Haiga Festival – O’er cold waves – March 18, 2015

Gardasee in spring
winds buffet this lonely gull
o’er cold choppy waves

© G.sk. ‘15

Today Chèvrefeuille add a new technique to writing haiku called baransu.  What is Baransu?

‘baransu’ (associative balance), a new haiku writing technique which I dared creating myself. Than we had a few examples in which I have tried to explain this ‘baransu’- technique. I even tried my hand on the famous ‘frogpond’ haiku by Basho to re-form it in a ‘baransu’ haiku.

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 … Irisses bloomed’ .. hm nice line, but what to use to associate on? In this line I can associate on ‘yesterday’. ‘Irisses’, and ‘bloomed’. ‘Yesterday’ has to do with time; ‘Irisses’ are purple mostly and ‘bloomed’ can mean ‘blossoming’ or ‘decay’ too. I will use ‘Irisses’ 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 … Irisses bloomed
only a faint purple

© Chèvrefeuille

I’m not sure that I did justice to the associative balance idea but it is an interesting concept to keep in mind!

Linked to Carpe Diem Haiku Kai – Writing Techniques #11 “baransu”