漢童永

干寶, 搜神記, 卷一

Tung Yung and the Weaving Maid
(Yang, HY and Gladys trs., The Man Who Sold a Ghost)

In the Han dynasty there lived a man of Chiencheng named Tung Yung. Having lost his mother as a child, he helped his father till the land and pull their cart.

漢董永，千乘人。少偏孤，與父居。 肆力田畝，鹿車載自隨。

When his father died and he had no money for the funeral, he sold himself as a slave to pay for it. His master, knowing of his piety, gave him ten thousand coins and sent him off.

父亡，無以葬，乃自賣為奴，以供喪事。 主人知其賢，與錢一萬，遣之。

After he had observed the three years' mourning, he went back to serve as a slave, and met a woman on the road who offered to be his wife. So they went on together.

永行三年喪畢。欲還主人，供其奴職。 道逢一婦人曰：「願為子妻。」遂與之俱。

His master told him: `That money was a gift.' But Tung replied: `Thanks to your help I was able to bury my father fittingly. Though I am low-born, I shall work hard to repay your kindness.'

主人謂永曰：「以錢與君矣。」 永曰：「蒙君之惠，父喪收藏。永雖小人，必欲服勤致力，以報厚德。」

His master asked: `What can this woman do?' Tung answered: `She can weave.' His master said: `In that case, let her just weave me a hundred rolls of silk.'

主曰：「婦人何能？」 永曰：「能織。」 主曰：「必爾者，但令婦為我織縑百匹。」

Then Tung Yung's wife wove silk for this family, finishing her task in ten days.

於是永妻為主人家織，十日而畢。

When she left she told Tung Yung: `I am the Weaving Maid from Heaven. Because you are a filial son, the Heavenly Emperor ordered me to help you repay your debt.'

女出門，謂永曰：「我，天之織女也。緣君至孝，天帝令我助君償債耳。」

Having said this she soared up into the air and disappeared.

語畢，凌空而去，不知所在。