Chen-ou Liu's Translation Project: First English-Chinese Haiku and Tanka Blog

Friday, September 10, 2010

A Senryu about Duoble Ninth Day

Double Ninth Day...
I step on the shadows
of newlyweds


World Kigo Database (Chrysanthemum Festival, 9/9)


Notes:

1 "TAIPEI, Taiwan – One hundred sixty-three couples in Taiwan were married in a mass ceremony at 9:09 a.m. Thursday, the ninth day of the ninth month of the 99th year since the founding of their republic.

The word for nine in Chinese sounds exactly like the word for longevity, so there was method in the decision by Taipei city authorities to organize the nine-nine-nine-nine-nine-nine nuptials when they did.

Taipei Mayor Hau Long-bin, naturally dressed to the nines, was all smiles during the event, going the whole nine yards to make everyone feel the true weight of the occasion."


2 Some people living in rural areas believe that if you step on a shadow, you will bring bad luck, or even suffering, to its owner.