On August 1, 1689, Basho visited Kisakata （象潟）, Akita Prefecture （秋田県）, Northern Honshu, on his journey.
Basho wrote about Kisakata in his travel diary The Narrow Road to Oku, 『おくのほそ道 (Oku no Hosomichi 』 as follows:
江山水陸の風光数を尽くして、今象潟に方寸を責。酒田の湊より東北の方、山を越、磯を伝ひ、いさごをふみて其際十里、日影やゝかたぶく比、汐風真砂を吹上、雨朦朧として鳥海の山かくる。闇中に莫作して「雨も又奇也」 とせば、雨後の晴色又頼母敷と、あまの苫屋に膝をいれて、雨の晴を待。其朝天能霽れて、朝日花やかにさし出る程に、象潟に舟をうかぶ。
先能因島に舟をよせて、三年幽居の跡をとぶらひ、むかふの岸に舟をあがれば、「花の上こぐ」とよまれし桜の老木、西行法師の記念をのこす。
Here is a painting of Kisakata in those days.
Photo courtesy; as per original copyright at:
http://www.touhoku.com/0a-03-kisakata.htm
Donald Keene translated this section into English as follows:
After having seen so many splendid views of both land and sea, I could think of nothing now but Kisakata. We journeyed to the northeast from the port of Sakata, climbing over hills, following along the shore, plodding through the sand, a distance of about twenty miles in all. As the sun was sinking in the sky a breeze from the sea stirred up the sand, and a misty rain started to fall, obscuring Chokai Mountain. We groped ahead in the darkness. I felt sure that if Kisakata was exquisite in the rain, it would prove no less wonderful when it cleared. We squeezed into a fisherman’s thatch-covered hut and waited for the rain to stop.
The next morning the weather cleared beautifully. When the morning sun rose in all its splendor, we took a boat out on the lagoon of Kisakata. We put in first at Noin Island, where we visited the remains of the hut in which Noin lived in seclusion for three years. On the opposite shore, when we landed from our boat, we saw the old cherry tree that stands as a memento of Saigyo.
In fact, there were 99 small islands and 88 lagoons in Kisakata in those days and the people enjoyed beautiful sceneries or fishing by boat around the islands.
However, on July 10, 1804, a big earthquake occurred in Kisakata about 105 years after Basho’s visit there. The earthquake caused upheaval of ground by 2.4 meters. As a result, the lagoons were changed into dry land.
Now most of those lagoons have turned into rice fields or residential areas, but there are the remains of those days left there.
You can see such remains as the Noin Island, the boat-tying stone, or small islands in the article Basho’s Stay in Kisakata (1) at the site : http://akitahaiku.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/
Here is a photo of present-day Kisakata, 200 years after the earthquake, which was exhibited at Kisakata Local Museum in Nikaho-city, in June , 2004.（にかほ市象潟郷土資料館企画展２００４年６月）.
As posted already above, Donald Keene, the ex- member of the President’s Advisory Board at Akita International University(AIU)（国際教養大学）, kindly contributed part of his English translation for Matsuo Basho’s travel diary The Narrow Road to Oku, 『おくのほそ道 (Oku no Hosomichi 』 to our network.
This is because AIU President Mineo Nakajima (中嶋嶺雄) asked Donald Keene for his permission for us to use part of his translation.
Kirby Record, a professor at AIU, teaching as director of English for Academic Purposes, also contributed his haiku to us.
Haiku by K. Record
On the Earthquake
Villages of rubble 瓦礫の村々
Everything washed away 何もかも流される
But the still-blue sky しかし静かで青い空
Clutched in the hand 手でしっかりとつかんでいる
Of a child, floating face down—
子供の手に、顔を下にして浮かんでいる―
Her favorite doll 彼女の大好きな人形
Yukari Sakamoto （阪本縁）, a graduate from AIU, wrote haiku on the earthquake.
なごり雪大地が動き沈黙す
Unseasonable snow
In silence
While the earth quakes
水仙が顔を差し出すがれきの山
Blooming daffodils
Alongside
A heap of debris
Susan Smela, who studied at AIU in 2010, is now a student at Beloit College in Wisconsin, USA.
On March 25, 2011, Susan sent me an e-mail , saying that they all heard about the huge earthquake in America, and many of them are raising money to help Japan.
Susan also said that she introduced haiga in America, and that she was able to hold a haiga meeting with students from her university (Beloit College in Wisconsin) and teach some basics of haiga and haiku.
It was a great time and the copies she made from my book really helped illustrate what she was talking about. They did some practices, then went in a circle, with 3 people writing one line of a haiku and the 4th person drawing a haiga-style picture.
Here are some photos Susan’s friend took from the meeting.
Yasushi Sato （佐藤康）, a member of Akita International Haiku Network, contributed his haiku to us.
