七十二候

East wind thaws the ice

 

Bush warblers start singing in the mountains

 

Fish emerge from the ice

 

Rain moistens the soil

 

Mist starts to linger

 

Grass and trees start to bud

 

Hibernating insects open their doors

 

First peach blossoms

 

Caterpillars become butterflies

 

Sparrows start to build nests

 

First cherry blossoms

 

First spring thunder

 

Swallows return

 

Wild geese fly north

 

First rainbows appear

 

Reeds begin to sprout

 

Last frost, rice seedlings grow

 

Peonies bloom

 

Frogs start singing

 

Worms surface

 

Bamboo shoots sprout

 

Silkworms start feasting on mulberry leaves

 

Safflowers bloom

 

Wheat ripens

 

Praying mantises hatch

 

Rotten grass becomes fireflies

 

Plums turn yellow

 

Self-heal withers

 

Irises bloom

 

Crow-dipper sprouts

 

Warm winds blow

 

First lotus blossoms

 

Hawk fledglings learn to fly

 

Paulownia trees set seed

 

Earth is damp, air is humid

 

Great Rains Sometimes Fall

 

Cool Winds Arrive

 

Higurashi cicadas sing

 

Deep fog descends

 

The cotton boll opens

 

Heaven and earth begin to quieten

 

The grain ripens

 

The dew on the grass runs white

 

The wagtail calls

 

The swallows depart

 

Thunder puts away its voice

 

The insects shut their doors

 

The waters begin to dry

 

Wild geese return

 

Chrysanthemums bloom

 

Crickets chirp near the door

 

First frost falls

 

Light rain sometimes falls

 

Maple leaves and ivy turn yellow

 

Camellias start to bloom

 

Earth starts to freeze

 

Daffodils bloom

 

Rainbows hide, seen no more

 

North wind blows the leaves from trees

 

Tachibana citrus leaves start to turn yellow

 

Cold sets in, winter begins

 

Bears start hibernating in their dens

 

Salmon gather and swim upstream

 

Self-heal sprouts

 

Deer shed antlers

 

Wheat sprouts under snow

 

Parsley flourishes

 

Springs thaw underground

 

Pheasants start to call

 

Butterburs bloom

 

Ice thickens on streams

 

Hens start laying eggs