Softly the Rain Falls (Rondeau)

Softly, the rain falls, nature's tears
Nurturing life as it appears
A soothing, calming, welcome sound
As pitter patters meet the ground
This melody delights my ears

Obscuring sun, grey clouds in charge
The ground to cover is quite large
Now wildflowers' drink is found
Softly, the rain falls

Although I know at shower's end
A rainbow in the sky will bend
'Tis not what I anticipate
For life anewed is surely great
Creating such a perfect blend
Softly, the rain falls

A Rondeau is a French form, 15 lines long, consisting of three stanzas: a quintet, a quatrain, and a sestet with a rhyme scheme as follows:

aabba aabR aabbaR.

Lines 9 and 15 are short - a
refrain (R) consisting of a phrase taken from line one.

The other lines are longer (but all of the
same metrical length).