大地震に無慈悲の限り春の雪
spring snow
mercilessly falling on
earthquake-devastated towns
大津波言葉空しく春寒し
so devastating tsunami
any words powerless
spring relentlessly cold
Junko Masuda （桝田純子）, a member of Akita International Haiku Network, contributed her haiku to us too.
復興の未来信じて花ひらく
sakura sakura bloom
believing in the future
Tohoku region
Last of all, let me post my haiku.
舟止めは夢のまた夢ねぶの花
tying a boat
i cannot even dream
mimosa blossoms
The next posting ‘Haiku about the Great East Japan Earthquake (4)’ appears on May 21.
― Hidenori Hiruta
On the fourth day, the rabbits enjoy their first running in the snowy fields and hills.
T.A. Smith’s rabbit also printed his footsteps in the snow.
After that, they joined the poetry recitation again.
Lenard D. Moore (USA) レナード ・Ｄ．ムーア （アメリカ）
another year
we sort the clothes 年新た服選り分けて残しけり
to keep
new year’s rain 新年の雨
the watercolor painting 水彩画
in the art case 美術ケースの中の
Aju Mukhopadhyay アジュ・ムクホパドヒャイ
(India) （インド）
New Year!
hearing its footsteps 新年の足音聞いてわくわくす
my heart throbs
Happy New Year 新年は
when did you come? いつ来たの
so absorbed- 夢中になっていた
Origa (USA) オリガ （アメリカ）
Year’s end –
the shrunken sun slips 年末や太陽縮み凍葉に
into a frozen leaf
Christmas lights
for the homeless dog’s クリスマスライト家なし犬の闇の時
dark moment
a stray cat’s look 迷猫の表情
at my camera: Oh God, カメラを見ている：ああなんてまあ、
the paparazzi again! またパパラッチ！
P K Padhy (India) ピー・ケイ ・パデヒイ （インド）
January 1st
time is just older 元日はただ一年の年取りや
by one more year
smiling sun–
the new year morning 元旦や微笑む日を浴び暖まる
warming up
new year– 新年
one more candle 蝋燭が一本増える
on my birthday 誕生日に
VERA PRIMORAC ヴェラ ・プリモラク
(Croatia) （クロアチア）
New Year’s Day 元日
rare passers-by in the clouds 道行く人稀なり
of blizzard ブリザードの雲の中で
New Year’s greeters
alighted on the wires 年始客電線に降りて楽譜書く
writing music notes
Narayanan Raghunathan ナラヤナン・ラグフナサン
(India) （インド）
first sparrow’s song ―
cool dawn blazes in 初雀日光浴びて夜明け燃ゆ
breezy sunlight
first purchase ―
a baby toy for 初売りにベイビートイを孫のため
my grandchild
first greeting ―
a stray child on 挨拶の初めは道の迷い子に
the pavement
first dawn ―
a distant flute tapers 元旦や遠くの笛の音無限へと
into infinity
Kirby Record (USA) カービー ・レコード （アメリカ）
on New Year’s day
thinking of my sons laughing 元日や息子の笑い新雪に
in the fresh white snow
again, the morning light:
what comes with the new year 曙光また新年と雪何を呼ぶ
and these flakes of snow?
Bruce Ross (USA) ブルース・ロス （アメリカ）
New Year’s Eve
the same street beggar 大晦日同じ乞食が別年へ
another year
New Year’s Eve
but even more so 大晦日出る満月に際立てり
the full moon
Djurdja Vukelic-Rozic ドジャーダ ・ヴケリク・ロジック
(Croatia) （クロアチア）
New Year’s dawn
frozen on the window pane 元旦や窓枠凍り息の霧
our fogged breaths
New Year’s Eve 大晦日
our pregnant cat overslept 身ごもる猫は眠りすぎ
the fireworks 花火があがる
Stjepan Rozic (Croatia) ステパン・ロジック （クロアチア）
rays of sunshine
through the shutters of clouds
- the first day 元日や日光雲の覆いから
world crisis –
only a half moon 新空に世界の危機や半月が
in the New Year’s sky
Nakamura Sakuo (Japan) 中村作雄 （日本）
New Year’s card
a friend I miss 年賀状懐かしき友現れり
appears
which one do you prefer
Rice Bowl or どちら行くライスボールか初場所か
the first year’s Sumo Tournament
by kokko Ｋｏｋｋｏ（俳号）
Hasegawa Suigetsu (Japan) 長谷川酔月 （日本） （川柳作家）
Anything is forgiven
anybody isn’t forsaken なにもかも赦し小春日抱きとめる
Indian summer
A heavy snowfall
my wife in high spirits 雪のんの妻は朝から元気です
since morning
The next posting ‘International Haiku New Year’s Festival 2011 (Part 5)’ appears on January 5.
― Hidenori Hiruta
Haiku by Students at AIU (Part 6)
2010/12/04
In the posting this time, I take up AIU Festival 2010 held on October 10-11 at Akita International University（国際教養大学）and the haiku presentation by students at the AIU class of Japanese literature.
