Long ago, east of the Heavenly River lived the Weaving Maid, daughter of the Celestial Emperor, who spent her days alone at her loom spinning and weaving, year after year crafting beautiful cloud-patterned celestial robes, yet she had no time even to comb her hair or apply makeup.
As the Weaver Girl grew older, the Heavenly Emperor, pitying her lonely days of spinning clouds into silk, betrothed her to the Cowherd on the far side of the Silver River.
The Weaver Girl no longer had to endure her lonely life. She and the Cowherd were deeply in love, spending every moment together, whispering sweet nothings and inseparable. Once too busy weaving to care for her appearance, she now adorned herself beautifully every day. As a result, she no longer wished to sit at her loom to spin or weave.
The Jade Emperor soon discovered the situation and flew into a rage, issuing a decree that the Weaver Girl must return to the east side of the Heavenly River to spin and weave, forbidding her from casually crossing to the west side. Only on the seventh day of the seventh month each year was she permitted to meet with the Cowherd.
At their parting, the two wept in each other's arms, unable to bear the separation. But the Heavenly Emperor's decree was absolute and had to be obeyed. From then on, except for the seventh day of the seventh month each year, the Weaving Maiden still spent her days alone on the east bank of the Celestial River, spinning and weaving.
There is also a folk legend:
The Weaver Girl, granddaughter of the Heavenly Emperor and grandniece of the Queen Mother of the West, often bathed in the Milky Way with her fellow celestial maidens after her weaving duties. On Earth, the Cowherd was a poor orphan mistreated by his brother and sister-in-law, who eventually gave him only an old ox and sent him off to fend for himself. Struggling to survive and unable to afford a wife, his fate changed when the old ox, a magical creature, spoke: "Go to the riverbank at dusk and hide the clothes of the bathing fairy in red—she will become your wife." Following this advice, the Cowherd took the Weaver Girl's garments, and when she emerged, she agreed to marry him. They lived happily, raising two children, until the Queen Mother discovered their union. Enraged, she sent heavenly soldiers to drag the Weaver Girl back to the heavens. The Cowherd, carrying his children in baskets, chased after her, but the Queen Mother drew a silver river across the sky—the Milky Way—to separate them forever. Moved by their love, magpies formed a bridge across the river once a year, allowing the couple to meet on the seventh night of the seventh lunar month. This story, known as "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl," symbolizes enduring love overcoming impossible odds and is celebrated during the Qixi Festival, China's Valentine's Day.
At that time, heaven and earth were not completely separate—a Silver River connected them to the mortal world. One day, the old ox suddenly spoke to the Cowherd in human language: "The Weaving Maiden often bathes in the Silver River. If you can steal her clothes, you will win a wife."
Following the old ox's advice, the cowherd was both startled and overjoyed, and immediately did as he was told. He stole the Weaving Maid's garments, and as a result, she could no longer return to the Heavenly Palace, so she married the cowherd.
After the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid married, he farmed while she spun and wove, living in great happiness, and soon they had a son and a daughter. But when the Heavenly Emperor discovered this, he was furious and immediately sent heavenly soldiers to seize the Weaving Maid. The Queen Mother of the West, fearing the soldiers might fail, went along herself.
How could a mere mortal fight against the gods
Just then, the dying ox suddenly spoke to the cowherd in human language: "After I die, you can skin me and make my hide into a garment. Wearing this, you will be able to ascend to heaven."
After the old ox spoke these words, it died. Weeping, the cowherd skinned the ox and made a coat for himself and each of his children. The moment they put them on, they felt as light as air and soon rose into the sky, flying swiftly toward the heavenly palace.
After what seemed like an eternity, the Cowherd spotted the Heavenly Palace faintly shimmering in the distance. As he raced forward, he saw the Weaving Maid among a group of celestial maidens. Overcome with emotion, the Cowherd rushed toward her, while their children tearfully cried out, "Mother!"
Just as the Cowherd was about to catch up with the Weaver Girl, the Queen Mother of the West suddenly appeared. She plucked a golden hairpin from her head and drew a line between them. Instantly, a surging, roaring river—the Milky Way—appeared where she had traced. Despite all his strength, the Cowherd could not cross it; he could only gaze at the Weaver Girl from the opposite shore. They wept, facing each other, and their children wailed loudly. But no amount of sorrow could bridge that celestial river.
Moved by the sorrow of the Cowherd and the Weaving Maiden weeping across the Silver River, the Heavenly Emperor finally permitted them to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month. On that day, countless magpies flock to the Celestial River to form a bridge, allowing the two lovers to reunite.
"The Cowherd and the Weaving Maid" is a beautiful yet tragic myth. Later, people used it to describe couples or lovers separated far apart, unable to meet.
Source: *Yueling Guangyi*, citing *Xiaoshuo*
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "牛郎织女" came to describe couples or lovers separated far apart, unable to meet.