First of all, let me post a Christmas present from Mr. Francis Tugaye, a haiku friend in France, who is an artist and loves Japanese cultures so much.
Here is a photo of Francis’ art.
Secondly, let me post the last article of AIU festival 2011 , missing the autumn in 2011.
On October 9 and 10, 2011, AIU Festival was held at Akita International University（国際教養大学）in Akita prefecture（秋田県）, Northern Honshu, Japan.
The festival, whose theme is HOOP ～世界とハチあわせ！～, had 3Philosophies : Academic（学問）, Culture（文化）, and Entertainment（楽しさ）.
The AIU students enjoyed the festival in their own ways.
They gave their cultural activities to enjoy a variety of meetings, HOOP ～世界とハチあわせ！in the festival.
Here are some photos of those activities.
Some of the students from overseas started preparing for the AIU festival in July for the purpose of making the Haiga postcard charity sale.
They enjoyed the haiga workshops, sometimes visiting the haiku tablets.
They donated money to those who experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Some Romanian haiku poets also donated their haiga or haiku to the AIU festival in order to show their condolences, prayers, or hopes through the exhibition to the Japanese people.
Ms. Patricia Lidia in Romania kindly sent her haiku on September 6.
She also kindly sent the haiku for 2012 by Mrs. Ioana Dinescu and the art work by Mrs. Constanta Erca to me on December 20.
Here is a photo of their art work.
a rainbow between
Christmas and New Year’s Eve ―
red, green, white, cinnamon…
虹
クリスマスと大晦日の間に ―
赤、緑、白、シナモン．．．
Last of all, let me post Patricia Lidia’s haiku about winter in her haiku book.
Alei bătătorite
Old path
Alten Gassen
古いパス
Traducere:
Limba engleză: Patricia Lidia
Limba germană: Beatrix-Edith Sontag
Limba japoneză: Hidenori Hiruta
Translation:
English: Patricia Lidia
German: Beatrix-Edith Sontag
Japanese: Hidenori Hiruta
Übersetzung:
Englisch: Patricia Lidia
Deutsch: Beatrix-Edith Sontag
Japanisch: Hidenori Hiruta
翻訳:
英語: Patricia Lidia
ドイツ語: Beatrix-Edith Sontag
日本語: Hidenori Hiruta（蛭田秀法）
Consiliere artistică/Artistic advice/künstlerische Rat/
芸術評議会:
Ioan GĂBUDEAN
An’ya
IARNA
WINTER
WINTER
冬
de mână prin parc,
pe-aleile bătrâne -
urme în omăt
holding hands
in park on old paths –
traces in the snow
Hand zu Hand im Park,
auf den alten Gassen –
Spuren im Schnee
公園で手をつなぐ
古い散歩道―
雪に足跡
bate clopotul -
iarna se aşterne iar
peste suflete
the bell rings –
winter is falling once again
over the living souls
die Glocke läutet –
der Winter verweit wieder
über den Seelen.
鐘が鳴る―
冬がまた訪れる
生きている魂に
troiene albe
pe marginea drumului –
un nou început
snowdrifts
on the road side –
a new beginning
Schneeverwehungen
am Rande des Weges –
ein neuer Anfang.
雪の吹きだまり
道路脇に―
新しい始まり
o căprioară
peste câmpul înălbit –
odihnă în zori
a deer
over the white field –
rests at dawn
ein Hirsch
am weissen Feld –
ruht im Morgen
一頭の鹿
白い野に―
夜明けに休む
noapte de iarnăce
frumos sună basmul
la gura sobei!
winter-night –
how beautiful a story sounds
at the fireside!
Winternacht –
wie schön hört man das Märchen
beim Ofen!
