Haikais

By Evandro's request, I'm here to post something about haikais, so you can think about it during this last week of vacations.

Haikais are a form of Japanese poetry. They are really short, and normally have three lines. Although there used to be very strict rules about its structure and content, modern haikais often follow only the three-line rule. Word play is also very common in haikais.

Another important characteristic of the haikai is that it usually includes a revelation at the end. That is, the first two lines may present ordinary elements, but the third one creates a surprising closure.


Below are some examples of haikais.

The first one is from the one of the most famous Japanese poets, Bashô, and it is probably his best know haikai, in one of its many translations:

the old pond;
a frog jumps in —
the sound of the water.


These other haikais were originally written in English:

an aging willow--
its image unsteady
in the flowing stream


meteor shower...
a gentle wave
wets our sandals


snow in my shoe
abandoned
sparrow's nest


autumn morning—
repainting our bedroom
the color it was


dusk—
up to my ears
in birdsong


clinic waiting room...
one fish in the aquarium
belly up


Here are some links to more haikais in English and in Portuguese:

Modern Haiku
Haiku Society of America Online Haiku Collections
Caixa de Haikai


Enjoy! :D


p.s. I know the comic strip at the top is in Spanish (by an Argentine artist), but I thought you might like it. :)