Birthday poem · July 7The Double Seventh by the solar calendar (July 7), in the Minor Heat period.

Birthday poem card for July 7: “Begging for Skill” by Lin Jie. Birth character 巧, skill.

Birth character

巧 qiǎo · skill

巧 combines 工 "work" with a sound element; it means skilful or clever.

家家乞巧望秋月
“In every home they pray for skill, gazing at the autumn moon” — Lin Jie, ‘Begging for Skill’

The poem

“Begging for Skill” 乞巧

  1. 七夕今宵看碧霄On the Seventh Night, tonight, we look at the blue sky,
  2. 牽牛織女渡河橋where the Cowherd and Weaver Girl cross the river bridge.
  3. 家家乞巧望秋月In every home they pray for skill, gazing at the autumn moon,
  4. 穿盡紅絲幾萬條threading tens of thousands of red silk strands.

Lin Jie 林傑 · Tang dynasty · 831–847 · seven-character verse

English translation by Poetune.

Why this poem

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

This day in the Chinese calendar

Solar term: Minor Heat. Near the Double Seventh by the solar calendar (July 7).

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