Haiku day

[la_rainette]

I tried to write at least one haiku yesterday - for Tai, hello Tai *waves to lovely Tai* - and then noticed Tadpole mimicking me (as she often does), couting syllables on her chubby fingers :D So I gave up.

But it got me reflecting on Haikus, which seem to be wildly popular on this side of the Atlantic, and, well, pretty neglected in France for instance. The first time I heard about Haikus was at the age of 20, in a Stephen King novel. No, really.

But then, I cannot think of a single French sentence that would fit in seventeen syllables - not an elegant sentence, anyway. And I remember that book I recently read in French in English simultaneously, because I was wondering if they had cut anything to make it shrink from 350 pages in French to 250 pages in English (they hadn't, but to be fair the pages in English were also a tad wider).

Maybe the French are just too verbose to get the hang of haikus ;)

Comments

[setissma.livejournal.com]

*grins* I get a haiku? Sam and I still count on our fingers. Tadpole is not alone.

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

*g* I wish I could write a haiky. Well, when I saw Tadpole mimicking my counting I actually gave up (after trying much, though). I am very relieved to learn that I am not the only one counting on my fingers.

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

Tai est mon amie;
Et quand je lis ses haikus
j'en suis très fière.

There. It looks as if a five-year-old wrote it, but it's the best I can do. And it is in French, sorry.

*wipes forehead* ooof, that was hard.

[setissma.livejournal.com]

...yes, but now I only get the first line. *weeps* Translate, Cathy, translate!

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

:D All I could get into the haiku was that when I read your Haikus, I am very proud to be your friend. *hugs*

[bookwench31.livejournal.com]

I count on my fingers as well. Never feel bad about that. I think everyone does. What's really terrible is when I have to think "is that how the word is actually pronounced or is my Southern drawl putting an extra syllable in there?"

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

:D LOL

Southern French pronounce all their final "e", which adds an extra syllable to many words... But poets do tend to take liberties with that final "e" anyway, and decide to pronounce the "e" or not, according to whether it helps with the meters or not. ;)