AIU Festival 2010 (Part 2)
The theme is shown in the following photos:
Here is a photo of those who enjoyed the festival.
Our network participated in the festival with the title:俳句とHAIKU （INTERNATIONAL HAIKU）.
We exhibited haiku poems and haiga paintings contributed to our website by AIU professors, students, and other haiku poets worldwide. We also gave live art of haiga painting and poetry recitation.
During the festival, we enjoyed haiku, haiga painting, and recitations with students, teachers and visitors.
Masuda Junko （桝田純子）, a haiku poet, gave a haiku recitation for audiences.
She also presented us with her travelogue on 2010 Bath Japanese Festival, in which she participated with her daughter Aika (愛佳) in May and they enjoyed home stay with Alan Summers, founder / tutor With Words (www.withwords.org.uk).
Here is a photo of audiences who enjoyed Junko’s presentation.
Haiku Presentaion (Part 2)
Professor Alexander Dolin teaches Japanese Literature and Civilization Studies at AIU. He also writes haiku.
Recently Professor Alexander Dolin took up haiku in his class of Japanese Literature, where I participated in the haiku presentation by students as a referee on November 15.
His students kindly contributed their haiku to our netwotk, which I post in the website, dividing them into three parts.
Shugo Takahashi （高橋宗吾）
教養大,季節の変わり目人の別れ
Kyouyoudai kisetsu no kawarime hito no wakare
AIU(Akita International University),
the term when season changes
the term when my friends leave
夏祭り花火見上げて友と飲む
Natsumatsuri hanabi miagete tomo to nomu
Summer festival
drinking with my friends
as looking up fireworks
秋の山緑の葉から衣がえ
Aki no yama midori no ha kara koromogae
A mountain in fall
has taken on a fresh new color cloth
from green leaves
年賀状２ケ月後れで送る友
Nengajou nikagetsu okure de okuru tomo
New years card
which arrived
two months later
夏休み久々に見る友の顔
Natsuyasumi hisabisa ni miru tomo no kao
In summer vacation,
seeing faces of my friends
which I haven’t seen for long.
紅葉踏む音に聞こえる森の声
Momiji fumu oto ni kikoeru mori no koe
The voice of forest
which I hear from
ｔhe sound of stepping on fallen leaves.
Emily Eisemann
The month’s at its end
look, all the stones lie silent
as I tread on bones.
月終わる石皆黙し骨を踏む
Tsuki owaru ishi mina mokushi hone wo fumu
It turns toward Spring
the sakura are blooming
there, smell something sweet
陽春や香り漂う桜花
Youshun ya kaori tadayou sakurabana
Morning is coming
the waves are silver
pounding on the sand
朝あけや波白銀に砂を打つ
Asaake ya nami shirogane ni suna wo utsu
Birds by the window
never stopping, all night
cannnot, cannnot sleep
よもすがら鳥窓で鳴き我起こす
Yomosugara tori mado de naki ware okosu
Fields stretch to the sky
waves of brown, rice in the wind
to the horizon
茶の波の地平に伸びる稲田かな
Cha no nami no chihei ni nobiru inada kana
Leonard V. David
Crows make their descent
on white sheets covering rooftops
I see its glory
輝きや屋根の白布にカラス降る
Kagayaki ya yane no hakufu ni karasu oru
Perched on a tree branch
under the bright, blue sky dome
the skylark sings
ドーム下えだで囀るヒバリかな
Doumu shita eda de saezuru hibari kana
On orange pathways
I walk with great confusion
Where are the pink trees?
オレンジの小道を歩き狼狽すピンクの木々はどこへ消えるや
Orennji no komichi wo aruki roubaisu pinku no kigi wa dokoe kieru ya
Tonight you shall rest
return to your dwelling place
‘til we meet again
また会おう今宵は休み家々で
Mata aou koyoi wa yasumi ieie de
Winds tossing the waves
green buds sprouting everywhere
what magic I see
風吹きて波を上げたり緑の芽四方に芽ばゆ魔術なりけり
Kaze fukite nami wo agetari midori no me shihou ni mebayu majutsu nari keri
Last of all, I refer to the “17 syllables” question.
You can read two English haiku below, which appeared in the blog Haiku Habits (http://haikuhabits.com/).
Snow floats
in puffs to the silent
soft white floor.
see the snowflakes fall
they are white and beautiful
with all the designs
The first haiku is made up of 2-6-3 syllable format.
The second is made up of 5-7-5 syllable format.
- The comment was given as follows:
Ang3lina
February 7, 2010 at 3:56 pm
I hope dat u people know that a haiku should have 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second line, and 5 in the third.
- I answered the comment above as follows:
Hiruta
February 8, 2010 at 12:32 am
Many years ago I started English haiku by the 5-7-5 format.