冬の夜―
物語は何て美しいのでしょう
炉端で！
poveşti cu zâne,
la gura sobei, iarna -
copilărie
winter night —
childhood fairy tales
at the fireside
Märchen mit Feen,
beim Ofen, im Winter –
Kindheit
冬は夜―
子供の頃のおとぎ話
炉端で
suspin de dragon
se aude din sobă –
vreascuri arzânde
a dragon-like sound
comes from the stove —
burning firewood
Seufzen eines Drachen
kommt aus dem Ofen
brennendes Holz
竜のような音
ストーブから出てくる―
燃えるまき
pălărie grea
pe casa bunicilor –
nea îngheţată
hats heaviness
on my grandparents’ house —
frozen snow
seine Schwere
auf dem Haus der Großeltern –
gefrorener Schnee
その重さ
祖父母の家の上―
凍結した雪
peste câmpul alb
trece un stol de ciori –
pete în amurg
over the white field
passing a flock of crows –
spots in the twilight
über dem weißen Feld
fliegt eine herde von Krähen –
Flecken in der Dämmerung
白い野を越えて
烏の群れが通過する―
薄明かりの中の斑点
stea căzătoare –
cautând prin troiene,
doar artificii
shooting star –
but searching through the snowdrifts,
only fireworks
Sternschnuppe –
aber suchend durch dem Schnee
nur Feuerwerk
流れ星―
しかし風に吹かれる雪を通り抜け、
単なる花火
prima zăpadă -
călătorul şi umbra
singuri pe munte
first snow –
a traveler and his dow
alone on the mountain
erster Schnee –
Reisender und Schatten sind
allein am Berg
初雪―
旅人と影
山の寂しさ
viscol năpraznic –
stelele căzătoare
luminând drumul
sudden snowstorm –
shooting stars
light up the road
plötzlicher Schneesturm –
Sternschnuppen
beleuchtend die Straße
突然の吹雪―
流れ星
道を照らす
prima nea în munţi -
călătorul ostenit
şi câinele său
first snow –
in the mountains a weary
traveler and his dog
erster Schnee
in den Bergen ein müde
Reisende und sein Hund
初雪―
山中の一人の疲れた
旅人と犬
în zori, numai alb –
sub lumina soarelui,
crizantemele
at dawn only white—
under the sunlight
chrysanthemums
weiß Sonnenaufgangim
Sonnenschein
Chrysanthemen
夜明けの白さ―
日光の下に
菊
satul părăsit –
crucile strâmbe din deal,
cuib pentru păsări
deserted village –
crooked crosses on the hill,
a bird nest
verlassenes Dorf -
schiefe Kreuze auf dem Hügel,
ein Vogel Nest
人の住まない村―
丘の上に曲がった十字架
鳥の巣
noapte cu stele –
căzuţi la datorie
cocoşii dorm duşi
night of stars –
fallen at their duty
the cocks deep asleep
Nacht mit Sternen –
bei Pflicht gefallen,
die Hühner schlafen tief
星の夜―
任務が肩にかかる
おんどりは深く眠ってい
Wish you all a Happy New Year!
The next posting ‘Haiku for New Year 2012’ appears on January 7.
― Hidenori Hiruta
On October 9 and 10, 2011, AIU Festival was held at Akita International University（国際教養大学）in Akita prefecture（秋田県）, Northern Honshu, Japan.
The festival, whose theme is HOOP ～世界とハチあわせ！～, had 3Philosophies : Academic（学問）, Culture（文化）, and Entertainment（楽しさ）.
The AIU students enjoyed the festival in their own ways.
They gave their cultural activities to enjoy a variety of meetings, HOOP ～世界とハチあわせ！in the festival.
Here are some photos of those activities.
Some of the students from overseas started preparing for the AIU festival in July for the purpose of making the Haiga postcard charity sale.
They enjoyed the haiga workshops, sometimes visiting the haiku museum.
They donated money to those who experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Some Romanian haiku poets also donated their haiga or haiku to the AIU festival in order to show their condolences, prayers, or hopes through the exhibition to the Japanese people.
