The rain was beating against the window panes. The faint lights outside were quivering, stirring up some ripples in my soul. It has been my tradition to rack my brains to collect various expressions about one thing.

The sound of rain is just like a piece of music from paradise, which lingers around you but sounds like being at the end of the rainbow forever.

The silent rain

It can be described with “slight, gentle, soft, fine, etc.”

A gentle rain is falling on the grass.（细雨洒在草地上。）

A soft rain fell like tears.（轻柔的雨有如落泪。）

“drizzle and sprinkle” are also used to vividly picture this situation.

It drizzles on and off.(牛毛细雨时下时停。)

It’s just sprinkling. (只是在下毛毛雨而已。)

The heavy or hard rain

a hard slanting rain (斜降的暴雨)；

a pluvial rain (大雨、大量的雨) ；

a copious rain (大雨，copious,丰富的)；

a gully-washer（倾盆大雨 大暴雨，gully 是暴雨冲刷出的沟）；

a driving/ pounding rain(倾盆大雨，driving 和 pounding是重重地打击)；

a drenching rain（drench 是让人湿透的意思）；

a torrential rain（ 似急流的雨）；

rainwater cascading down the window(大雨倾泻而下)；

After lightning and thunder came a heavy downpour. (雷电过后，大雨倾盆而下。)；

It Rained Cats and Dogs（倾盆大雨）

The sound of rain

drip（点滴），

dripping（滴落、滴下），

pitter-patter(啪嗒啪嗒 声)，

drumming(重重打击声)，

splash（激溅声）,

Pattering（淅淅沥沥）

We were buffeted by the wind and rain.（buffet 冲击声）

The rain splashed on/against the window.（splash激溅声）

The drums of the rain against my window.（drum 重击声）

We heard the drip, drip, drip of the rain. (我们听到滴答滴答的雨声。)

The drumming on the roof is heard all night. （终夜听到大雨打在屋顶上的声音。）

Rain or shine, time would wash away everything. When the sun shines through a light rain, it makes a rainbow. Let the sunshine filter into your heart and enjoy the rainbow.