Rain in various kigo

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。。。　RAIN - AME - 雨

***** Location: Worldwide
***** Season: Many seasons, see below
***** Category: Heavens

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Explanation



"Paris Street" (1875) by Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894)


The word RAIN just like that (ame 雨）is not a kigo in Japan.
Expressions like "long rain, strong rain, gentle rain, soft rain, steady rain" without the mentioning of a specific season are also NOT considerd kigo but topics.

But since the rain in a constant partner throughout the year, there are many kigo connected with it.
"sheets of rain" can be seen during any strong rain on our windows. This expression is also not a kigo.
Raindrops, again no kigo by itself.


Let us go through the seasons.

Gabi Greve

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ama-dare no 　..........　雨だれの
ootsubu kotsubu 　..........　大粒小粒
sugi no eda 　.......... 　杉の枝


dripping rain
in big drops, small drops –
a cedar branch

Regen -
grosse Tropfen, kleine Tropfen
vom Zedernast

Gabi Greve (Photo from Tanjoo-ji Temple, Japan)


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SPRING

rain in spring (haru no ame 春の雨)
that could be any kind of rain, usually an unpleasant cold one, during springtime.

spring-rain, spring rain (harusame 春雨)
harusame is the word for Chinese glassnoodles. This is a kind of soft, welcome rain for the rice paddies and fields which are dry from the winter time. It is a gentle rain that can last for a day or longer.
Some famous SPRING RAIN haiku


Umbrella for spring rain, harusame gasa 春雨傘（はるさめがさ）


evening shower in spring, haru yuudachi
春夕立（はるゆうだち）
..... haru shuu-u 春驟雨 (はるしゅうう),
..... haru no shuu-u 春の驟雨（はるのしゅうう）、


long spring rain, haru no naga-ame, 春の長雨（はるのながあめ）
..... haru rin-u 春霖雨（はるりんう）, shunrin 春霖 (しゅんりん)


"brings the trees to bud", konome moyashi 木の芽萌やし(このめもやし)
gentle rain at the time when trees start to bud.


rain on the cherry blossoms （hana no ame 花の雨）
Either rain directly on the cherry blossoms themselves or
rain during the time of cherry blossoms (hanadoki no ame　花時の雨）
According to the Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, it can also be a metaphor (mitate) for a heavy fall of blossoms/petals. (In this case, petals falling like snow (hanafubuki) can also be used.

This chilly rain evokes a feelilng of sadness of course, since the blossoms are to go.　In older haiku and tanka, it had the atmosphere of FUGA　風雅. Lately, it is more of the cumbersome variety of viewing cherry blossoms in a crowd with umbrellas and rain splashing on your legs from too much traffic on the road ...

"Rain on Blossoms" (hana no ame) 花の雨
rain during the time of cherry blossoms, hanadoki no ame
花時の雨（はなどきのあめ）
fuuga


rain on the rape flowers, natane zuyu, 菜種梅雨 (なたねづゆ)


sleet in spring, haru shigure 春時雨 (はるしぐれ)
... haru no shigure 春の時雨（はるのしぐれ）


april shower, april showers
quote
April showers is a term that denotes spring rains in some parts of the northern hemisphere, in particular the UK, during the Gregorian or Julian month of April. One of the major reasons for the, often, very heavy showers and downpours that characterise April is the position of the jet stream.
In early spring the jet stream starts to move northwards allowing large depressions to bring strong winds and rain in from the Atlantic and in one day the weather can change from springtime sunshine to winter sleet and snow. The track of these depressions can often be across Ireland and Scotland bringing bands of rain followed by heavy showers (often of hail or snow) and strong blustery winds. So in one day the weather can change from springtime sunshine to winter sleet and snow.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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SUMMER

summer rain, natsu no ame 夏の雨 (なつのあめ)
..... natsusame 夏雨（なつさめ）
"rain on the green", ryoku-u 緑雨（りょくう）


rain in the fifth month, May-Rain (samidare　五月雨)
according to the old lunar calendar. Now it refers mostly to the rain during the Rainy Season. Basho's haiku about the samidare is especially famous.

