夜空に輝く天の川のほとりに、神様が住んでいた。神様には織姫という美しい娘がおり、彼女は毎日機織りをして、神様たちの着物を作っていた。一方、天の川の対岸には、彦星という真面目な若者がおり、牛の世話を熱心にしていた。二人とも働き者であっただけあって、神様は彼らを夫婦にすることに決めたのである。二人は出会ってすぐに恋に落ち、互いを深く愛するようになった。
Beside the Milky Way shining in the night sky lived a god. The god had a beautiful daughter named Orihime, and she wove cloth every day to make clothes for the gods. On the other hand, on the opposite bank of the Milky Way, there lived a serious young man named Hikoboshi, who was dedicated to taking care of his cattle. Because they were both such hard workers, the god decided to make them husband and wife. As soon as they met, they fell in love and came to love each other deeply.
ところが、結婚を契機に、二人の生活態度はすっかり変わってしまった。一緒にいるのが楽しすぎるあまり、彼らは全く働かなくなってしまったのだ。織姫が機織りをやめたせいで、神様たちの着物はボロボロになるばかりであった。のみならず、彦星が世話を怠ったため、牛たちは次々と病気に倒れてしまった。「夫婦になったのは良いものの、このままでは天界の生活が成り立たなくなりかねない」と、他の神々も心配し始めた。
However, with their marriage as a turning point, their attitude toward life completely changed. Because they had too much fun being together, they stopped working altogether. Because Orihime stopped weaving, the gods' clothes became nothing but rags. Not only that, but because Hikoboshi neglected his care, the cattle fell ill one after another. "Though it's a good thing they became a couple, at this rate life in the celestial world might become unsustainable," other gods also began to worry.
神様はついに激怒し、「お前たちが仕事をしないのなら、二人を引き離すほかない」と宣言した。そして、織姫を天の川の西に、彦星を東に引き離してしまったのである。天の川は広くて深く、川を渡って会うことなど到底できそうになかった。二人は毎日、川の対岸を見つめては泣き続けるばかりで、当然のことながら、悲しみのあまり仕事どころではなかった。
The god finally grew furious and declared, "If you do not do your work, I have no choice but to separate you." Then, he separated Orihime to the west of the Milky Way and Hikoboshi to the east. The Milky Way was wide and deep, and it seemed completely impossible to be able to cross the river and meet. Every day, the two could do nothing but keep crying as they stared at the opposite bank of the river, and naturally, they were in no state to work because of their deep sadness.
二人のあまりの悲しみようを見た神様は、少し気の毒に思った末に、ある約束を交わすことにした。「以前のように真面目に働くというのなら、年に一度、七月七日の夜に限って会うことを許そう」と告げたのである。その言葉を頼りに、織姫と彦星は再び一生懸命に働き始めた。彼らにとって、再会の日を指折り数えて待つことが、生きる希望となったのだ。
Seeing their extreme sadness, the god felt a little sorry for them and decided to make a promise. "If you work seriously as you did before, I will permit you to meet only on the night of July 7th, once a year," he told them. Relying on those words, Orihime and Hikoboshi began to work hard again. For them, waiting for the day of their reunion while counting it on their fingers became their hope for living.
そして待ちに待った七月七日の夜、カササギと呼ばれる鳥たちがどこからともなく飛んできて、翼を並べて天の川に橋を架けてくれた。二人はその橋の上で、一年に一度の幸せな再会を果たすことができたのである。しかし、もし七夕の日に雨が降ろうものなら、川の水かさが増して橋が架けられず、二人は会えずに終わってしまう。だからこそ、人々は夜空に向かって、七夕の夜が晴れるようにと祈るのである。
And on the night of July 7th, which they had long awaited, birds called magpies flew from nowhere and lined up their wings to bridge the Milky Way for them. On top of that bridge, the two were able to fulfill their happy reunion once a year. However, if it happens to rain on the day of Tanabata, the river's water level rises and the bridge cannot be built, and the two end up not being able to meet. That is precisely why people pray to the night sky for the night of Tanabata to be clear.