Royal couplet

The royal couplet is a strophic composition made up of 10 octosyllabic verses of minor art.

The rhyme is consonant, and its scheme is abaabcdccd.

Like the limerick, like the redondilla, it had no independent life in the Middle Ages; sometimes two limericks were merged to give rise to the stanza called royal couplet, a union that today has been called false tenth.

Here is an example of a royal couplet by Juan de Timoneda, from his work Paso de la razón y la fama:

Oh most high sanity

where all good consists,

me full of beauty

of your divine good looks

You made me a worthy reason;

I am divine in the sky

because of you I am sent;

I'm so high-flying;

I'm the one on this floor

I'm never disturbed by anything!