There was a very beautiful daughter of the Lord of Heaven living beside the Milky way sparkling in the night sky. Her name was Orihime. She listened to her father well and working hard on weaving everyday. The cloth she made was very beautiful and it was shining in 5 colours. The wonderful brocade changed its colour every season. The Lord of Heaven was impressed but thought poor about her since she was marrigeable age but didn't make up, and didn't even have time to fall in love. So, he decided for her to get married with Kengyu. He was a cow boy living west of the Milky way. Thus, the two started their new life.
However, after getting married, Orihime was absorbed in the life with Kengyu and frolicking every day. She stopped weaving. Her father let her off for a while because they were newly-married couple, but started getting mad since it didn't stop. He got very angry and visited them. He said, "Orihime, did you forget your job is weaving? I can't let your misunderstanding keep going. So, you must go back to the riverside and start weaving hard again". And he added, "If you reform yourself and work hard, I'll let you meet Kengyu once a year, on the night of July 7th".
She felt a lot of pain to live without Kengyu, but she couldn't disobay her father. So, she said bye to her husband and went back east of the Milky way with drooping her head.
From that time, she reflected on her past conduct and started weaving hard again. Of course Kengyu felt the same way as well. He worked and worked..and waited for July the 7th comes. Like this, both of them strived for their job, and waited for the night
However, if it rains on that day, the water of the river comes up and she can't cross the river. Even though the young moon is under the river, the hearless shipper doesn't ship her to the other side. So they linger on each side of the river weeping and looking at the surface of it with feeling pain.
So, if it rains on the 7th of July, a group of magpie that can't stand looking at the two people come from somewhere, and make a bridge on the Milky way with spreading their wings, and help Orihime to meet Kengyu.
This story is very popular in Japan. We put ornaments and cerebrate the day. The very popular one is putting a bamboo somewhere and tie pieces of paper we wrote our wish :)
4 comments:
For four consecutive nights I looked into the sky...I looked to the east but couldn't find the beautiful Orihime. Not to bad...I could see the full moon shining. Occasionally I could see some twinkling flying objects, they are aeroplanes, not magpies. HHmm, what an authoritarian dad...old fossil. By the way, where can I find the lyrics of that children's song?
Oh, it's here :)
ささの葉さらさら
のきばにゆれる
お星さまきらきら
きんぎん砂子（すなご）
五色（ごしき）のたんざく
わたしがかいた
お星さまきらきら
空からみてる
詩歌を伝えて、ありがとうございます。With the help of dictionaries, I try to understand the lyrics in this way
"Sara Sara" The bamboo leaves rustle. The stars twinkle like golden and silvery sands in the sky.
I saw the stars sparkling in the sky. I wrote it on a five coloured paper.
If I were correct in understanding the lyrics, then how is it related to 7th July, or the beautiful Orihime?
Ah, the rylics doesn't sound related to Orihime. But this is a very popular song of Tanabata in Japan :)
Post a Comment