Mrs. Maria Tirenescu inRomania kindly sent her haiku through Ms. Patricia Lidia’s e-mail on August 30.
She also kindly sent me two Christmas pictures this morning.
Here are her photos.
Let me post the latter part of her hiaku.
A jump –
and the cat catches
the cricket
ひとっ飛び ―
そして猫が
コオロギをとらえる
Acacia in flower
in pitiless rain –
no bee
花の中のアカシア
無慈悲な雨に打たれて ―
蜂は見えず
Song of crickets –
everybody listening
under the new moon
コオロギの鳴き声 ―
誰もが耳を傾けている
新月の下で
Autumn evening –
two children wrangle about
a firefly
秋の夕べ ―
子供が二人口論する
ホタルのことで
At daybreak –
the bird’s footmarks
on the snowing table
(First Prize Contest HAIKU magazine)
夜明け ―
小鳥の足跡
雪が降っているテーブルに
Leaves everywhere –
in the pitiless rain
the abandoned nest
(HAIKU magazine)
至る所に葉 ―
無慈悲な雨の中に
捨てられた巣
Winter vespers –
the hermitage of the valley
surrounded by ravens
冬の夕暮れ ―
谷の修道院
オオガラスに囲まれている
New Year concert –
a boot without shoelace
at the broken paling
(“International Haiku New Year’s Festival 2011″)
ニュウ－イヤー・コンサート ―
靴ひものないブーツ
壊れたくいで
The brink of New Year –
the woodpecker pecking
an old cherry tree
(“International Haiku New Year’s Festival 2011″)
新年間際 ―
キツツキがつついている
桜の古木を
Deserted village -
cherries are still falling
on the wooden bench
(premiul Serban Codrin)
廃村 ―
サクランボがまだ落ちている
木製のベンチに
Poor sparrow!
No crust
in the rain…
(Haiku Reality)
かわいそうな雀！
パンの皮がない
雨の中で．．．
No cricket
in the moonless night –
only an old woman
(Haiku Reality)
コオロギがいない
月のでない夜 ―
たったひとりの老女
Translated into Japanese by Hidenori Hiruta
The next posting ‘Haiku from Romanian poets for AIU Festival 2011 (7)’ appears on December 31.
― Hidenori Hiruta
On October 9 and 10, 2011, AIU Festival was held at Akita International University（国際教養大学）in Akita prefecture（秋田県）, Northern Honshu, Japan.
The festival, whose theme is HOOP ～世界とハチあわせ！～, had 3 Philosophies : Academic（学問）, Culture（文化）, and Entertainment（楽しさ）.
The AIU students enjoyed the festival in their own ways.
They were excited at a variety of meetings, HOOP ～世界とハチあわせ！in the festival.
Here are some photos of those meetings.
Some of the students from overseas started preparing for the AIU festival in July for the purpose of making the Haiga postcard charity sale.
They visited the Kanmanji Temple （蚶満寺）in Kisakata, where they found mimosa blossoms in full bloom, about which Basho wrote in his haiku in 1689, and they got very inspired to write haiku in Japanese and paint haiga pictures.
象潟や雨に西施がねぶの花 芭蕉
Kisakata ya ame ni Seishi ga nebu no hana
Kisakata―
Seishi sleeping in the rain,
Wet mimosa blossoms. Basho
Translated by Donald Keene
Here is a photo of the mimosa blossoms.
They donated money to those who experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Some Romanian haiku poets also donated their haiga or haiku to the AIU festival in order to show their condolences, prayers, or hopes through the exhibition to the Japanese people.
Mrs. Maria Tirenescu inRomania kindly sent her haiku through Ms. Patricia Lidia’s e-mail on August 30.
Let me post the former part of her hiaku.