rain in the fifth month, satsuki ame 五月雨（さつきあめ）
raining in the fifth month, samidaruru さみだるる
rainclouds in the fifth month, samidare gumo 五月雨雲（さみだれぐも）
umbrella for the rain in the fifth month, samidare gasa五月雨傘（さみだれがさ）



.. .. .. .. may rain
.. .. .. .. leaves dancing
.. .. .. .. in the forest mist

Gabi Greve (Photo from Koya San, Japan)


rain on new leaves (wakaba ame 若葉雨）
rain on green leaves, aoba ame 青葉雨

rain on the village, murasame 村雨 (むらさめ)
brings a gentle sound to the village.


"rain to know the time", toki shiru ame 時知る雨 (ときしるあめ)
gentle rain, where you can walk on with your arm lifted over the head and do not need an umbrella yet. Rain that will stop as soon as it started.
..... "fast rain", haya ame 早雨 (はやさめ )
..... "passing rain", toori ame 通り雨 (とうりあめ)
..... "three bundles" rain, mitsuka ame 三束雨 (みつかあめ)
After a thunderstorm, when you have the time to bind three bundles of cut rice plants together before the next rain starts.


tofu-dregs getting rotten (u no hana kutashi　(kudashi) 卯の花腐し
again the rain in the old lunar month of may, when it gets hot and warm and the tofu starts rotting soon. During the old lunar month of april and may, the rain was very long (but not yet the rainy season).


Evening Rain at Atake, by Hiroshige
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/amico/images-disabled/japan/japonisme.html



Cloudburst, Evening Shower (yuudachi) (夕立）： often connected with a thunderstorm in the evening.


rainy season　（tsuyu, bai-u　梅雨): literally "ume no ame", the rain on the plums. The plums (or rather apricots) are just getting ready to be picked and pickled to make salt-plums, umeboshi. Some haiku books quote the rainy season as a season in itself.
..... See here: Rainy Season (tsuyu) Japan

forebodes of the rainy season (hashiri-zuyu　走り梅雨) : rain during the end of may (old lunar calendar), before the real onslaught of the rainy season.

ending rain of the rainy season (okuri-zuyu, okuri bai-u　送り梅雨) : usually a real strong downpoor to signal the end of the rainy season. I remember one of these endless rains when we had a lot of mudslides and overflown rivers with so much damage all over Japan.


"great rain", heavy rainfall, downpoor (oo-ame　大雨)
most feared by the farmers because it brings a huge amount of water in a short time and thus a lot of uncontrollable damage.

.. .. .. .. ..

spell of sunshine during a rain (kitsune no yome-iri　狐の嫁入り）
literally: The Fox is taking his bride home. A fox-wedding party) .

“There are so many Japanese phrases and words that use foxes as creature that deceives people. One of them is, 狐の嫁入り (Kitsune no Yomeiri, wedding of fox). This is a word for a day that rains with sun out. Foxes like to deceive people, so have their wedding on rainy but sunny day.”
http://tachikoma.phpwebhosting.com/article/1242/kitsune-no-yomeiri

There is also a Shakuhachi-tune of this title:
This is a Jiuta piece in the Saku mono style . This piece was composed for shamisen by Kuzuhara Koto .
http://www.komuso.com/pieces/Kitsune_no_Yome_Iri.html


short spell of rain, almost like the "fox rain"
sobae ame, sobae 日照雨 (そばえあめ)
"rain and shine", tenki ame, 天気雨 (てんきあめ）


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AUTUMN

autumn rain, aki no ame, 秋の雨 (あきのあめ)
... akisame 秋雨（あきさめ）
... shuurinn 秋霖（しゅうりん）, aki tsuiri 秋黴雨（あきついり）


autumn rain front, akisame sensen 秋雨前線

Autumn Rain Front, September 2006, Japan 　


long rain of autumn (aki no naga-ame　秋の長雨）
sometimes equivalent to the rainy season in its power.

autumn-rain (shuurin　秋霖 )
refers to the long rain of autumn.

sleet in autumn, aki shigure 秋時雨 (あきしぐれ)


La pluie d'automne
Autumn rain haiku by Richard Vallance

... ... ...

