Examples
The best-known Japanese haiku is Bashō's "old pond":
- 古池や蛙飛込む水の音
- ふるいけやかわずとびこむみずのおと (transliterated into 17 hiragana)
- furuike ya kawazu tobikomu mizu no oto (transliterated into romaji)
- ふるいけやかわずとびこむみずのおと (transliterated into 17 hiragana)
This separates into on as:
- fu-ru-i-ke ya (5)
- ka-wa-zu to-bi-ko-mu (7)
- mi-zu no o-to (5)
Translated:
- old pond . . .
- a frog leaps in
- water’s sound
Another haiku by Bashō:
- 初しぐれ猿も小蓑をほしげ也
- はつしぐれさるもこみのをほしげなり
- hatsu shigure saru mo komino wo hoshige nari
- はつしぐれさるもこみのをほしげなり
This separates into on as:
- ha-tsu shi-gu-re (5)
- sa-ru mo ko-mi-no wo (7)
- ho-shi-ge na-ri (5)
Translated:
- the first cold shower
- even the monkey seems to want
- a little coat of straw
This haiku by Bashō illustrates that he was not always constrained to a 5-7-5 on pattern. It contains 18 on in the pattern 6-7-5 ("ō" or "おう" is treated as two on.)
- 富士の風や扇にのせて江戸土産
- ふじのかぜやおうぎにのせてえどみやげ
- fuji no kaze ya ōgi ni nosete Edo miyage
- ふじのかぜやおうぎにのせてえどみやげ
This separates into "on" as:
- fu-ji no ka-ze ya (6)
- o-o-gi ni no-se-te (7)
- e-do mi-ya-ge (5)
Translated:
- the wind of Mt. Fuji
- I've brought on my fan!
- a gift from Edo
This haiku by Issa illustrates that 17 Japanese on do not always equate to 17 English syllables ("nan" counts as two on and "nonda" as three.)
- 江戸の雨何石呑んだ時鳥
- えどのあめなんごくのんだほとゝぎす
- edo no ame nan goku nonda hototogisu
- えどのあめなんごくのんだほとゝぎす
This separates into "on" as:
- e-do no a-me (5)
- na-n go-ku no-n-da (7)
- ho-to-to-gi-su (5)
Translated:
- how many gallons
- of Edo's rain did you drink?
- cuckoo
Read more about this topic: Haiku
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