Yadu

The yadu is a Burmese climbing-rhyme verse. Each of the stanzas —up to three in all— has 5 lines. The first four lines have 4 syllables each, and the last one can have 5, 7, 9, or 11 syllables. The last two lines rhyme in the usual way. The climbing rhymes occur in syllables four, three, and two of both the first three lines and the last three lines of a stanza. There should be a reference to the seasons since the word yadu means "the seasons."

A Yadu

A Burmese verse
Can be terse, yet
No worse for it;
Rhymes must fit where
They sit, but then they can climb from there.

A season word
Should be heard like
A bird that sings
As it clings tight,
Then wings its way home in sudden flight.

Classical Yadus

A Saturnalian Yadu

Winter is drear,
So we cheer the
Feast near at hand.
It's a grand meal
That's planned to meet everyone's appeal.

Masters serve slaves,
And each craves role
Which staves off dross
As the boss of
Chaos, that is, Misrule's Lord thereof.

Gambling thrives,
And each strives to
Roll fives with dice
And play nice, too:
Advice that's meant for both me and you.

example 2

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