Under the blossomed lime
tasting from the cup of tea –
alone in the night
(Honorable Mention Mainichi 2007)
花咲くライムの木の下で
お茶を一杯味わう ―
夜ひとり
Child’s cradle
hanging from a branch of lime –
the scent of flowers
(Honorable Mention Mainichi 2009)
子供の揺りかご
ライムの木の枝から下がっている ―
花の香り
Two petals
falling together—
evening wind
(Honorable Mention Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival 2010)
花びらが二つ
一緒に散っている ―
夕方の風
Rainy day –
in the spider’s cobweb
only a petal
雨の日 ―
クモの巣に
たった一つの花びら
Sunrise —
the dandelions flowering
among the ruins
日の出 ―
タンポポの花が咲いている
廃墟の中で
The old cemetery –
amidst ruined crosses
growing violas
古い共同墓地 ―
荒廃した十字架の間に
生えているスミレ
Snow on the mountains –
the white lilac blooming
in the valley
山には雪 ―
白いライラックの花が咲いている
谷間に
I sip the lime tea
listening for the crickets –
moonshine
ライムのお茶をちびちび飲む
コオロギの鳴き声の方へ耳を澄ましながら ―
月光
a butterfly
hovers about the tea cup –
serene day
(menţiune la concursul de haiku pe tema ceaiului organizat în parteneriat cu Cajin – Casa japoneză de ceai verde din Paris)
蝶が一匹
茶碗のまわりで飛び回っている ―
澄んだ日
evening wind –
like a small golden coin
a lime leaf
夕方の風 ―
小さい金貨のように
ライムの一葉
Autumn dusk -
the full moon watching
in the maple
“Poems for Mother Earth” din 14 octombrie 2007 la International Village Center din Kita-premia Mother Earth, Seinan Jo Gakuin University. (Asahi Shimbun)
秋の黄昏 ―
満月が見ている
カエデを
Translated into Japanese by Hidenori Hiruta
The next posting ‘Haiku from Romanian poets for AIU Festival 2011 (6)’ appears on December 24.
― Hidenori Hiruta
On October 9 and 10, 2011, AIU Festival was held at Akita International University（国際教養大学）in Akita prefecture（秋田県）, Northern Honshu, Japan.
The festival, whose theme is HOOP ～世界とハチあわせ！～, had 3 Philosophies : Academic（学問）, Culture（文化）, and Entertainment（楽しさ）.
The AIU President, Dr. Mineo Nakajima（中嶋嶺雄学長）says in the AIU Festival pamphlet as follows:
挨拶 Greetings
第８回AIU祭を迎えるにあたって
「八」という漢数字は書くと下のほうが広がることから「末広がり」を意味し、日本では幸運とされ、また特に古代文学においては聖なる数とされていました。2004年に国際教養大学が開学してから今日まで「末広がり」に発展して第「八」回目のAIU祭を迎えることができましたことを学長として嬉しく思っております。
本学では「国際教養 (International Liberal Arts) 」という２１世紀型の新しいコンセプトのもとで、学生諸君が本当によく学び、着実に成長しており、学長としてこれほどの喜びはありません。日本人学生・留学生諸君が、日々の厳しい日課を離れて、思いっきり羽を伸ばし、各自の個性を発揮して、お友達や家族の方々、教職員、地域の皆さん、そして秋田市民や県民の皆様とともに第８回AIU祭を盛り上げ、楽しく実り多いAIU祭になりますことを期待しております。また、今回のAIU祭が本学の目指す国際貢献と地域貢献の一環になることを強く願っています。
最後に、本学を代表して、本年もAIU祭にご協力いただいた地元の皆様に厚くお礼申し上げます。
2011年秋 学長 中嶋 嶺雄
The AIU students enjoyed the festival in their own ways.
Some of the students enjoyed taking a stroll around the campus.
Some of the students from overseas started preparing for the AIU festival in July for the purpose of making the Haiga postcard charity sale.
They visited the Kanmanji Temple （蚶満寺）in Kisakata, where they found Basho’s haiku tablet in the temple garden, and they got very inspired to write haiku in Japanese and paint haiga pictures.
