Haiku by Hidenori Hiruta in Japan (2)
2010/07/17
First of all, I present you the following haiku I wrote when I visited 角館（かくのだて）(Kakunodate), Akita.
Hyakusui’s monument
stands in beauty
cherry blossoms
さくらばな百穂の碑を飾りけり
Sakurabana Hyakusui no hi o kazari keri
This is a monument inscribed with two tanka poems written by平福百穂（ひらふく ひゃくすい）(Hirafuku Hyakusui)(1877 – 1933), who was a Japanese-style painter as well as a tanka poet. He was born and brought up in 角館 (Kakunodate) , which is famous for the birthplace of 小田野直武 （おだの なおたけ）(Odano Naotake)(1750 – 1780), one of the greatest painters of Akita ranga (秋田蘭画) , also known as the Akita-ha (秋田派).
平福百穂 (Hirafuku Hyakusui) was greatly influenced by Akita ranga (秋田蘭画) and earnestly tried to introduce and spread its style, in which the Akita painters for the most part painted traditional Japanese themes and compositions using Western-style techniques and an approximation of oil paints.
The monument for Hyakusui’s tanka poems was erected in 角館 (Kakunodate) on September 9, 1944, with the two following tanka poems inscribed with.
うつろへる川の流れを見るにさへ
年ふりにけり国を出しより
Seeing the current of the river moved in different sites,
I realize what many years have passed since I left hometown.
ひと時に芽吹き立ち匂ふみちのくの
明るき春にあひにけるかも
How lucky I have felt to be in such a bright spring of the Tohoku district,
where trees have just begun to bud all at once, giving nice smells!
Secondly, I present some of my haiku I wrote when I visited 男鹿半島(Ogahantou), or
the Oga Peninsula in English.
Driving straight
down the coastline
sweetbriers
ドライブの海岸線の野バラかな
Sailing boat
through the islands
off bonds
島巡り絆を後に走りけり
Summer colours
call ogres
the Oga Peninsula
夏の色ナマハゲを呼ぶ男鹿半島
Diving
into cobalt blue water
the Oga Isles
男鹿島や群青の海に飛び込めり
Thirdly, I present some haiku about summer.
Humid night
staring the cool
summer moon
夏の月湿った夜の涼味かな
Summer’s dream
someone sits in shade
Buddha’s posture
夏の夢仏陀が影に座りけり
Buddha’s rise
from the pond
lotus flower
池中より出づる仏陀や蓮の花
Falling winds
Hiroshima no more
prayers ring
風よわりヒロシマの祈り聞こえけり
Lastly, I present the latest haiku from my own blog: http://akitahaiku.blogspot.com/.
Permanent snow
cools the air
summer solstice
夏至の空万年雪の涼気かな
The shade
bathes in the water
summer isle
夏の島影水中に浴しけり
The next posting ‘Haiku by Brian McSherry in Japan (2) appears on July 24.
― Hidenori Hiruta
Haiku by Professor Kirby Record (Part 1)
2009/12/12
Professor Kirby Record teaches as director of English for Academic Purposes at Akita International University(AIU)(国際教養大学) in Akita.
He also writes haiku. He is a fellow haiku poet of mine.
On October 11 and 12, we participated in AIU Festival and exhibited works of haiku posted on the website, giving haiku activities, such as some haiku quiz.
During the event, Professor Kirby Record joined our activities and contributed his book of poetry titled “A Welcome Coolness” to me.
I post poetry in his book, dividing them into some parts and giving them a Japanese translation, which isn’t sometimes literal. It’s me, Hidenori Hiruta who translated his poetry into Japanese.
The title of his book is derived from the following haiku:
a sudden breeze
in bright winter sunlight, leaves
a welcome coolness
冬光に爽涼迎ふ風そよぐ
toko ni soryo mukau kaze soyogu
春は花 Haru wa hana
夏ほととぎす Natsu hototogisu
秋は月 Aki wa tsuki
冬雪さえて Fuyu yuki saete
すずしかりけり Suzushi kari keri
道元禅師
This poetry is Waka (和歌literally “Japanese poem”) written by Dogen Zenji (道元禅師)(1200-1253), a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher born in Kyoto, and the founder of the Soto school of Zen in Japan.
Professor Kirby Record translated it into English as follows:
“To everything there is a season.”
Ecclesiastes
In Spring, cherry blossoms
In Summer, the cuckoo,
In Autumn, the moon,
In Winter, the snow,
Cold and clear.
Dogen Zenji
Here I post haiku about spring by Professor Kirby Record.
sunset floating
with a single cherry blossom
over green stones
夕焼けの緑石の上桜花
yuyake no ryokuseki no ue sakurabana
in the rain
cherry blossoms start
falling faster
雨の中散り急ぐかな桜花
ameno naka chiri isogu kana sakurabana
this first hike of spring
following another’s shadow
resting on my own
初ハイク人の影追ひ我に依る
hatsu haiku hito no kage oi ware ni yoru
an empty house
only pictures on the wall
spring rain
春の雨空き家の壁に絵画のみ
haru no ame akiya no kabe ni kaiga nomi
sudden gust opens my front door into spring
玄関を風吹き開けて春と化す
genkan wo kaze fukinukete haru to kasu
turning the curve of her waist in spring light
春光に腰の曲線向き変わる
shunkou ni koshi no kyokusen muki kawaru
april rains
all－white stones of many shades
rushing water
四月の雨影のある白石走る水
shigatsu no ame kage no aru hakuseki hasiru mizu
back from a walk
the fresh scent of weed
on tattered blue jeans
散歩から帰る草の新鮮な匂ひボロボロの青いジーンズ
sanpo kara kaeru kusa no sinsen na nioi boroboro no aoi ji―nzu
spring rain futon on tatami mozart faintly
春の雨畳の上の布団モーツアルト微かに
haru no ame tatami no ue no futon mo―tsuaruto kasukani
Last of all, I post some pictures of cherry blossoms I took this spring, because Professor Kirby Record’s haiku and Dogen Zenji’s waka reminded me of my visit to Kakunodate（角館）.
Kakunodate（角館）in Akita flourished as a castle town. The attractive view of the many remaining samurai premises surrounded by black fences and cherry trees gives the town an appearance similar to that of Kyoto and is called “Little Kyoto”.
Cherry Trees Along the Hinokinai River Bank
The bank of Hinokinai River is designated as a scenic spot of Japan. At the end of April, residents and visitors enjoy viewing the cherry blossoms under the tunnel of cherry blossoms of the Somei Yoshino cherry trees that stretches for two kilometers along the river bank.
― Hidenori Hiruta
