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Early Western Haiku


The first Western haiku originate with haiku in French by Julien Vocance, Paul-Louis Couchoud and other writers who published a collective book in 1905 after a cultural exchange trip to Japan where they discoved haiku.

Following this,
Michel Revon translated Anthology of Japanese literature in French, published in Paris in 1910.

Many French books, reviews and magazines (including
La Nouvelle Revue Française) published haiku from 1920.

Paul-Louis Couchoud, Albert Poncin et André Faure
"Au fil de l'eau"
(Going with the flow)
July 1903.
[72 haïkaï. Private publication, 1905.]



Sleeping town.
A prison warden passing.
A shutter opens.



In the balmy evening
we look for an inn
Oh! these nasturtiums!



All proud, the little cat
having scared
the old cockerel.




Julien Vocance
“Cent visions de guerre”
(Hundred visons of war)
1916



All night in a hole
facing a giant army
two men



What a glimmer!
hands to the eyelids
for protection.



They have eyes shining
with health, youth, hope...
they have glass eyes.



Trenches's soldier,
forst man,
original gorilla.




Paul-Louis Couchoud



The Minister
hired for maid
a pretty catholic girl.



With her small sickle,
how will she
reap the whole field?






Translation: Gilles Fabre




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