At Mt. Tsukuba
burnishing study, ideas and thoughts
as chestnuts ripen
But some years after, I found it’s better to write haiku in English by the format 3-5-3.
This is more similar to Japanese haiku.
For example, 「少年や」is counted as 5 moras (sho-u-ne-n-ya) in Japanese and makes one phrase of the Japanese haiku.
In this English translation, it is ‘A boy ― ‘, and is counted as 3 syllables.
In this case, ‘A boy over there’ makes one line in the 5-7-5 format in English haiku, but it gives birth to quite a different image from ‘A boy ― ‘ .
This is because there is quite a difference between the two languages of Japanese and English.
Since then I’ve been trying to write haiku in English by the format of 3-5-3.
But sometimes it doesn’t go perfectly because the word used for each line is made up of varieties of syllables.
Now I think haiku is the shortest form of poetry, which is composed of three short lines.
The most important point is what we want to express by this short form.
Maybe this idea leads to the shortest form of poetry, which is composed of any free short three lines.
Please enjoy writing and reading haiku.
Thank you.
Best regards,
Hidenori Hiruta
・ Ken Wagner gave me the following comment:
Ken Wagner
Thanks for your insight, Hidenori.
I get the “17 syllables” question quite often, and it is both helpful – and interesting – to get another perspective on the issue.
I added links to your two sites on the Haiku Habits “Haiku on the Web” page.
Cheers.
The next posting ‘Haiku by Students at AIU (Part 7) appears on December 11.
― Hidenori Hiruta
Haiku by Students at AIU (Part 5)
2010/11/27
In the posting this time, I take up AIU Festival 2010 held on October 10-11 at Akita International University（国際教養大学）and the haiku presentation by students at the AIU class of Japanese literature.
AIU Festival 2010 (Part 1)
The theme is shown in the following photos:
Here is a photo of students who enjoyed their performance on the stage.
Our network participated in the festival with the title:俳句とHAIKU （INTERNATIONAL HAIKU）.
We exhibited haiku poems and haiga paintings contributed to our website by AIU professors, students, and other haiku poets worldwide. We also gave live art of haiga painting and poetry recitation.
During the festival, we enjoyed haiku, haiga painting, and recitations with students, teachers and visitors.
Professor Kirby Record, a haiku poet, helped us with our activities at AIU through his advice and suggestions.
Toko SASAKI （佐々木登子）, a chief member of the Festival committee, helped us too.
Masuda Aika （桝田愛佳）, a haiga painter, gave her live art for participants.
Susan Smela, an AIU student from USA, enjoyed haiga painting, in the hope that she will have learned how to paint haiga by the time she goes back home at the end of December
Haiku Presentaion (Part 1)
Professor Alexander Dolin teaches Japanese Literature and Civilization Studies at AIU. He also writes haiku.
Recently Professor Alexander Dolin took up haiku in his class of Japanese Literature, where I participated in the haiku presentation by students as a referee on November 15.
His students kindly contributed their haiku to our netwotk, which I post in the website, dividing them into three parts.
Haiku by Rie Suzuki（鈴木梨恵）
ふと見れば花梨のちょうちん灯りたり
Fu to mireba karin no chouchin tomoritari
When I chanced to look up
I found lanterns
On a karin tree
蕪炊く土鍋に両手をかざす夜
Kabura taku donabe ni ryoute wo kazasu yoru
Warming my hands—
Above a casserole
While boiling turnip
かがみて拾いし紅葉に誰を思い出すらむ
Kagamite hiroishi momiji ni tare wo omoi dasu ran
Bending down and picking up a momiji leaf
Who would be the person
Whom the leaf reminds of?
ただいまと君が帰れば部屋温まりぬ
Tadaima to kimi ga kaereba heya nukumarinu
You come home and say
“I’m home!”
Suddenly I feel warmer in our apartment
軒下に鈴連なりて秋深し
Nokishita ni suzu tsuranari te aki fukashi
Under the eaves
Persimmons are hung
Like little bells
Haiku by Misha Davydov
tobacco burning
from the balcony
perhaps fireflies
タバコの火バルコニーからホタルかな
tabako no hi barukonii kara totaru kana
under the red moon
in rice
the mantis
カマキリやお米の中で赤い月
kamakiri ya tasui no naka de akai tsuki
the bear’s
alarm clock
early spring
クログマの目覚まし時計早い春
kuroguma no mezamashidokei hayai haru
tidying nature
the part-time job
of the ant
ワイルドを清掃するは蟻バイト
wairudo wo sewiso suru wa ari baito
beneath the snow
a lonely blade
of grass
雪の下独り法師の緑の葉
yuki no shita hitoribocchi no midori no ha
Haiku by Daichi KUDO（工藤大智）
秋田杉散り行く広葉何覚ゆ
Akitasugi chiriyuku kouyou nani oboyu
Akita cedar
And scattered broadleaves.
