In August, 2000, I visited Edinburgh, Scotland, where I enjoyed Edinburgh Festival, and did the sights of the city, including the tour of Edinburgh Castle.

Edinburgh Festival

Edinburgh Castle

 

Remembering those summer days during my stay in Scotland, I present some Scots haiku about summer by John McDonald in Edinburgh with my Japanese translations.

They are taken out of his haiku book, ‘THE THROU-GAUN CHIEL’  presented by John McDonald to me.

John writes haiku in Scots, one of the two languages native to Scotland as well as in English.

 

weet blatters on thaim:

twa craws

staunin in inky dubs

     

rain beats on them

two crows

standing in inky puddles

 

 

雨が彼らに激しく当たっている： 

二羽の烏に 

真っ黒な水たまりに立っている 

 

 

水たまり二羽の烏に雨当たる 

Mizutameri  niwa no karasu ni  ame ataru

 

 

 

yill bottle taps skailt –   

he hunkers

refleckin on the galaxy

 

 

beer bottle tops scattered –

he sits

musing on the galaxy

 

 

ビ－ルの樽の栓が散らばっていた － 

男は座っている 

銀河を見つめながら 

 

 

ビ－ル飲み銀河見つめる男かな 

Biru nomi  ginga mitsumeru  otoko kana

                                                

 

 

speengie rose uncleikin

its reidness

…stoundin hert

 

 

peony rose unclenching

its redness

…beating heart

 

 

芍薬のつぼみがほぐれている 

その花の紅さ 

．．．高鳴る胸 

 

 

芍薬のつぼみほぐれて胸が鳴る 

Shakuyaku no  tsubomi hogure te  mune ga naru

 

 

 

scuil hoalidays –

in the playgrun

the widden-dug’s weet een

 

 

school holidays –

in the playground   

the wooden-dog’s wet eyes

 

 

学校の休み ― 

遊園地 

木製の犬のぬれた目 

 

 

 

moch i the chaumer –

a drame o gowd stour

amang ma chist herr

 

 

moth in the bedroom –

I dream of gold dust

amongst my chest hair

 

 

寝室に蛾が ― 

金のほこりを夢見る 

胸毛の中に 

 

 

蛾と眠る胸毛の中の金ほこり 

Ga to nemuru  munage no naka no  kin hokori

 

 

 

siller i the sin

 snail’s stravaigins

throuch the nicht

 

 

silver in the sun

 snail’s wanderings

through the night

 

 

太陽に銀白 

カタツムリの放浪 

一晩中 

 

 

カタツムリ銀白の夜の放浪ぞ 

Katatsumuri  ginpaku no yo no  hourou zo

 

 

 

catchit i the pent

a peerie flee – its weeng

glentin i the licht

 

 

caught in the paint

a tiny fly – its wing  

flashing in the light

 

 

絵の具の中にとらわれた 

ちっちゃなハエ ―　その羽 

光にきらりと光っている 

 

 

ハエの羽絵の具の中で光りけり 

Hae no hane  enogu no nakade  hikarikeri

 

Last of all, I show you the cover page of his haiku book as follows:

 

The next posting ‘Tanka by Kala Ramesh in India’ appears on August 7.

―　Hidenori  Hiruta