Asian Poem - Basho's Old Pond (John Cocabo)

Basho's Old Pond

古池や蛙飛込む水の音

ふるいけやかわずとびこむみずのおと

furuike ya kawazu tobikomu mizu no oto (transliterated into romaji)

This separates into on as:

fu-ru-i-ke ya (5)

ka-wa-zu to-bi-ko-mu (7)

mi-zu no o-to (5)

Translated:

old pond . . .

a frog leaps in

water’s sound

This poem was written in traditional Japanese Haiku form and has the imagery of natural pond life. What is being depicted in the poem, much like its structure is very simple, and ordinary- almost plain. However, the words are sufficient enough to complete a thought (about the cause and effect phenomenon in nature) just like how its structure is just right for going with the 5-7-5 traditional Haiku structure (no more no less in terms of syllables.)  Yet there is an irony that although the poem depicts nature or something that happens naturally, the structural organization of the Haiku as a form of poetry shows some sort of unnatural or forced because the syllables had to fit in the 5-7-5 organization.

Due to the Haiku being a traditional form of writing poems for the Japanese, most of the imagery are about natural entities like love, the seasons and life. Haikus didn't have to rhyme, but the biggest challenge was to paint a clear image in the reader's imagination in 17 syllables- no more no less. 

Source:

http://volweb.utk.edu/school/bedford/harrisms/haiku.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku#cite_note-18

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-old-pond/