What you bear in minds are…
雄物川静まる山に渡り鳥
Omonogawa shizumaru yama ni wataridori
Omono-river
Having migratory birds
The red calm mountain
落ち行く葉最期は一人で飛翔する
Ochiyuku ha saigo wa hitoride hishousuru
A falling leaf
Flying alone
At the end
雨蛙田んぼの畦の気まま旅
Amagaeru tanbo no aze no kimamatabi
A green fog
Enjoying the carefree travel
In the ridge of rice fields
いつ落ちるいがに恐れる栗の下
Itsu ochiru iga ni osoreru kuri no sita
Under the chestnut tree,
I am afraid of
Falling burs
Last of all, I refer to the differences between Japanese haiku and English haiku, which is one of the questions often asked of our network.
Haiku
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Haiku (disambiguation).
Haiku (俳句, haikai verse?) listen(help·info), plural haiku, is a form of Japanese poetry, consisting of 17 moras (or on), in three phrases of 5, 7, and 5 moras respectively.[1] Although haiku are often stated to have 17 syllables,[2] this is inaccurate as syllables and moras are not the same. Haiku typically contain a kigo (seasonal reference), and a kireji (cutting word).[3] In Japanese, haiku are traditionally printed in a single vertical line and tend to take aspects of the natural world as their subject matter, while haiku in English often appear in three lines to parallel the three phrases of Japanese haiku and may deal with any subject matter.[4] Previously called hokku, haiku was given its current name by the Japanese writer Masaoka Shiki at the end of the 19th century.
References
- ^ Lanoue, David G. Issa, Cup-of-tea Poems: Selected Haiku of Kobayashi Issa, Asian Humanities Press, 1991, ISBN 0-89581-874-4 p.8
- ^ e.g. in Haiku for People Toyomasu, Kei Grieg. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
- ^ Higginson, William J. The Haiku Handbook, Kodansha International, 1985, ISBN 4-7700-1430-9, p.102
- ^ van den Heuvel, Cor. The Haiku Anthology, 2nd edition, Simon & Schuster, 1986, ISBN 0-671-62837-2 p.11
The next posting of ‘Haiku by Students at AIU (Part 6) ‘ appears on December 4.
― Hidenori Hiruta
Haiku by Kirby Record at AIU, Japan (5)
2010/10/09
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.
Professor Kirby Record kindly contributed to me one of his poetry works, whose title is ‘From Leaf to Leaf: Haiku and Other short poems from Malaysia.’
First of all, he takes up his favorite phrase by William Blake:
“To see the world in a grain of sand”
William Blake
Secondly, he quotes his favorite words by Dogen.
What dreamwalkers men become,
Awakened, I hear the one true thing—
Black rain on the roof of Fukakusa Temple.
Dogen
Then he continues his haiku and other short poems from Malaysia.
all night long
a single drop of rain
from leaf to leaf
よもすがら雨滴一粒葉から葉へ
coconut crashes
from its dark silhouette
into moonlight
ココナッツ割れて影絵が月光に
bamboos lean
in the wind’s direction
wet with rain
雨にぬれ竹傾くや風向きに
summer afternoon:
evening begins edging
out of the forest
夏の午後森が縁取る夕べかな
under yellow skies
very yellow parasols,
and rustling dresses
黄色い空とパラソルさらさらのドレス
face cool and pale:
moonlight is trailing after
her black silhouette
涼しそうな淡い顔：
月光の彼女の影絵追いにけり
slow rain patters
on the patio orchids
of green branches
庭のらんパラパラと雨降りにけり
severed orchids stems—
she vows revenge on every
snail of the night
ランの茎が切断されるー
カタツムリ彼女の誓うリベンジや
waking to a storm
that shatters a closed window
in my dream of you
閉じた窓嵐に目覚む君の夢
upon her face and hair,
through the dark wooden shutters,
cool april moonlight
暗い木の雨戸からー
四月の月光が彼女の顔と髪に
spider web between my eyes and moonlight
目と月光あいだに見える蜘蛛の巣や
waking to morning cobwebs on my face
朝目覚む蜘蛛の巣顔にかかれけり
after the rain stops
lightning-flashes still lightup
raindrops here and there
雨上がり稲妻続く雨滴かな
a bird falls the blue of the sky on its wings
鳥一羽青空からの急降下
the crimson orchids
i’ve taken you here to see
dried up since morning
乾きし日共に来たるやランの花
dewy window pane
all the milky day a boy
sits watching the rain
乳の日や窓辺で雨見る男の子
candle light
mayflies, and big ants march in:
monsoon rain
季節風に伴う雨：
カゲロウと大アリ進むろうそくや
each fresh drop of rain
ripples a banana frond
to its very stalk
バナナの葉茎まで揺らす雨滴かな
orchid, stem and leaf
upright in a pot beneath
the Milky Way
天の川茎と葉が立つ鉢のラン
how different it sounds—
from one spot to another—
raindrops on the roof
聞く箇所で音の異なる屋根の雨
a month of rain
i only hear the pauses
between the drops
ひと月や雨滴の休止耳にせり
I sincerely hope that you have appreciated haiku by Kirby Record from Malaysia with my Japanese translations.
