Waka is a traditional form of Japanese poetry, structured in a rhythmic pattern of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables. This format gives waka its distinctive rhythmic quality. You can explore an example of waka here and listen to a traditional recitation for a deeper understanding. The writing system used in waka incorporates both kanji characters and kana. A single waka poem can appear in various kanji-kana compositions across different versions, reflecting the nuances of different writing styles. This tool leverages Python’s “difflib” module to trace and analyze the unique features of each version, providing valuable insights for further research into the writing systems. As a sample, I have included the first poem from Yoshino ki in three different versions for you to explore. Feel free to test the tool with the three lines below or any other lines of your choice! Differences in lines will be marked by colors.
Please copy and paste each of the three versions into the boxes below, then click "compare."
Look for more details of each version in the "Annotation Tool" section.
Miyagi Version:
芳野河きしねにさけるやまふきの花のうへこす花のしら浪
UBC Version:
芳野河きしねにさけるやまふきの花のうへこすはなのしらなみ
Tokyo Gakugei Version:
よしの川岸根にさける山ふきのはなのうへこす花のしら浪
Interested in learning more about the tool? View the Google Colab Notebook to learn the Python codes..
In this section, through a Google Colab workbook, I will show you how to use the MeCab morphological parser to analyze Japanese waka poems. This lesson will introduce you to the steps involved in setting up MeCab, parsing Japanese waka poem lines, and translating parts of grammatical terms into English. This tool is especially valuable for those analyzing historical or literary texts in Japanese which often includes kanji and kana combinations with complex grammatical structures. As a sample, I have included the first poem from Yoshino ki in three different versions for you to explore. Feel free to test the tool with the three lines below or any other lines of your choice! Please click the link below to go to the Google Colab notebook for the text analysis of waka poems.
Interested in learning more about the tool? View the Google Colab Notebook to learn the Python codes..