Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,
Welcome at a new episode of our wonderful Kai. This month we are exploring the beauty of haiku. That means I challenge you to create haiku (only haiku) with certain kinds of haiku writing techniques, as we have seen here many times.
For this episode I challenge you to create a haiku with the so called "baransu" (balance) haiku writing technique. Let me explain the "baransu" technique in short. As you maybe know we are familiair with the Tan Renga, the two stanza Renga, in which we try to create the second stanza through association on the scenes in the first stanza.
With the "baransu" technique we are doing the same thing, but than through association on the separated lines of the haiku. With the "baransu" technique we can bring balance in our haiku.
Let me give you an example:
'a walk through the city' ... in this line we see already a few possible things to associate on e.g. "walk" and "city". I have chosen to use "walk" to associate on.
'step by step I discover' ... in this line the possible associations can be on "step" and "discover". I have chosen to use "discover" and came to this third line:
'a newly built world'
Let me bring the three lines to each other, than the following haiku will be formed:
a walk through the city
step by step I discover
a newly built world
© Chèvrefeuille
The above haiku is, in my opinion, Baransu, in balance. That balance I have reached through associating on the different images in every line of the above haiku.
Another example, this time I use that renown haiku by Basho, "frogpond":
the old pond
a frog jumps into it
sound of water
© Basho (Tr. Chèvrefeuille)
I will start by re-producing the first line here: the old pond. What are the possibilities to associate on? I think "old" and "pond" will do. "Old" has to do with 'classic', 'yesterday', 'age', 'a long time ago'. Which one can I use? I think I will try 'yesterday' to start creating the second line of this "baransu"-haiku.
'yesterday ... Irises bloomed' .. hm nice line, but what to use to associate on? In this line I can associate on 'yesterday'. 'Irises', and 'bloomed'. 'Yesterday' has to do with time; 'Irises' are purple mostly and 'bloomed' can mean 'blossoming' or 'decay' too. I will use 'Irises' to associate on and than this line 'pops-up' 'only a faint purple'.
Now I will bring the three lines together:
the old pond
yesterday ... Irises bloomed
only a faint purple
© Chèvrefeuille
What do you think? Are these lines 'baransu', in balance? I think so, but that's just my humble opinion.
What a beautiful and challenging haiku writing technique this "baransu" is. So now it's up to you to create a "baransu" haiku. Enjoy the challenge.
This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until July 25th at 10:00 PM (CEST). You can submit your haiku by clicking on our logo below.