Discover Six “Senryu”, Japanese Poems That Will Make You Laugh

Having discovered these pearls of humor recently myself, I think it is a shame that senryu is not as well known as haiku, another sort of Japanese poem. Here is an introduction to senryu and its special humor, as well as a few examples that, I hope, will not miss to make you laugh.

(All senryu in the article are translated by myself; I did not keep the same number of morae, but tried to keep the funny spirit of the poem.)

The Difference between Senryu and Haiku

Haiku is a short poem of 17 morae written in a 5/7/5 pattern, and also includes a word that refers to a specific season. In comparison, senryu uses the same 5/7/5 pattern, but it does not include a seasonal word and uses a more colloquial language.

Another difference is that the first verse of a senryu is used to describe a type of situation, and the last verse holds the meaning of the poem and is funny or surprising, a bit like the punchline of a joke. Haiku describes natural nature, and senryu describes human nature.

Here is an example (source: Bungei Junkie Paradise).

お若いと Owakai to

言われて若く iwarete wakaku

ないと知る nai to shiru

I’m told I look young