Keigo FUJII : The Legend of Hagoromo on a melody of H.Yamanoha

The Legend of Hagoromo (Fujii).

The Story Of Hagoromo

Legendong long ago a young fisherman went to a lake. At that time seven beautiful young heavenly maidens descended from the sky to that lake.
After undressing, and hanging their "Hagoromo" (lit. "clothes made of feathers") on pine tree branches, they started to bathe in the lake. A young man fell in love with the youngest sister who was the prettiest girl. He wanted her to stay in this world so he decided to hide her clothes. Without clothes the heavenly maiden couldn't fly any more. "Hagoromo" enable one miraculously to fly because they are made of feathers. Despite the rule that these heavenly maiden couldn't meet with earthly beings, she had no choice, for she lost her "Hagoromo".
As time passed they started to love each other. They married and had a son. She was very happy but could not forget about heaven. In the beautiful moonlit night, especially during full moons and on the day of The Tanabata (lit. "the day of the star festival") she would cry. One day her son was singing a lullaby. Listening to that song she was suprised, because that song told of where her "Hagoromo" was hidden. She found the clothes, with which only one person could fly. She had no choice but to fly alone. Flying, she saw her child. She then shed tears. These tears became a beautiful rainbow in the west sky.
Afterwards the man felt so lonley. He planted the seed of a moonflower which she had left him. Suddenly that moonflower sprouted and grew towards the heavens. He climbed that sprouted ivy, and arrived to the heavens where she was living. Years after their son became a generous king of that country the people there became prosperous.
This heavenly maiden was the star "Vega". "Vega" means the fallen eagle in Arabic, and that star has the lira of the musical saint Orpheus. And the fisherman became the star "Altair", which means flying eagle.

[GG No.]GG730