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Post by Brigid Briton on Mar 2, 2011 17:07:17 GMT -6
a razor-sharp knife
cutting sorrow’s lullaby,
the fat lady sings
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Post by Fire Monkey on Mar 2, 2011 18:13:24 GMT -6
My first thought was "Traditional Japanese poets would not understand the last line correctly." - which is of course a silly thought since obviously when writing we draw upon the phrases and images of our culture or at least of cultures we know ;D
That said, I do like this haiku, though I wonder if it means the same to both of us - for me, it speak of suicide - or rather the thought and feeling of one contemplating it. Much like "To be or not to be...." I reacted the same to this as I do that that.
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Post by Brigid Briton on Mar 2, 2011 19:05:54 GMT -6
Yes, Tim, you're right. This is an allusion to suicide. But it could be anyone's suicide---the fat lady singing just signifying the end of something. Or, it could be the fat lady's very own suicide---carried out in a very traditional Japanese way (even though we generally think of the fat lady as being an Italian soprano).  |
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Post by Fire Monkey on Mar 2, 2011 19:59:20 GMT -6
I think the reference to "the fat lady singing" comes from opera where "the fat lady" is an old slang term that refers to the strongest female vocalist and many operas end with a solo from this person. I'm not sure but I believe that at the same time that "fat lady" was used in opera, the strongest male vocalist was called "the big man" [keep in mind that "fat lady" was not a derogatory term back then]
Ok - trivea, I know ... I sometimes can't help but share what I know. However, I did understand the haiku - it was clearly communicated.
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