Chinese Valentine's Day Comes（情系七夕）
[ 2006-07-31 09:56 ]
 The cowherd went to the brook and watched the seven pretty daughters of
the Emperor come down from heaven to take a bath. Fascinated by the youngest and
the most beautiful one, the cowherd hid her fairy clothes. When the other six
fairies went away after the bath, the youngest could not fly back to heaven
without her fairy clothes.
The cowherd then appeared and told the
Weaving Maid that he would keep her clothes until she agreed to be his wife.
After a slight hesitation, mixed with coyness and eagerness, the maid accepted
the handsome man's proposal. The couple was then married and had two children
two years later.
Meanwhile, up in heaven, the Emperor missed the beautiful skies once woven by
his seventh daughter. He ordered his daughter's grandmother to find her and
bring her back to him. As the seventh princess was flying to heaven with her
grandmother, the cowherd put on his old ox's hide (which he preserved after the
animal had died long ago) and put their children into two bamboo baskets laced
with his wife's magical fairy clothes to chase after his love.
But the
grandmother created a milky way in
the sky with her hairpin, which kept the lovers apart. The seventh princess
moved to the star Vega (The Swooping Eagle) in the Lyra (Harp) constellation.
And the cowherd and their two children stayed on the star Altair (Flying One) in
the Aquila (Eagle) constellation.
 A Poem
One of the most famous poems about the legend was written by Qin Guan of in
the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
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Fairy Of The Magpie Bridge
Among the beautiful clouds,
Over the heavenly
river,
Crosses the weaving maiden.
A night of rendezvous,
Across the autumn
sky.
Surpasses joy on earth.
Moments of tender love
and dream,
So sad to leave the magpie bridge.
Eternal love between us two,
Shall withstand
the time apart.
(Translated by Kylie Hsu) |
鵲橋仙
宋·秦觀
織云弄巧
飛星傳恨
銀漢迢迢暗度
金風玉露一相逢
便勝卻人間無數
柔情似水
佳期如夢
忍顧鵲橋歸路
兩情若是久長時
又豈在朝朝暮暮 |
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