Solution for Cryptic Haiku Thirteen (Caution Spoiler)

Here is a step by step solution for the Cryptic Haiku Thirteen puzzle Written by Digital Ink. I will discuss the cryptography methodology. If you have not already attempted to solve the puzzle on your own please stop now and give it a shot.

First of all the title "Cryptic Haiku Thirteen" gives a hint towards the means in which the poem is encrypted. Merriam-Webster defines cryptic as "having or seeming to have a hidden or ambiguous meaning." We all know Haiku is Japanese style of poetry consisting of lines of five, seven and five syllables. The real catch is the thirteen, the means by which this poem is in encrypted.

Twenty six letters make up the English language. If we divide that number by two, we are left with two perfect sets of letters, thirteen in each set. These will look like this

ABCDEFGHIJKLM -and- NOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Now we will assign each letter a value

A = 1 N = 14

B = 2 O = 15

C = 3 P = 16

D = 4 Q = 17

E = 5 R = 18

F = 6 S = 19

G = 7 T = 20

H = 8 U = 21

I = 9 V = 22

J = 10 W = 23

K = 11 X = 24

L = 12 Y = 25

M = 13 Z = 26

This is what is called Rotation 13 or "ROT 13" What ROT thirteen does is it substitutes a letter with different letter by adding or subtracting thirteen places in the alphabet. For instance, take the letter "A". To perform the rotation thirteen method we move over thirteen places in the alphabet like so.

A -> B -> C -> D -> E -> F -> G ->
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

H -> I -> J -> K -> L -> M -> N
8 9 10 11 12 13

So "A" would be "N". You would do the same thing any letter A-M. For all letters N-Z you would subtract 13 instead of add. Take a look our two columns of letters. That perfect double thirteen lets us return to the same number by reversing what we have done before. In other words it is it's own inverse.Now that we have a basic understanding of ROT thirteen let's take a look at that haiku again. By applying the ROT principle you should be translating the haiku like this.

Pbhag gb gra naq guerr.
Count to ten and three.

Jngpu nyy gur ahzoref qrpnl.
Watch all the numbers decay.

Ghea, ebgngr guvegrra.
Turn, rotate thirteen.

There you go ...Count to ten and three and pat yourself on the pack you just used cryptography!