A Than-Bauk, conventionally a witty saying or epigram, is a three line "climbing rhyme" poem of Burmese origin. Each line has four syllables. The rhyme is on the fourth syllable of the first line, the third syllable of the second line, and the second syllable of the third line.
Example
Lighten Up
Turn on the lights;
don't let sights of
dark nights haunt you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cold
The night was cold
so I'm told when
the old man died.
© Copyright Suzanne Honour 2002-2003