The next posting ‘Scots haiku by John McDonald (Part 4) ‘ appears on October 16.
― Hidenori Hiruta
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.
Professor Kirby Record 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 Japanese translations or interpretations. 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
Here I post some haiku by Professor Kirby Record from his haiku book.
summer breeze
ripples mountains in the water
of the rice paddy
夏のそよ風が水田の水面に映る山々を揺らす
willows are bending
round the bend of the river
toward the waterfall
柳が川の曲がりで滝の方に曲がっている
lilac and pine
beyond the sign marked
“do not enter”
「入るべからず」という標識の向こうにライラックと松の木
as sunset lingers
the waterfall plunges faster:
mogami river
日没がぐずぐずしているのに滝は急速に落ち込んでいる：最上川
misty august rain
as fishermen stand and stare:
water over rock
八月の霧雨
漁師たちが立ってじっと見つめる：岩の上の水しぶきを
a shrine to Basho —
where he wrote of silence pierced –
crowded with tourists
芭蕉を奉る神社―そこでしみ入る静けさを詠んだー
観光客が詰めかけていた
japanese garden
stones-in-sand and shadows all
together with us
日本の庭
砂地の中の石と影全てが私たちと共にある
under a street lamp
the gold glow of a firefly
suddenly goes out
街灯の下
蛍の金色の輝きが突然消える
two shadows crossing,
as scarlet dragonflies light
on a bamboo pole
二つの影が交差している、
緋色のトンボが竹の棒の上で輝きながら
blushing rose-purple,
a strutting, hopping pigeon
pursues a mate
バラのような緋色に顔を染めている、
尾を立てて誇らしげに歩き、ぴょんぴょん跳びはねるハトが
連れを追い求める
my eyes open –
how dark the cicada’s call
in this empty room
私の目は開いている ―
セミの鳴き声は何て陰気なんだろう
この空っぽの部屋の中で
summer storm:
the leaves
keep raining
夏の激しい雨：
葉が雨のように散り続ける
we look and are gone
in the spot where we once stood
an iris and a stone
私たちは見て去る
かって立っていた地点に
一本のアイリスと一個の石
I sincerely hope that you will appreciate haiku by Professor Kirby Record at AIU in Japan.
The next posting ‘Haiku by Hidenori Hiruta in Japan (2)’ appears on July 17.
― Hidenori Hiruta
Haiku by Students at AIU ( Part 4 )
2010/05/01
CRESI (Center for Regional Sustainability Initiatives) at AIU (Akita International University)（国際教養大学）held AIU HAIKU CONTEST and gave workshops on haiku in English as well as in Japanese in 2009.
Professor Kirby Record at AIU gave workshops on haiku in English, where participants including students and citizens studied about how to write haiku in English and translated Japanese haiku sent to the contest into Japanese with him.
He also played a role as the selector for English haiku at the contest.
I post some haiku written by AIU students, who won prizes at AIU Haiku Contest.
The first haiku was written by Ms. Mei Hashimoto（橋本芽衣）, a graduate student at AIU. She won Honorable Mention, English Section and translated it into Japanese.
In the grey eyes
Full of memories
On a small chair
イスにかけ瞳に浮かぶ思い出が
Isu ni kake hitomi ni ukabu omoide ga
The selector, Professor Kirby Record, gave the following comment to this haiku:
This haiku for the most part conveys its feeling through an objectively stated imagery and allows the reader to participate in the experience by constructing the scene in his own way. That is one of the essential qualities of a real haiku. Though an element of the poet’s interpretation is evident in the “full of memories,” it is balanced by the final line of “on a small chair.” It reminds me a little of the sentiment in Yeats’ little poem that begins “when I am old and grey and full of sleep/ and nodding by the fire, take down this book.” One might question its ungrammatical and semantic deviance, but to me this is the part of charm and effectiveness of the feeling. We need to conjure in our imaginations a person who has the grey eyes, the memories and sits on the small chair. Could this be a grandmother, perhaps, whom the speaker evokes? We don’t know but we can always imagine, and that is the power and delight of haiku.
Ms. Mei Hashimoto won Notable Mention, Japanese Section for University Students too.
帰り道たれる稲穂の赤黄金
Kaerimichi tareru inaho no aka kogane
Back to home
Rice ears heading down
Reddish Gold Sky
Next, I post haiku by Ms. Yukari Sakamoto（阪本縁）, a graduate student at AIU.
She received three awards, First Prize, Honorable Mention and Notable Mention, Japanese Haiku for University Students.
