The Rain Lyrics
Two verses call the rain to come. The first wants water to run, meadow grass to grow and fruit and grain to greet us. The second wants the mill to make meal, grinding wheat and sweet corn when the old mill-wheel turns.
The Rain
Come, rain, come,
That the water may run,
That the meadow grass may grow;
That the fruit and grain
O'er hill and plain,
May greet us as we go.
Come, rain, come,
That the water may run,
That the mill may make our meal; -
'Twill grind our wheat,
And corn so sweet,
When it turns the old mill-wheel.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/the-rain/
- Type
- Poems for Children
- Tune
- A gentle, falling tune like rain, with the same opening in both verses
- Best for ages
- 3 to 7 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Come, rain, come, | Flutter your fingers downward like falling raindrops. |
| When it turns the old mill-wheel. | Roll your two fists round each other in front of you, like a wheel. |
What Does The Rain Mean?
Rain, Rain, Go Away sends the rain off. This poem asks it to come, and gives the reasons. The first verse wants water to run, grass to grow in the meadow, and fruit and grain to spread over hill and plain until they greet us as we go. The second verse follows the water to the mill. Running water turns the mill-wheel, and the mill makes meal, which is ground grain: it will grind the wheat and the sweet corn.
So the poem is a short chain of cause and effect: rain, running water, a turning wheel, flour or meal for the family. Each verse begins with the same three words, Come, rain, come, and the same second line, that the water may run, which makes it easy for a small child to learn and join.
History and Origin
This verse about rain and the mill comes from the 1896 edition of Mrs. E. P. Miller's Mother Truth's Melodies. It gives no author for the poem.
Learning Activities
- Rain on the roof: tap your fingers on a table, softly then harder, to make the sound of rain.
- Mill-wheel: hold a toy waterwheel or a paper pinwheel under a slow trickle of water from a jug, outdoors or over a bowl.
- Grow something: water a pot of cress seeds or a plant and notice what changes over a few days.
- Wet-day walk: on a drizzly day, put on boots and listen for the sound of water running.