1.
tanka; 31-syllable Japanese poem
A traditional Japanese poetic form consisting of five lines with a 5-7-5-7-7 mora pattern. One of the oldest forms of Japanese poetry, dating back over a thousand years. Still actively composed today, with newspaper columns and poetry contests keeping the tradition alive.
短歌を詠む。
To compose a tanka.
新聞の短歌欄に毎週投稿している。
I submit to the newspaper's tanka column every week.
万葉集には約4500首の短歌が収められている。
The Man'yoshu contains approximately 4,500 tanka poems.
USAGE: 短歌 follows a 5-7-5-7-7 mora pattern across five lines. Poems are counted with the counter 首. The verb for composing tanka is 詠む.
The form predates haiku; historically the upper portion (5-7-5) and lower portion (7-7) were sometimes composed by different people as a literary game. In modern times, tanka enjoys renewed popularity especially among younger poets.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 短歌を詠む: to compose a tanka
- 短歌集: a collection of tanka
- 短歌欄: tanka column (in a newspaper)
- 一首: one tanka poem
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 短歌: 31-mora poem (5-7-5-7-7)
- 俳句: 17-mora poem (5-7-5)
- 和歌: Japanese poem (classical umbrella term that includes tanka)
- 川柳: humorous 17-mora poem (5-7-5, no seasonal word required)