“鹊桥仙” (Què qiáo xiān)- A Love Poem about Qi Xi

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鹊 桥 仙 (Què qiáo xiān)

Immortal at the Magpie Bridge
作 者： 秦 观 (Zuò zhĕ: Qín guān)
Translated by: Xu. Yuanchong

Xiān yún nòng qiăo, fēi xīng chuán hèn, yín hàn tiáo tiáo àn dù
纤      云     弄    巧，飞  星     传    恨， 银  汉   迢   迢   暗  渡。
A Clouds float like works of art; Stars shoot with grief at heart. Across the Milky Way the Cowherd meets the Maid.

Jīn fēng yù lù yì xiāng féng, biàn shèng què rén jiān wú shù
金   风   玉 露 一 相     逢， 便      胜      却  人  间   无   数。
When autumn’s Golden Wind embraces Dew of Jade, All the love scenes on earth, however many, fade.

Róu qíng sì shuĭ,  jiā qī rú mèng, rĕn gù què qiáo guī lù
柔     情   似  水，佳 期 如   梦，忍  顾   鹊   桥   归  路。
Their tender love flows like a stream; This happy date seems but a dream. Can they bear a separate homeward way?

Liăng qíng ruò shì jiŭ cháng shí, yòu qĭ zài zhāo zhāo mù mù
两       情     若  是  久   长   时，又  岂 在   朝     朝    暮  暮。
If love between both sides can last for aye,Why need they stay together night and day?

About the poem:
The poem praises the famous love between Niu Lang and Zhi Nv who is the seventh daughter of the heaven’s King. Their story is also the origin of Chinese Valentine’s Day” (七夕qīxī). They were separated by the galaxy and they can meet each other only once every year. The famous sentence 两情若是久长时，又岂在朝朝 (liăng qíng ruò shì jiŭ cháng shí, yòu qĭ zài zhāo zhāo mù mù), shows the true meaning of love and it means that the two needn’t be physically together as long as they love each other deeply. Chinese people usually use it to describe a deep affection between separated lovers.
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Learn more ancient poems:
咏鹅 (yǒng’ é ) To Ganders
春 晓（Chūn xiăo）A Spring Morning