Jewish haiku
Encyclopedia
Jewish haiku are poetic parodies, based on the 5-7-5 syllable form of Japanese haiku
, sometimes combined with traditional Jewish noodging (pestering, carping). Many of these poems were first published in "Haikus for Jews: For You a Little Wisdom" (Harmony Books, 1999) by David M. Bader
.
Although they are called haiku and consist of three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively, these short poems have more in common with senryū
or zappai
than with real Japanese or English haiku
.
The following are examples of humorous Jewish haiku:
While most Jewish haiku are humorous, the first part of the Shema
, one of Judaism's most important prayers, also follows the syllable pattern and the scansion
of the haiku:
In May, 2008, Ed Nickow started a blog called "The Torah In Haiku" where he posts original Jewish haiku related to the Torah portion of the week and Jewish holidays. In 2010 he wrote "The Haggadah In Haiku", a Passover haggadah with a haiku for each step of the seder.
Haiku
' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...
, sometimes combined with traditional Jewish noodging (pestering, carping). Many of these poems were first published in "Haikus for Jews: For You a Little Wisdom" (Harmony Books, 1999) by David M. Bader
David M. Bader
David M. Bader is the author of such works as "The Book of Murray: The Life, Teachings, and Kvetching of the Lost Prophet ," "Haiku U.: From Aristotle to Zola, Great Books in 17 Syllables Haikus for Jews: For You a Little Wisdom , Zen Judaism: For You a Little Enlightenment and Haiku U.:...
.
Although they are called haiku and consist of three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively, these short poems have more in common with senryū
Senryu
is a Japanese form of short poetry similar to haiku in construction: three lines with 17 or fewer total morae . Senryū tend to be about human foibles while haiku tend to be about nature, and senryū are often cynical or darkly humorous while haiku are more serious...
or zappai
Zappai
is a form of Japanese poetry, distinct from senryū and haiku, though sharing a common origin in haikai. The Haiku Society of America refers to zappai as "miscellaneous amusements in doggerel verse", although some disagree....
than with real Japanese or English haiku
Haiku in English
Haiku in English is a development of the Japanese haiku poetic form in the English language.Contemporary haiku are written in many languages, but most poets outside of Japan are concentrated in the English-speaking countries....
.
The following are examples of humorous Jewish haiku:
- The sparkling blue sea
beckons me to wait one hour
after my sandwich.
- No fins, no flippers,
the gefilte fish swims with
some difficulty.
- In the ice sculpture
reflected bar mitzvah guests
nosh on chopped liver.
While most Jewish haiku are humorous, the first part of the Shema
Shema Yisrael
Shema Yisrael are the first two words of a section of the Torah that is a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services...
, one of Judaism's most important prayers, also follows the syllable pattern and the scansion
Scansion
Scansion is the act of determining and graphically representing the metrical character of a line of verse.-Overview:Systems of scansion, and the assumptions that underlie them, are so numerous and contradictory that it is often difficult to tell whether differences in scansion indicate opposed...
of the haiku:
- She-ma Yis-ra-el,
A-do-nai E-lo-hei-nu,
A-do-nai E-chad
- Hear, o Israel!
The Lord is our G-d,
The Lord is One! (or alternatively: The Lord Alone!)
In May, 2008, Ed Nickow started a blog called "The Torah In Haiku" where he posts original Jewish haiku related to the Torah portion of the week and Jewish holidays. In 2010 he wrote "The Haggadah In Haiku", a Passover haggadah with a haiku for each step of the seder.