The cowherd went to the
brook1 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
hesitation2, 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 createda milky3 wayin the sky with her hairpin4, which kept the lovers apart. The seventh princess moved to the star Vega (The Swooping5 Eagle) in the Lyra (Harp) constellation6. 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 Magpie7 Bridge
Among the beautiful clouds,
Over the heavenly river,
Crosses the weaving maiden8.
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)
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鹊桥仙
宋·秦观
织云弄巧
飞星传恨
银汉迢迢暗度
金风玉露一相逢
便胜却人间无数
柔情似水
佳期如梦
忍顾鹊桥归路
两情若是久长时
又岂在朝朝暮暮
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