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Qǐ QiǎoBegging for Skill 乞巧

Lin Jie (林杰, also known as Lin Chieh)｜Late Tang｜seven-character quatrain

Lin Jie on the Qixi custom of asking the Weaver for skill.

Original Chinese text with pinyin

七夕今宵看碧霄
qī xī jīn xiāo kàn bì xiāo

牵牛织女渡河桥
qiān niú zhī nǚ dù hé qiáo

家家乞巧望秋月
jiā jiā qǐ qiǎo wàng qiū yuè

穿尽红丝几万条
chuān jǐn hóng sī jǐ wàn tiáo

Simplified characters; traditional title: 乞巧.

On the Seventh Night, tonight, we look at the blue sky,

where the Cowherd and Weaver Girl cross the river bridge.

In every home they pray for skill, gazing at the autumn moon,

threading tens of thousands of red silk strands.

Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.

七夕今宵看碧霄 · qī xī jīn xiāo kàn bì xiāo — On the Seventh Night, tonight, we look at the blue sky,

牵牛织女渡河桥 · qiān niú zhī nǚ dù hé qiáo — where the Cowherd and Weaver Girl cross the river bridge.

家家乞巧望秋月 · jiā jiā qǐ qiǎo wàng qiū yuè — In every home they pray for skill, gazing at the autumn moon,

穿尽红丝几万条 · chuān jǐn hóng sī jǐ wàn tiáo — threading tens of thousands of red silk strands.

Lin Jie on the Qixi custom of asking the Weaver for skill. The scene stays with you.

Lin Jie on the Qixi custom of asking the Weaver for skill.

Lin Jie is remembered as a Late Tang child prodigy.

Lifetime: Late Tang. Other famous works: Begging for Skill (乞巧).