TIPURITURA -
THE SHORTEST ROMANIAN POETIC FORM
- an excerpt from
Andrei Dorian Gheorghe’s essay
“Tipuritura - a Kind of Romanian Haiku”
published in
The Art of Haiku 2000
(edited by Gerald England),
New Hope International,
U.K. -
The tipuritura (phon. tzipuritura) is the
shortest Romanian poetic form.
Founded in the northern region of Maramures,
it usually includes two lines with seven or eight syllables,
but can have three or four lines,
and is shouted to music at popular parties.
Its main features are black humour and subtlety.
The rhyme is obligatory.
Normal Tipuritura
Large place is Maramuresu,
But hasn’t fools like me and you.
(collected by Ion Barlea)
Cosmic Tipuritura
I like a frisky girl, Sir,
The Sun and Moon to beat her!
(collected by Ion Barlea)
Long Tipuritura
(could be considered the Romanian equivalent to the
tanka, quatrain or limerick)
“Make me, God, a nice rainbow
To surround a belt of girl,
And to climb faster to You.”
“Perhaps to the Devil too.”
(collected by Ioan Slavici)
-English versions by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-