Here is a photo of the tablet.
They donated money to those who experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Some Romanian haiku poets also donated their haiga or haiku to the AIU festival in order to show their condolences, prayers, or hopes through the exhibition to the Japanese people.
Let me post haiga or haiku, dividing them into seven parts.
Here is the fourth part of them.
Cezar F.Ciobîcă
After tsunami -
a dog giving an example
to the human race
津波の後 ―
犬が良いお手本
人類に
Waiting for the news -
the children folding
only paper cranes
知らせを待つ ―
子供たちが折っている
ただ紙のツルを
Fukushima –
for every missing man
a haiku
福島 ―
行方不明のひとりひとりに
俳句一句
literary circle -
everyone reads
only haiku
文学サークル ―
誰も皆読む
俳句だけを
Crying woman -
with a hina doll
among ruins
泣いている女性 ―
ひな人形を持って
廃墟の中で
gloomy day -
a cherry tree lightening
our hopes
どんよりした日 ―
一本の桜の木 明るくしている
希望
falling cherry blossoms -
another shrouds
for the dead
桜吹雪 ―
もう一枚の包む布
死者のため
Doina Wurm
Souls in the mud
The new born roots arising
Boughs of the lotus
泥の中の霊魂
新しく生まれた根が生じている
ハスの枝を
Wave over the shore-
Blossom of the sakura
Abyss in the dark
浜辺を蔽う波 ―
桜の花
暗やみの中の深淵
Not a single plane-
A flight into the unknown;
The birds in Sendai
飛行機は一機もない ―
未知への飛行
仙台の小鳥たち
Not a single tweet-
Only the crane`s crying
Sendai, Sendai, Send…
さえずりとてたった一つもない―
ツルの叫ぶ声だけ
仙台、仙台、仙だ．．．と
Translated into Japanese by Hidenori Hiruta
The next posting ‘Haiku from Romanian poets for AIU Festival 2011 (5)’ appears on December 17.
― Hidenori Hiruta
On October 9 and 10, 2011, AIU Festival was held at Akita International University（国際教養大学）in Akita prefecture（秋田県）, Northern Honshu, Japan.
The festival, whose theme is HOOP ～世界とハチあわせ！～, had 3 Philosophies : Academic（学問）, Culture（文化）, and Entertainment（楽しさ）.
The AIU President, Dr. Mineo Nakajima（中嶋嶺雄学長）was at the entrance to welcome visitors.
The AIU students enjoyed the festival in their own ways.
Some of the students enjoyed wearing kimono, giving a show.
Some of the students from overseas started preparing for the AIU festival in July for the purpose of making the Haiga postcard charity sale.
They donated money to those who experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Some Romanian haiku poets also donated their haiga or haiku to the AIU festival in order to show their condolences, prayers, or hopes through the exhibition to the Japanese people.
Let me post haiga or haiku, dividing them into seven parts.
Here is the third part of them.
Ailoaei Cristina
near the ruins –
a dog waiting for
its master
廃墟の近く ―
一匹の犬が待っている
主人を
after earthquake –
in this haiku
all my sympathy
地震の後 ―
このハイクの中に
私の同情のすべてが
among ruins –
a puppy licking
its wounded master
廃墟の中で ―
子犬が舐めっている
負傷した主人を
after tsunami –
a child embracing
his mother’s jacket
津波の後―
子供が抱きしめている
母のジャケットを
Livia Ciupav
after the storm
the sky and the magnolia
in the same puddle
嵐の後 ―
空とモクレンが
同じ水たまりの中に
May storm-
the bride’s bouquet
in a puddle
５月の嵐―
新婦の花束
水たまりの中に
the railway station in ruin-
the rails hide
under the cornflower
廃墟の中の鉄道の駅 ―
レールが隠れる
ヤグルマギクの下に
the marsh with water lilies-
an unexpected lesson
of ikebana
スイレンの沼地 ―
思いがけないレッスン
生け花の稽古
all that remained
in the harvested garden-
the moon sickle
残っていたものの全て
収穫の終わった庭に ―
月の形の鎌
Lucian Popescu
A new sunrise –
under a millennial cedar
Japenese child
新しい日の出 ―
千年杉の下に
日本の子供
After tsunami-
the ruins of houses
unused portion of the mast.