Haiku of First Prize is this:
ラベンダー蜂と私の異空間
Rabendah hachi to watashi no ikuukan
the bee and I
in the world of lavender
each in our own space
Kirby Record
Haiku of Honorable Mention is this:
新緑の中を駆け抜け登校す
Shinryoku no naka o kakenuke toukou su
I’m riding
through such fresh spring green
to school
Kirby Record
Haiku of Notable Mention is this:
朝露にじゃがいもの花煌めいて
Asatsuyu ni jagaimo no hana kiramei te
Potatoes:
Of those flowers
Glistening with morning dew
I, Hidenori Hiruta（蛭田秀法）, attended the workshops and sent haiku to the contest.
My haiku won Notable Mention.
Rogetsu’s hometown
sending haiku all over
autumn festival
秋祭り露月のホーム句を送る
Akimatsuri Rogetsu no houmu ku o okuru
Professor Kirby Record gave his comment to this haiku as follows:
I chose this haiku/senryu because it links the world of Rogetsu’s haiku to autumn festivals, including AIU’s. Ishii Rogetsu（石井露月） was one of the respected haiku poets after the death of Masaoka Shiki（正岡子規）, and was born in the Yuwa（雄和） area, Akita, and to whom this haiku contest is dedicated. The haiku among those referred to in this haiku include those being recognized today at the AIU festival. So even now the spirit of Rogetsu’s haiku is present and living among us.
The next posting ‘Haiku at International Haiku Spring Festival 2010 ( Akita, Northern Honshu, Japan ) ( PART 1)’ , appears on May 12, which continues till May 23 every day.
― Hidenori Hiruta
Haiku by Professor Kirby Record (Part 3)
2010/02/20
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.
Professor Kirby Record 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
Here I post haiku about winter by Professor Kirby Record, recalling the winter in Akita.
on the window pane
the rain remains frozen
in the wind’s direction
風向きに雨凍れるや窓の枠
Kazamuki ni ame kooreru ya mado no waku
at the sea’s edge
i stare into nothing
tasting snowflakes
海の縁雪片あじはふ他見えず
Umi no heri seppen ajiwau hoka miezu
japanese maple:
falling snow only darkens
its crimson branches
降る雪やイロハモミジの赤濃くす
Furu yuki ya irohamomiji no aka kokusu
in this empty room
i draw back curtains to let in
cold winter stars
カーテンを引いて招かむ冬の星
Ka-ten o hiite mane kan fuyu no hoshi
something keeps falling
brushing against the shoji
shadows of snowflakes
shoji : sliding paper door
降り止まず障子をかすむ雪の影
Furiyama zu shouji o kasumu yuki no kage
a woman’s shadow
across an icy rice field
keeps calling a cat
猫を呼ぶ氷田よぎる影女
Neko o yobu hyouden yogiru kage onna
snow begins to fall
on fields already whitened
by a flock of swans
白鳥の群がる畑に白い雪
Hakuchou no muragaru hata ni shiroi yuki
icy rain
on thawing snow
tiny holes
氷雨降り解けゆく雪の小穴かな
Hisame furi toke yuku yuki ni koana kana
winter dawn
old man on bicycle pulls
dogs on a leash
冬の暮れバイク老人犬を引く
Fuyu no kure baiku rojin inu o hiku
first buds of winter:
beads of ice glow faintly red
japanese maple
冬つぼみモミジの氷赤い珠
Fuyu tsubomi momiji no koori akai tama
cold monochromes–
sky, snowfall, and waves breaking–
splinter white ice
単色画空雪白浪粉氷
Tanshokuga sora yuki shiranami kona goori
breaths
white and shapeless
rice fields deep in snow
息白し雪の深田形なし
Iki shiroshi yuki no shinden katachi nashi
ice on stone
each breath pain
blows back again
石氷吐く息痛く吹き返る
Ishi goori haku iki itaku fukikaeru
the December sea—
through clouds, a tiny opening
for a tiny sunset
師走の海夕焼け雲のすき間から
Shiwasu no umi yuuyake kumono sukima kara
sun bursts out
my shadow darkens
on fresh snow
太陽に我が影黒し新雪や
Taiyo ni waga kage kuroshi shinsetsu ya
above the sea
sunset about to snow
a brilliant white
海上の夕焼け雪を白銀に
Kaijo no yuyake yuki o hakugin ni
a sudden shadow
on the snow from the pine grove
becomes a crow
松林雪上の影烏なり
Matsubayashi setsujou no kage karasu nari
both rain and snow
falling at the same time
on the same place
雪混じり雨の降り落つ同じ地に
Yuki majiri ame no furiotsu onaji chi ni
black is black
trees at night above the snow
