lyriic

Katauta checker

Shape a three-line draft against 5 · 7 · 7. Same syllable engine as the lyriic poetry editor — private in your browser.

This draft hits 5 · 7 · 7.

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Counts use English syllables from the bundled dictionary. Traditional Japanese katauta is measured in on — sound units that are not the same as English syllables — so treat 5 · 7 · 7 as a useful teaching form, not a universal rule.

A short history

Katauta (片歌, “half-poem” or fragment-verse) is an early Japanese short form: three phrases, most often counted as 5-7-7. A single katauta was traditionally treated as incomplete on its own — half of an exchange — though it can stand as a complete lyric in modern English practice.

When two 5-7-7 katauta are paired, they form a sedōka (5-7-7 / 5-7-7), often cast as a question-and-answer or lovers’ dialogue (mondō). Sources such as the Man’yōshū preserve these shapes; Britannica notes the form was rarely used after about the eighth century.

English workshops usually teach katauta as three lines totaling nineteen syllables in a 5-7-7 pattern, sometimes allowing 5-7-5. That grid is useful for practice, but Japanese counting is in on (sound units), not English syllables, and classical pieces were often addressed to a lover.

Famous poems

  • Man’yōshū I:20 (opening katauta) — Princess Nukata (Nukata no Ōkimi)

    You ride purple fields / marked as imperial domain — / these murasaki grasses.

    Opening half of a celebrated sedōka: purple fields, imperial hunting grounds, and a secret sleeve-wave. English syllable counts vary widely by translation.

  • Untitled katauta — Robert Lee Brewer

    why do winter stars / shine brighter than summer stars / as if they are shards of glass?

    A contemporary English teaching example (Writer’s Digest) cast as a lover’s question in 5-7-7.

  • Kojiki / Nihon Shoki short songs — Anonymous (early chronicles)

    Arthur Waley and others note that a few of the shortest poems in the early chronicles already take a 5-7-7 shape — ancestors of later katauta counting practice.

How katauta works

lyriic’s catalog treats katauta as three lines with syllable targets 5, then 7, then 7 — nineteen syllables total. Checks are syllable-only; there is no stress contour for this meter.

English teaching materials usually prefer 5-7-7 and sometimes allow 5-7-5. Classical Japanese practice counted on and often framed the piece as half of a lovers’ exchange; two katauta make a sedōka (see lyriic’s Sedoka meter for the six-line pair).

Use the checker to hit the English 5 · 7 · 7 grid. Theme (address to a lover), dialogue pairing, and Japanese on counting are outside what the tool scores.

Notes on this form

lyriic does not enforce lover-address, dialogue pairing, or sedōka structure. Pair two katauta yourself (or use the Sedoka meter) if you want the full exchange.

Common questions

What is a 5-7-7 katauta?
In English teaching contexts, a katauta is three lines with five syllables, then seven, then seven. The name means “half-poem”: classically it was often one side of a paired exchange (a sedōka). Japanese counting uses on, which is not identical to English syllables.
Does lyriic include a katauta meter ruler?
Yes. Open the Katauta writer, or choose Katauta under Meter in Settings, for live 5/7/7 ticks beside each line as you write.
Is my katauta uploaded?
No. Syllable checks run locally in your browser. lyriic is local-first and does not require an account.