Analysis of The old pond
Matsuo Basho 1644 (Near Ueno) – 1694 (Osaka)
Following are several translations
of the 'Old Pond' poem, which may be
the most famous of all haiku:
Furuike ya
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto
Fu-ru (old) i-ke (pond) ya,
ka-wa-zu (frog) to-bi-ko-mu (jumping into)
mi-zu (water) no o-to (sound)
Translated by Fumiko Saisho
The old pond--
a frog jumps in,
sound of water.
Translated by Robert Hass
Old pond...
a frog jumps in
water's sound.
Translated by William J. Higginson
An old silent pond...
A frog jumps into the pond,
splash! Silence again.
Translated by Harry Behn
There is the old pond!
Lo, into it jumps a frog:
hark, water's music!
Translated by John Bryan
The silent old pond
a mirror of ancient calm,
a frog-leaps-in splash.
Translated by Dion O'Donnol
old pond
frog leaping
splash
Translated by Cid Corman
Antic pond--
frantic frog jumps in--
gigantic sound.
Translated by Bernard Lionel Einbond
MAFIA HIT MAN POET: NOTE FOUND PINNED TO LAPEL
OF DROWNED VICTIM'S DOUBLE-BREASTED SUIT!!!
'Dere wasa dis frogg
Gone jumpa offa da logg
Now he inna bogg.'
Translated by George M. Young, Jr.
Old pond
leap -- splash
a frog.
Translated by Lucien Stryck
The old pond,
A frog jumps in:.
Plop!
Translated by Allan Watts
The old pond, yes, and
A frog is jumping into
The water, and splash.
Translated by G.S. Fraser
Scheme | xxa bcd bad e DFg x DFd h ddi i djx h dce k Dxe h dfd d kd jaa g Dej a DFx x dae g |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 100110010 101110111 01101110 11 11 111 1111111 111111111001 11101111 010111 011 0110 1110 0101101 11 0110 101 0101101100 11101 0110101 11001 0101101 11011 1011101 11010 0101110 01011 0101101 01101 0101101 11 110 1 0101110 101 10110 0101 0101011001 1001110111101 111010101 1111 11111 1111 01011111 11 11 01 01011001 011 0110 1 0101101 01110 0111001 01001 0101110 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 1,300 |
Words | 228 |
Sentences | 22 |
Stanzas | 27 |
Stanza Lengths | 3, 3, 3, 1, 3, 1, 3, 1, 3, 1, 3, 1, 3, 1, 3, 1, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 3, 1, 3, 1, 3, 1 |
Lines Amount | 56 |
Letters per line (avg) | 17 |
Words per line (avg) | 4 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 36 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 8 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on May 04, 2023
- 1:09 min read
- 4,532 Views
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