盼望着，盼望着，东风来了，春天的脚步近了。一切都像刚睡醒的样子，欣欣然张开了眼。山朗润起来了，水涨起来了，太阳的脸红起来了。小草偷偷地从土里钻出来，嫩嫩的，绿绿的。园子里，田野里，瞧去，一大片一大片满是的。坐着，躺着，打两个滚，踢几脚球，赛几趟跑，捉几回迷藏。风轻悄悄的，草软绵绵的。
桃树、杏树、梨树，你不让我，我不让你，都开满了花赶趟儿。红的像火，粉的像霞，白的像雪。花里带着甜味儿；闭了眼，树上仿佛已经满是桃儿、杏儿、梨儿。花下成千成百的蜜蜂嗡嗡地闹着，大小的蝴蝶飞来飞去。野花遍地是：杂样儿，有名字的，没名字的，散在草丛里像眼睛，像星星，还眨呀眨的。
“吹面不寒杨柳风”，不错的，像母亲的手抚摸着你。风里带来些新翻的泥土气息，混着青草味儿，还有各种花的香，都在微微润湿的空气里酝酿。鸟儿将巢安在繁花嫩叶当中，高兴起来了，呼朋引伴地卖弄清脆的喉咙，唱出宛转的曲子，与轻风流水应和着。牛背上牧童的短笛，这时候也成天嘹亮地响着。
雨是最寻常的，一下就是两三天。可别恼。看，像牛毛，像花针，像细丝，密密地斜织着，人家屋顶上全笼着一层薄烟。树叶儿却绿得发亮，小草儿也青得逼你的眼。傍晚时候，上灯了，一点点黄晕的光，烘托出一片安静而和平的夜。在乡下，小路上，石桥边，有撑起伞慢慢走着的人，还有地里工作的农民，披着蓑，戴着笠。他们的房屋，稀稀疏疏的，在雨里静默着。
天上风筝渐渐多了，地上孩子也多了。城里乡下，家家户户，老老小小，也赶趟儿似的，一个个都出来了。舒活舒活筋骨，抖擞精神，各做各的一份儿事去。“一年之计在于春”，刚起头儿，有的是工夫，有的是希望。
春天像刚落地的娃娃，从头到脚是新的，它生长着。
春天像小姑娘，花枝招展的，笑着，走着。
春天像健壮的青年，有铁一般的胳膊和腰脚，领着我们上前去。
Spring
by Zhu Ziqing
So long and so much have I been looking forward to it. Now the east wind blows again and I finally hear the footsteps of approaching spring.
All living beings seem to have woken up from a sound sleep and opened their eyes cheerfully. Mountains are greening, waters are welling, and the sun is glowing more brightly.
Little blades of grass, so delicate and greenish, are poking their little heads out of the ground. They are spreading out everywhere within your sight—in gardens and in fields. And you may feel inclined to sit, or lie, or just roll yourself on the soft grass; you may also want to play football, do several rounds of running, or play hide-and-seek there, in the gentle breeze. The breeze is light. The grass is soft.
Peach trees, apricot trees, and pear trees are jostling to bloom. Flowers of all types—red as flame, pink as clouds, and white as snow—are giving off sweet aroma. Close your eyes and in your vision the trees are already full of peaches, apricots and pears. Among the flowers you could see swarms of honeybees humming and buzzing, and butterflies, large or small, flapping wings to and fro. And there are miscellaneous wild flowers too, their names known or unknown, dotting the grass like blinking eyes or twinkling stars.
It’s true that “you won’t feel chill in a breeze that sways willows.” It just feels like mum’s fondling hand! It also carries the smell of the newly-ploughed soil, which is mixed with the scent of grass and fragrance of flowers, all brewing in the moist air.
Birds are nesting amongst blooms and foliage. In their delight, they would flaunt their distinguished chirping to their friends and sing melodious songs accompanied by breezing wind and running streams. At this same time, flute music loud and clear from riding cowboys also fills the air.
Rains are common in this season, and always last a couple of days. But please don’t fret. They are drizzles, falling like cows’ hair, sewing needles and fine threads to weave sideways into a mist, enveloping the houses. The tree leaves are dazzlingly green, and so is the grass. When the dusk sets in and lights are on, the rainy evening seems more quiet and serene in the dim yellow. In the countryside, there are people strolling leisurely, holding an umbrella, along the trails or beside the stone bridges. In the fields, farmers, wearing a straw-cloak and a bamboo-hat, are working, their cottages, sparsely located, standing still in the rain.
Rains are common in this season, and always last a couple of days. But please don’t be annoyed. They are drizzles, falling like ox hair, threads or silk to weave into a mist, enveloping the country cottages sparsely scattered around. Leaves and grass appears more bright green. In the dusk when lights are lit, the rainy evenings seem more peaceful with the warm yellow halos. On the country roads and by the stone bridges there are travelers with their oilpaper umbrellas, and in the fields there are still working farmers with their palm cloaks and bamboo hats on.
Kites in the sky are increasing, and so are children on the ground. People, young and old, from households of cities or villages, come out hurriedly to stretch a little and do their own things.
Yes, “a year’s plan starts in spring”.
This is a new start; there are things to do and hopes to fulfill.
Spring is like a newborn infant; everything from head to toe is new and growing.
Spring is like a stunningly dressed maiden; she is walking and smiling.
Spring is like a robust youth with steel-like physique; he is leading us forward.
