posted July 22, 2006 10:37 AM
TANABATA : known as the festival of Lovers or Star Festival, is based on an old romantic Chinese legend. It celebrates the story of two lovers, Shokujo and Kenju. Shokujo was a princess who was asked by her father to weave a wonderful cloth. Instead of completing her task, she fell in love with a shepherd named Kenju. When the King discovered that the cloth was not woven and that his daughter had fallen in love with a commoner, he became angry and he banished his daughter and her lover to the sky. He said that they could only meet once a year on Tanabata. When the two star-crossed lovers tried to meet however, they could not cross the sky. The lovebirds took pity on them and spread their wings between the two stars to make the Milky Way. That is why once a year Shokujo and Kenju are able to meet again. The two stars associated with this celebration are Altair and Vega, on opposite sides of the Milky Way.This legend was brought to Japan and combined with the legend of Princess Oto-Tanabata, who offered her woven products to a god. Thus, the star festival was born out of these two ancient legends and named Tanabata(which means loom or weaver) and on July 7, the Japanese decorate a bamboo tree with strips of colorful papers on which they write their wishes. If the sky is clear, and beautiful stars shine through, then the two star-crossed lovers can meet and that their wishes will be granted.
While searching the net for more insight on Tanabata, I have found the most simple and beautiful poetry from Japan and China. I hope you find them as exquisite as I do.
Izumi Shikibu
Don't look up
by yourself
at the sky where stars meet--
the wind from the Milky Way
blows cold.
How I envy the Tanabata Stars
their once-yearly lovemaking tonight--
in this world,
there is a woman who doesn't know what love's future may be.
Two Tanabata Poems
translated by Jane Hirshfield and Mariko Aratani
Amidst the flowers a jug of wine,
I pour alone lacking companionship.
So raising the cup I invite the Moon,
Then turn to my shadow which makes three of us.
Because the Moon does not know how to drink,
My shadow merely follows the movement of my body.
The moon has brought the shadow to keep me company a while,
The practice of mirth should keep pace with spring.
I start a song and the moon begins to reel,
I rise and dance and the shadow moves grotesquely.
While I'm still conscious let's rejoice with one another,
After I'm drunk let each one go his way.
Let us bind ourselves for ever for passionless journeyings.
Let us swear to meet again far in the Milky Way
Lindaland
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posted July 22, 2006 10:37 AM