Wind's in the East

Like "My Fair Lady", "Mary Poppins" was also my childhood favourite musical. Mary Poppins is a new nanny for the two children of the Banks family. She 'floats in' with her umbrella on the wind. She tells the children that she will 'stay until the wind changes.'

A day before her arrival, Bert, a jack-of-all-trades, feels the change of wind, and sings.

Wind's in the east
Mist comin' in
Like something's brewin'
About to begin
Can't put me finger on what lies in store
But I feel what's to happen
All happened before.

In the movie, the Banks family are trying to find a new nanny for their two children, but to the children's disappointment, only old sour-faced nannies come to apply for the job. Then, all of a sudden, a very strong wind (probably from the east) blows in and sweeps all the nannies queued up in front of their house. When all the nannies are gone, Mary Poppins gently flies in with her umbrella and lands in front of house of the Banks family. Later in the movie, when the wind changes from east to west, it was time for Mary Poppins to leave the family because her job was done there.

I felt and later learned from this song that when the wind lies in the east, there is something mysterious coming, not a really good sign, but something is going to change.

In the Nursery Rhymes, there is also a rhyme that teaches you about the winds from 4 directions.

When the wind lies in the east,
'Tis neither good for man nor beast;
When the wind lies in the north,
The skilful fisher goes not forth;
When the wind lies in the south,
It blows the bait in fishes' mouths;
When the wind lies in the west,
Then 'tis at the very best.

Here too, east wind is ominous, 'neither good for man nor beast.'
West wind is the gentle breeze that brings spring.
South wind is the hot dry wind in the summer.
North wind is the strong violent wind that brings winter.

In English, these meanings are connected to each direction of the winds, but it is a little different in Japanese, and here I had to take some time to think and understand.

東風(kochi) means east wind in Japanese, and it is a sign of coming of spring. The wind from the east is gentle, and it melts the ice of winter, and sometimes spring shower.

On the other hand, west wind usually means lonesome wind in autumn.

The east and west meanings are opposite in England and in Japan, but in both cultures, the sign of spring comes from the wind from the sea and the ominous wind come from the continent.