Ploi mocăneşti / slow-dripping rain in Romania

slow-dripping rain falls
on the asphalt, grey on grey,
on my soul as well…


Oaspete prelung—
o ploaie mocănească
nici un alt prieten

a long staying guest—
a slow-dripping rain
no other friend


câinele nervos:
a adormit chiar şi el:
ploi mocăneşti

the furious dog
yes, even he fell asleep:
long, slow-dripping rains

Cristian Mocanu

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WINTER

Rain in winter, fuyu no ame 冬の雨 (ふゆのあめ)

Winter drizzle (shigure) 時雨　 rain mixed with snow, cold rain, snowy drizzle, sleet
..... Including many kigo with this connection. !!!!!


ice-rain, hi-same 氷雨 : rain with icepieces, sort of hail.

rain in the cold , kan no ame　寒の雨 (かんのあめ)
..... kanku no ame 寒九の雨（かんくのあめ）



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NEW YEAR

rain on January 1, onburi 御降り (おんふり)
"honorable downpoor". If it rains, the harvest will be blessed in this year.

o-sagari


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Rain as an all-season topic

fragrance of rain, ame no ka 雨の香

ame no ka ni tachimasarikeri matsu no shin

fragrance of rain -
growing up eagerly,
the pine candles

Watanabe Suiha (1882 - 1946)

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Worldwide use

India Saijiki

Rain and Haiku

.. .. .. Monsoon, the Rains (July - August)

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Florida, Texas and other areas of North America

"iron rain"
a very strong rain that falls in summer, but feels cold, like iron pellets.



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Things found on the way

Rain in Japanese Haiku
http://www.geocities.jp/kuduki2004/asagaku/0619/0619.htm

Book about the heavenly and earthly phenomenon in Haiku
Haiku no Tenchi


Tsuji Momoko
http://www.sogensha.co.jp/mybooks/ISBN4-422-73120-3.htm


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Two Raindrops (A Fable)

Two little raindrops were born in a shower,
And one was so pompously proud of his power,

snip snip

At last it came to its journey's end,
And welcomed the sea as an old-time friend.
"An ocean," it said, "there could not be
Except for the millions of drops like me."

Read it all HERE:
source : 　www.apples4theteacher.com . Joseph Morris


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HAIKU

五月雨を集めてはやし最上川
samidare o atsumete hayashi Mogamigawa

collecting the May-rain
running so fast -
the Mogami River



春雨や 蜂の巣つたふ 屋根の漏り
harusame ya hachi no su tsutau yane no mori

spring rain -
drips from a wasp's nest
through the leeking roof

Matsuo Basho
Tr. Gabi Greve


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秋時雨今日も駅まで同じ道　
aki shigure kyoo mo eki made onaji michi



cold autumn rain -
today again
the same way to the station
(Tr. Gabi Greve)
http://www.cripep.com/tdtv/archives/2004/10/post_308.html
by Katsumi 勝美


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two monks
no other master
than the rain

beggarly pilgrims
walking in the rain
fragrant grasses


Geert Verbeke

Read more of Geert's haiku about rain
http://happyhaiku.blogspot.com/2004/01/friends-geert-verbeke.html


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autumn rains ~
so many birds in wild song ~
a barking dog

autumn drizzle ~
a crow makes an
aimless traversing

Narayanan Raghunathan, India 2006


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Rain Drops

Slowly sliding down
from one leaf to another,
earth waits patiently.

Minal Sarosh, India, January 2008

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meeting rains
my umbrella sings
inside a songless me

Raju Samal, India, June 2009



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Related words

***** Sleet, rain mixed with snow, cold rain, wy drizzle (shigure) 　

***** Dew, dewdrops (tsuyu) Japan heavy with dew, tsuyukeshi,

***** Cloud, clouds(kumo) Japan, worldwide. Various Kigo.


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Back to the Worldkigo Index
http://worldkigodatabase.blogspot.com/

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