As part of the poetry appreciation project at NACOS, I devised a set of guidelines for English haiku here. However, we have since concluded that if a member is just starting out, it’s best to work from a highly abbreviated but easy to understand set of rules. Therefore, please refer to the following four steps. Once you understand them completely, you will be ready to read and comprehend the longer set of guidelines to gain an even greater understanding.


Step 1 – Image　一歩目　~　イメージ

Begin by focusing on a concrete scene or situation. This could be anything from your present surroundings to a vivid memory to something purely imagined. Write a short description of your image to help you flesh it out.

まず、具体的な情景や場面に集中してください。これは現在のことでも、鮮明な思い出でも、単なる想像したものであってもよいのです。心に思い描いたことを小話に書いて、表現したいことを具体化してください。


Step 2 – Details　二歩目　~　事柄

Decide on two or three details in your image that are the most important. Your haiku poem will include only these details, and the reader will imagine the rest of the scene for him or herself.

そのイメージから二、三の最も言いたい事柄を切り取ってください。俳句には、これだけを含めます。読者は、そのほかを想像します。


Step 3 – Length and balance　三歩目　~　長さ、バランス

When writing an English haiku, aim for a length of around 10-14 syllables. Make the first and last lines the same length. Your purpose is to create a poem that can be spoken in one breath.

英語の俳句を書くのに、１０から１４の音節という長さを目指してください。最初の行と最後の行は同じ長さということを確かめてください。あなたの目標は、ひと呼吸で言える詩を詠むことです。


Step 4 – Flow　四歩目　~　流れ

Read the poem aloud and check the rhythm and the sound of the words. Balance stressed words with unstressed, and if a string of words is awkward to say, change it.

詩を、声を出して読んで、言葉の音とリズムをチェックしてください。アクセントのある言葉とない言葉をバランスよくさせます。もし言葉の一連が言い難ければ、別の言葉を使います。