津波の後―
家々の崩壊
高い柱の新しい部分
Fog at dawn –
Amongst houses in ruin
a solitary pine
夜明けの霧 ―
廃墟の家々の中に
たった一本の松の木
Ioana Dinescu
puddles after rain ―
the rainbow descends deeper
and deeper
雨後の水たまり ―
虹が色濃く降りてくる
そしてますます濃く
Translated into Japanese by Hidenori Hiruta
The next posting ‘Haiku from Romanian poets for AIU Festival 2011 (4)’ appears on December 10.
― Hidenori Hiruta
The Results of the thirteenth HIA Haiku Contest
The Award ceremony for the thirteenth HIA Haiku Contest was held at “Ichigaya Arcadia” from 11:00 till 14:00, on Sunday, November 27th, 2011.
The six prizes were presented to the winners by representatives of the four Japanese haiku organizations and the two companies sponsoring the prizes.
A lecture on “Mirrors of Humanity: Issa’s Frogs and Toads” by Dr. David Lanoue (Professor of Xavier University of Lousiana in New Orleans) and the reception party followed.
The thirteenth HIA Haiku Contest
Sponsored by Haiku International Association
Supported by Nihon Keizai Shimbun, The Japan Times
The announcement and the comments on the non-Japanese haiku were given by Mr. Toshio Kimura, a director of HIA, which was such a nice surprise to me. That was because I found haiku by two friends of mine in the announcement.
One haikuist is Mr. Vasile Moldovan in Romania, who kindly contributed his haiku to our network.
Moldovan’s haiku were posted in the website on October 29 and November 5, 2011.
3.11 Haiku from Vasile Moldovan, Romania (1)
http://akitahaiku.wordpress.com/2011/10/29
3.11 Haiku from Vasile Moldovan, Romania (2)
http://akitahaiku.wordpress.com/2011/11/05
The other haikuist is Ms. Roberta Beary in USA, who kindly contributed her haiku for Int’l Haiku Spring Festival 2010 held by the Akita International Haiku Network with our sister festival 2010 Bath Japanese Festival.
I posted some of Roberta’s haiku from her book nothing left to say for the festival in the website on May 12, 2010.
Haiku by Roberta Beary for Int’l Haiku Spring Festival 2010 (1)
http://akitahaiku.wordpress.com/2010/05/12
I would like to express my hearty congratulations on such nice creations of haiku by Mr. Vasile Moldovan and Ms. Roberta Beary.
Here I post the names of haiku poets and their haiku selected as prize winners and honorable mentions (Non-Japanese Section). I also post their haiku translated into Japanese by Mr. Toru Kiuchi and Mr. Toshio Kimura.
