Posts Tagged ‘shimizu saki’

Children senryu - let’s do Japanese poetry

Monday, August 11th, 2008 by Agro Rachmatullah

Senryu (川柳, senryuu) is somewhat similar in structure to Haiku (俳句), which is Japanese poetry with 5-7-5 (go-shichi-go) syllables. However, Senryu is lighter in its content and is made primarily to have some fun. It can be funny or even outright ridiculous. Here’s a website containing children Senryu that I found.

Let’s translate some!

がっこうは
みんないるから
すごいんだ

gakkou wa
minna iru kara
sugoi n da

School
Because all my friends are there
It’s wonderful

I particularly like the one below:

ゴロゴロと
かみなりどうし
けんかする

goro goro to
kaminari doushi
kenka suru

Rumble rumble!
The thunders are
Having a fight

My first encounter with senryu is on Morning Musume DVD Magazine vol. 14 where the topic is “eco” (e.g., environment). Morning Musume, v-u-den, Berryz Koubou, and C-ute members all have to make an eco senryu. It’s quite interesting.

Here’s Berryz Koubou’s captain Shimizu Saki’s senryu:

大変だ
地球があつく
なってるぞ

taihen da
chikyuu ga atsuku
natteru zo

It’s terrible!
The earth is
Becoming hot

And now it’s my turn making a senryu:

アグロって
すごいサイトね
そうだねえ

It’s all in kana!

Try writing some :)