white is white
黒と白夜の木々立つ雪の上
Kuro to shiro yoru no kigi tatsu yuki no ue
blurring past,
only a rabbit’s footprints
in the snow
過去おぼろウサギの足跡雪の上
Kako oboro usagi no ashiato yuki no naka
a ray of sunset
leaves a trace of crimson
on ordinary snow
夕焼けの赤き線跡雪上に
Yuyake no akaki senseki setsujou ni
swirling snowflakes
suddenly float slow-motion
near the pine forest
雪片やうず巻きゆるむ松林
Seppen ya uzumaki yurumu matsubayashi
newly-built houses
rooftops of different colors
under the same snow
新築の屋根色違ふ雪同じ
Shinchiku no yaneiro chigau yuki onaji
picture window
turns the whole room grey
winter dusk
見晴らし窓部屋灰色の冬の暮れ
Miharashi mado heya haiiro no fuyu no kure
snow glazing
the needles of giant pine
winter blossoms
雪冴えて松の針葉冬の花
Yuki saete matsu no shinyo fuyu no hana
with a black leash
a dog is pulling its master
across a snowy field
黒鎖犬主人を引く雪の原
Kuro kusari inu shujin o hiku yuki no hara
a saffron sunset
softens jagged grey ice
on the winter sea
サフランの夕焼け海の氷和す
Safaran no yuyake umi no koori wasu
drops-dripping
icicles from my roof
syncopation
滴落つ屋根の氷柱やポタポタと
Shizuku otsu yane no tsurara ya pota pota to
winter night
the clock from this dream
keeps ticking
冬の夜この夢時計チクタクと
Fuyu no yoru kono yumedokei chiku taku to
winter solitude:
in white tips of pine needles
i can see the wind
冬寂や白き松葉に風を見る
Tojaku ya shiroki matsuba ni kaze o miru
The next posting “Alan Summers’ travelogue on World Haiku Festival in Yuwa 2002” appears on February 27.
― Hidenori Hiruta
Haiku by Professor Kirby Record (Part 2)
2009/12/26
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 autumn by Professor Kirby Record.
after rain the ferns in the window turn gold
雨の後 窓辺のシダや 金色に
ame no ato madobe no shida ya konjiki ni
sleeper car the clacking of rails october rain
寝台車 レールのカタットといふ音 十月の雨
shindaisha re-ru no katta to iu oto jugatsu no ame
scent of the rice harvest at dawn
刈り入れの 稲の匂ひや 暁に
kariire no ine no nioiya akatsuki ni
first october frost
just cold enough to feel good
with hands in pockets
十月の初霜 ほど良い寒さに ポケットに手を
jugatsu no hatsushimo hodo yoi samusa ni pokketo ni te wo
japanese maple
brighter than bright sunlight
all around it
イロハモミジ 日光よりも鮮明 周囲悉く
iohamomiji nikkou yorimo senmei shui kotogotoku
autumn moon glowing
nearly as bright as the sun
sinks into sunset
秋の月 夕日のごとく 鮮やかに
aki no tsuki yuhi no gotoku azayaka ni
the autumn colors
on those nearby mountains, blur
into pure whiteness
近山の 秋色かすみ 純白に
kinzan no shushoku kasumi junpaku ni
climbing the mountain
how quickly it is passing
forty-sixth autumn
山登る ４６度目の秋 速し
yama noboru yonjurokudome no aki hayashi
late october rain
on rice fields’ empty stubble:
orange persimmons
１０月の晩雨 稲田の刈り株 柿オレンジ色
jugatsu no ban u inada no karikabu kaki orenji iro
Next I post some haiku of mine and some photos of autumn.
Autumn high skies
Mt. Taihei coloring
purple
天高く 紫深し 太平山
ten takaku murasaki fukashi taiheizan
Snow-capped mountain
leaves coloring ―
late autumn
晩秋や 山 雪帽子 紅葉に
banshu ya yama yukiboshi momiji ba ni
Japanese maple
brightening the garden ―
samurai premise
映える庭 イロハモミジの 武家屋敷
haeru niwa irohamomiji no bukeyashiki
The autumn colors ―
gingko accompanies
Japanese maple
秋色や イロハモミジに イチョウの木
shushoku ya irohamomiji ni icho no ki
Fallen leaves
into the water ―
Lake Tazawa
秋更ける 田沢の湖に 散る落葉
aki fukeru Tazawa no umi ni chiru ochiba
Princess Tatsuko
sees fallen leaves ―
how many years ?
辰子姫 落葉見しより 幾年ぞ
Tatsukohime ochiba mishi yori ikutose zo
Last of all, I post my favorite haiku of Basho’s, translated into English by Donald Keene.
Along this road
There are no travellers ―
Nightfall in autumn
此の道や行人なしに秋の暮
kono michi ya yuku hito nashi ni aki no kure
Autumn has deepened
I wonder what the man next door
Does for a living ?
秋深き隣は何をする人ぞ
aki fukaki tonari wa nani wo suru hito zo
― 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
