Biolet

Origin

The word, biolet (/ˈbiːəleɪ/), as a type of Portuguese language poetry, first appeared in 1887 in Lyrica, a book of poetry written by the Brazilian poet Filinto de Almeida with reference to two groups of poems, all of the same type, which are called biolet, but for which no description was offered.[1]

Description

The biolet, as appearing in Lyrica, is a derivative and somewhat abbreviated verse form of the triolet, being only six lines in length rather than eight. The first line repeats in its entirety to become the sixth line. The second line repeats itself as the fifth line. The third line is not a repeating line, but rhymes with the second and fifth lines. Likewise, the fourth line is not a repeating line, but rhymes with the first and sixth lines. This can be summarized as ABbaBA.[2]

Recent developments

Though the biolet appears to be still quite rare, two of Almeida's biolets have recently appeared in English translation.[3] Likewise, the biolet has appeared in Japanese. [4]

Example

The following is a biolet from page 114 of Almeida's Lyrica and provided with a translation:

Ao pleno florir da edade
Chegaste, de encantos plena.
Minha doirada phalena,
Luz da minha mocidade,
Chegaste, de encantos plena,
Ao pleno florir da edade.

In the fullness of the ages,
Full of charms, you came, me nearing.
Golden moth of mine appearing,
Lighting us our youthful stages,
Full of charms, you came, me nearing,
In the fullness of the ages.

References
  1. Almeida, pp. 113-114 & 119-120. https://archive.org/details/lyrica00almegoog
  2. Kitabayashi. The Tower of Babylon, A Trioletic Anthology from Various Languages. p. 60
  3. Kitabayashi. "A Geolinguistic Chronicle of Triolet Dispersal in Western European Languages". pp. 230-231
  4. Qbu. "Though All Should Disappear"

Further reading
  • Filinto de Almeida. Lyrica. Typ. Moreira Maximino & C., 1887.
  • Hikaru Kitabayashi. A Geolinguistic Chronicle of Triolet Dispersal in Western European Languages. Lulu Press, 2017. ISBN 978-1-365-99031-1
  • Hikaru Kitabayashi. The Tower of Babylon, A Trioletic Anthology from Various Languages. Lulu Press, 2017. ISBN 978-1-365-94608-0
  • Qbu. Though All Should Disappear. https://www.booksie.com/466922-though-all-should-disappear
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