木内徹選 (Selected by Toru Kiuchi)
特選 (Prize Winners)
Polona Oblak (Slovenia) ポロナ・オブラック（スロヴェニア）
not yet spring まだ春にならない
two swans on the lake 湖に２羽の白鳥
not yet white まだ白くない
Grzegorz Sionkowski (Poland) グルツェゴルツ・シオンコウスキー（ポーランド）
in the amber 琥珀の中に
the sun 太陽が
from years ago 何年も前からの
入選 (Honorable Mentions)
Pat Nelson (U.S.A.) パット・ネルソン（アメリカ）
town square 街の広場
the fiddle player ヴァイオリン弾きが
nudges the moon 月を肘で押す
Roberta Beary (U.S.A) ロバータ・ビアリー（アメリカ）
weeping willow 枝垂れ柳
soldiers trudge by 兵隊たちがとぼとぼ歩く
without a glance 脇目もふらず
Cara Holman (U.S.A.) キャラ・ホルマン（アメリカ）
keeping vigil 徹夜する
the silence 星の
of the stars 静けさ
Michael Nickels-Wisdon (U.S.A.) マイケル・ニッケルズ＝ウィズダム（アメリカ）
cherry blossoms 桜の花
thrown at a mirror 鏡に投げつけられる
in a dark room 暗い部屋で
木村聡雄選 (Selected by Toshio Kimura)
特選 (Prize Winners)
Vasile Moldovan (Romania) ヴァジル・モルドヴァン（ルーマニア）
Silence of shrine ― 聖堂の静寂―
shadows of hands in prayer 祈る手の影
moving on the walls 壁に揺れ
Dietmar Tauchner (Austria) ディートマー・タフナー（オーストリア）
deep field 草原深く
sunflowers facing ひまわりの向かう
the secret 秘密
入選 (Honorable Mentions)
Daniel Gahnertz (Sweden) ダニエル・ガーネルツ（スウェーデン）
curled up 丸まって
like an old cat ― 老猫のごと
childhood memories 幼児の記憶
Stevie Strang (U.S.A.) スティーヴィー・ストラング（アメリカ）
summer’s end 夏果てる
again mother asks また母の訊く
if it’s still Tuesday まだ火曜かい
Irena Szewczyk (Poland) イレーナ・シエヴチエク（ポーランド）
a frog 蛙
the prince in my garden わが庭の王子の
incognito 仮の姿
Constantin Stroe (Romania) コンスタンティン・ストロー（ルーマニア）
End of vacation ― 休暇の終わり
deep in the wet sand 濡れた砂深く
Last of all, I refer to the lecture by Dr. David Lanoue, whose title is “Mirror of Humanity: Issa’s Frogs and Toads”.
Dr. Lanoue also told us about his website ‘Haiku of Kobayashi Issa’, which tells us all about his lecture.
Here is an introduction given for the Haiku North America Conference 2011.
David G. Lanoue will be speaking at HNA Seattle this year. His talk, entitled “Issa´s Frogs and Toads” sounds like it will be one not to miss! Dr. David G. Lanoue is a professor of English at Xavier University of Louisiana. His Haiku of Kobayashi Issa website presents 10,000 haiku of Issa in English translation with comments. His books included Issa: Cup-of-Tea Poems, The Distant Mountain: The Life and Haiku of Kobayashi Issa, Pure Land Haiku: The Art of Priest Issa, and three “haiku novels”: Haiku Guy, Laughing Buddha and Haiku Wars.
Issa´s treatment of frogs and toads in his haiku can seem, on the surface, merely comic. Images of a grown man conversing with amphibians can provoke laughter and help to explain, in part, Issa´s popularity among Japanese children. In this lecture followed by a discussion, we will explore a selection of these haiku in light of the Pure Land Buddhism that Issa followed. We will discover that, for the poet, frogs and toads are fellow travelers, companions, cousins and mirrors of humanity.
Here’s some other comments David G. Lanoue told me over an email conversation…
How long have you been interested in Issa’s haiku poetry?
In the early 1980s I discovered Issa’s haiku in R.H. Blyth–and decided to learn Japanese to read his original texts. After that, I started translating his haiku to English (10,000 so far!).
Have you ever been to HNA before?
Yes! I attended the last two meetings in Winston-Salem and Ottawa. I’m hooked!
Have you ever been to Seattle?
Yes, briefly. But that was a lifetime ago. I’m eager to take a fresh look at it.
What are you most looking forward to at this year’s HNA?
Hobnobbing with haiku pals–old pals and new ones that I hope to make!
Looking forward to hearing this talk!
-Katharine
By Hidenori Hiruta (HIA member)
