TANAGA, THE

FILIPINO HAIKU
• THE FILIPINO EQUIVALENT OF A
JAPANESE HAIKU IS TANAGA.
• IN PHILIPPINE LITERATURE, A TANAGA IS A
POEM CONSISTING OF FOUR LINES WITH
EACH LINE EQUALLY HAVING BETWEEN
SEVEN AND NINE SYLLABLES. TO COMPARE,
THE JAPANESE HAIKU HAS 17 PHONETIC
UNITS DIVIDED INTO THREE PHRASES OF 5,
7 AND 5 UNITS RESPECTIVELY.
• THESE SHORT POEMS DO NOT HAVE
ANY TITLES, ALTHOUGH THE APPARENT
THEME IS USED TO REFER TO IT. MOST
ARE WRITTEN IN TAGALOG, THE BASIS
OF THE FILIPINO NATIONAL
LANGUAGE.
MGA HALIMBAWA NG WALUHANG PANTIG NA
MGA TANAGA
(EXAMPLES OF OCTOSYLLABIC FILIPINO HAIKU
POEMS)
 SANGGOL
PAG ANG SANGGOL AY NGUMITI
NAWAWALA ANG PIGHATI,
PAG KALONG MO’Y SUMISIDHI
ANG PANGARAP NA PUNYAGI.
 PAG-IBIG
WALA IYAN SA PABALAT
AT SA PUSO NAKATATAK,
NADARAMA’T NALALASAP
ANG PAG-IBIG NA MATAPAT.
 GALIT
ANG DAMDAMI’Y SUMISIKDO
SA BALITANG DI-TOTOO;
HABANG SILA’Y NANUNUDYO,
POOT NAG-AALIMPUYO.
THESE TANAGA POEMS WERE WRITTEN BY FILIPINA POET EMELITA PEREZ BAES.