【奉同曾郎中题石瓮寺得嵌韵】王建
【旧宫人】王建
【新授戒尼师】王建
【太和公主和蕃】王建
【元太守同游七泉寺】王建
【望定州寺】王建
【道中寄杜书记】王建
【听琴】王建
【赠陈评事】王建
【寄画松僧】王建
【花褐裘】王建
【夜看美人宫棋】王建
【上田仆射】王建
【江陵道中】王建
【冬至后招于秀才】王建
【别曲】王建
【长安别】王建
【宫人斜】王建
【春词】王建
【野池】王建
【题崔秀才里居】王建
【酬柏侍御答酒】王建
【别药栏】王建
【长门】王建
【题渭亭】王建
【过喜祥山馆】王建
【送迁客】王建
【废寺】王建
【题禅师房】王建
【看石楠花】王建
【长安县后亭看画】王建
【华岳庙二首】王建
【酬赵侍御】王建
【镊白】王建
【送山人二首】王建
【扬州寻张籍不见】王建
【宿长安县后斋】王建
【夜看扬州市】王建
【寄韦谏议】王建
【寻补阙旧宅】王建
【初冬旅游】王建
【江馆对雨】王建

FAQ

This poem has only four lines. How can I read it to perceive its layers?

You can proceed in three layers: "scene—event—contrast." The first two lines read the stillness of the rainy mountain village, the third line reads the busyness of women washing silkworm eggs, and the last line reads how the "idleness" of flowers contrasts with human busyness. Summarize each layer in one sentence, then look back at how the four lines turn, and the layers will naturally become clear.

What is the function of the flowers' "idleness" in the last line?

Flowers themselves are neither busy nor idle. The poet uses the flowers' leisurely posture to contrast with the tension of farmers working in the rain, creating a contrast. This both preserves the freshness of the mountain village scenery and heightens the weight of the farming busyness; it leaves more aftertaste than simply saying "busy."

Is this edition suitable for recitation or copying?

Its short length and concise wording make it suitable material for recitation and copying. It is suggested to first recite to feel the rhythm, then when copying, note the shifts in tone between the four lines, especially the speed and pauses after the third line turns to human affairs.

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About the author

Wang Jian Author · Chinese

Wang Jian was a Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty, whose courtesy name was Zhongchu. He was a native of Yingchuan (present-day Xuchang, Henan), and the exact years of his birth and death are unknown. Of humble origin, he passed the imperial examination in the tenth year of the Dali era and long remained in low-ranking posts, serving as assistant magistrate of Zhaoying County and as an official of the Court of the Imperial Treasury and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, before being appointed Sima of Shanzhou, whence he was known as "Wang Sima." He was skilled in yuefu poetry and was ranked alongside Zhang Ji, the two being called "Zhang-Wang yuefu." He is also known for his hundred palace poems. His collections include The Poetry Collection of Wang Jian and The Collection of Wang Sima. His poems often depict mountain-village scenery, farewells and correspondence with friends, and military life. Works in the library bearing similar names on modern German drama and on bridge pile foundations should be distinguished when cataloguing.